Wait, what? It's Jason Johnson's birthday today? One day before the start of the "12 Days of Roo Football Christmas" story about the 1988 AC football team? That's awfully convenient.
Jason was a freshman running back on the 1988 team that won a TIAA conference title and lost in the NAIA playoffs to the eventual national champion. That same year, Roo WR Otis Amy broke the NAIA career receptions record, and fell just short of the NCAA record set by NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Yup sports fans, for one brief moment in time, #1 on the list was the best receiver in football history, and #2 was a Roo.
Jason provided me some fantastic stuff from that year. All of it has has been imaged and will be shared over the next 12 days. #40 and I are old guys now, and our athletic achievements today are more limited to tennis & post-tennis beer. But that was not true back in the day.
Jason was a huge contributor to the 1990 team that won 8 games, made the NAIA playoffs, and lost an OT playoff thriller to William Jewell in Missouri. He finished the season with just under 1,000 yards and 15 TDs, and ended his career a year later with a school record 34 TDs. Since 1849, no Roo has found the end zone more often.
That 1990 season is worth re-living. Hey, some crazy guy on Facebook should tell that story one of these years.
Oh, but that will have to wait. Tomorrow is December, and it will all be about 1988. The 1990 team lost a heart breaker to Tarleton in Stephenville. There shall be no Stephenville heart breakers in 1988 though. Only joy.
Everyone who was associated with the 1988 team (players, coaches, or just fans like me) are encouraged to write over the next 12 days. Otis has already written to me about the excitement of preseason. His comments will be posted on Day #1 tomorrow, and I'll be encouraging him to write more as we move through the season. Westminster RB Brad Tokar has also written; his thoughts will be shared on Day #11, devoted to the Roo-Titan game and Amy's participation in the NFL Combine & Draft.
I've also reached out to 1981 WR Clayton Oliphint, who has offered to share his words, and attempt to rope in others (thanks Clayton!). Clayton was a 1988 season follower and fan. Amy owns a lot of AC records, but not all of them. His 13 TD receptions in 1988 tied Oliphint's 13 from that national championship year. Day #12, the anniversary of the 1981 national championship game, will be devoted to the many ties between these two teams. Clayton & I both encourage all members of the 1981 team to write.
And finally, I've reached out to San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice through a number of social media venues. Will we rope him in as well? Will he offer his thoughts on his Mississippi Valley State record and the attempts of Amy and others to catch him? Eh, maybe not. I'm sure he's a busy man. But it won't be for a lack of effort on my part. The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas will focus in part on Rice's outstanding 1988 season, which ended with a dramatic Super Bowl victory. I plan on contacting Rice again as we move through the season.
So there you go. Happy birthday Jason. The "12 Days of Roo Football Christmas" starts tomorrow. Ho Ho Ho.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #1.
The 15-year period from 1979 to 1993 was a unique time for Austin College football. Those 15 seasons included 14 winning seasons, 5 conference championships, 4 playoff appearances, and a national championship. The 1988 team was certainly the most special for me; they were my welcome to Sherman.
There was uncertainty from the beginning. The Roos had not won a conference title since 1985, and endured a painful losing season in 1987. Rival Tarleton had won TIAA conference championships two years straight, without a single conference loss. TIAA coaches picked the Kangaroos to finish no better than third. Maybe the remarkable run, with the 1981 national championship run as the summit, was finally over. But most of the team was back from 1987, a season which had left them with something to prove.
It is one of the common threads of AC football. Before soaring to new heights, programs must cut their teeth against the Kangaroos. This was true of SWC members Baylor, Rice, TCU, & SMU in the 1910s and 1920s, true of Sam Houston St., Stephen F. Austin, and East Texas State in the 1940s and 1950s, and true of current Lone Star Conference (LSC) members Tarleton State & Midwestern in the 1970s and 1980s.
Today, Midwestern is a D2 power. The Mustangs went undefeated and won an LSC championship in 2017, falling just last weekend in the playoffs to the #1 D2 team in the country. The success of the 2017 Mustangs was due in part to the play of LB Zack McMahen, the son of Dyke McMahen & Su McMahen (h/t Margaret Winfield McMahen). Dyke was a former Roo linebacker and Otis Amy teammate.
But back in 1988, new TIAA member Midwestern was playing football again for the first time in three decades. Their first game on the road since the Eisenhower administration would not go well. Midwestern traveled to Sherman for the AC season opener against the Roos.
The renewed focus of the 1988 team on winning a championship was complimented by the efforts of one outstanding AC athlete’s chase for the record books. His season to come would be something his teammates, coaches, and fans would talk about for years.
Otis Amy had been recruited by Coach Vance Morris out of Carthage, TX. After a freshman season with 43 catches, Amy exploded with an amazing 73 in 1986 and an unheard of 90 in 1987. His total of 206 put him within sight of two national records.
The NAIA record for receptions was 276, set by Jeff Gosa of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1976. Amy was just 71 catches away, and replicating either his sophomore or junior season would be enough for him to own the NAIA record outright. The collegiate (NCAA) record itself, however, was also still a remote possibility.
Jerry Rice is considered to be one of the finest receivers to ever play the game. As a part of Mississippi Valley State’s “satellite” offense, Rice caught a collegiate record 301 passes from 1981 to 1984. To top Rice, Amy would need 96 receptions in 1988. It was not impossible. Amy had averaged 9 catches per game in 1987; maintaining that pace over the 11-game 1988 season would allow him to surpass Rice. It certainly didn’t hurt Amy’s chances that Head Coach Mel Tjeerdsma had up to that point borrowed the satellite offense from Mississippi Valley State.
Otis has written to me about the early season preparations headed into the 1988 campaign:
“I was very excited leading into the '88 season after a disappointing year in '87. We went back to a traditional veer offense in '88 after experimenting with the "satellite" offense in '87. The "satellite" was fun personally for me because of its emphasis on passing, but it did not serve our team well. In the spring we installed our more traditional offense, and I was excited to work with one quarterback in Dean Gilbert. We pretty much had a two quarterback system in '87, but Stacy Cody transferred to concentrate more on his academics and future career. Dean Gilbert stepped in and provided great leadership for the Roos. That summer was the first summer I stayed in Sherman to specifically work with the QB, and it paid dividends early and throughout the season. We threw and ran routes practically every weekday during the summer, and when fall camp rolled around we were already in a rhythm that carried on throughout the season.”
The 1988 Kangaroos, however, were far from a one-man band. In fact, the team had few weaknesses on either side of the ball. AC was led by QB Dean Gilbert, a Roo by way of the UT Longhorns and UNT Mean Green. Gilbert was protected by one of the best offensive lines in the conference: Brien Sanders, Scott Brown, Steve Nivin, John Nix, and Jim Tatum. Sanders, Nix, and Nivin would make TIAA all-conference.
If Amy were double or triple teamed, Gilbert had other threats at his disposal in WR Daryl Turner and TE Tommy Savage. When the opposition focused on coverage, running backs Bart Tatum, Wayne Coleman, Jeff Coleman, and Lin Waters would be ready to take advantage. The drives that came up short would benefit from the kicking of David Goss; by season’s end, Goss had set five NAIA kicking records.
The defensive line was anchored by NAIA All-American Scooter Nolen, and assisted by Nader Dabboussi and Mike Nason. Backing up the DL was a deep linebacker corps of Kenneth Tatum, Victor Myers, Mark Murphy, David Ucherek, and John Gallagher. Gallagher ably filled in for the injured Chris Medlin.
The experienced Roo secondary was led by Jeff Cordell and supported by Walker Fenci, Gary Don Wright, Bill Didlake, and Carlos Longoria. By season’s end, Cordell would have 10 picks over the 10 game regular season and would be named NAIA All-American.
The 1988 squad would finish the season with 5 NAIA All-Americans, 15 TIAA All-Conference players, and numerous school and national records. Coach Mel Tjeerdsma would end the season as TIAA Coach of the Year. None of this was known, however, when the season began on September 11, 1988 against Midwestern. The first Mustang drive stalled, and I sat in the stands of Louis Calder stadium watching Otis Amy await the Midwestern punt. “Let’s see if this Otis Amy hype is for real”, I thought. It was. Amy returned that first punt about 40 yards.
Against Midwestern, the AC defense limited the Mustangs to just 150 total yards. Amy had 4 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dean Gilbert threw for 152 yards and added a TD of his own. David Goss kicked two FGs, and the Roos dominated 39-3.
That same weekend, Jerry Rice let us all know who Otis would be chasing. Rice caught a 77-yard TD pass from Joe Montana in the Meadowlands with under a minute to play to stun the New York Giants. See comments for the video.
All freshman at AC take a Communications/Inquiry (C/I) class in their first semester on campus. The C/I class always includes two AC seniors who assist the faculty member. That Monday morning after the game, I headed to class with excitement to chat about Saturday’s game. One of my C/I leaders surely would want to talk about it. His name was Otis Amy.
The Roos were 1-0, and Amy’s chase was on. It was the beginning of a beautiful Roo football friendship.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #2.
A passing attack needs a strong running game to be successful, and AC certainly had one in running backs Bart Tatum, Wayne Coleman, Jeff Coleman, and Lin Waters. In Abilene, Tatum had 79 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Wayne Coleman and Waters combined for another 59. The effort helped clear the way for another Amy TD pass from Gilbert. Amy finished the day with 5 receptions for 77 yards, and the AC defense pitched a shutout against McMurry, 46-0.
With Nolen and Dabboussi on the line, and LBs Tatum, Murphy, Myers & Ucherek backing them up, the Roos held McMurry to 33 yards total rushing. Over the span of 10 conference games, only one opposing ball carrier would break 100 yards. For his efforts, Kenneth Tatum was named the TIAA defensive player of the week.
McMurry would be back later in Game #7 against AC in Sherman, where their rushing output would fall….to -23 yards. Over 2 games and 8 quarters, that school in Abilene was able to manage just a measly 360 inches on the ground against the Kangaroos during the 1988 season. It was another typical outing for the redshirt defense that would only give up a school record 894 yards rushing over the entire TIAA season. The 89.4 rushing yards allowed per conference game would have placed 2nd in the NFL during the 1988 season, just behind the 82.9 yards-per-game allowed by Mike Ditka’s Chicago Bears. It was in some ways the high point of the nickname “RedShirt Pride”.
Ironically, the Roo offense was not making life easy for the RedShirts. From LB Victor Myers:
“I remember the defense being on the field for a crazy amount of plays. The offense scored so quickly.”
The blowout allowed some freshmen to see some action. RB Jason Johnson had two carries for 13 yards, and QB John Talley got his first snap. Johnson would finish his career with more touchdowns (34) than any Kangaroo in history. Talley would lead the Roos to a winning season in 1991, with victories over Trinity and Tarleton.
Now 2-0, the Kangaroos began to look ahead. After a home matchup against Howard Payne, the Roos would be traveling to Sul Ross in Alpine and hosting Tarleton State in Sherman. Both schools were nationally ranked, and most sports writers had picked defending TIAA champion Tarleton to repeat. The Round Robin format of the 6-member TIAA conference meant that each team would play the other twice. The Kangaroo regular season would end against Tarleton in Stephenville.
While the Roos were showing signs of a squad with few flaws, Amy’s solid yet not spectacular efforts were putting his chase in jeopardy. The firepower of the offense was a good part of the reason. In addition to a strong running game from Bart Tatum and company, Amy also shared receiving duties with WR Daryl Turner and TE Tommy Savage. Both combined for 71 receiving yards in the McMurry game.
Opponents were slowly learning that double coverage on Amy might hurt his productivity, but would in no way slow the Roo offense. Two games into the season though, Amy was already falling behind. He was 10 short of the pace to surpass Rice, and 5 off the pace to catch Gosa. There was the distinct possibility that the record would have to take a backseat to a championship. It’s unlikely Amy would have complained.
AC headed back to Sherman firing on all cylinders, with Howard Payne heading into town. In Stephenville, the 12th-ranked Lobos of Sul Ross State would be visiting the 11th-ranked Tarleton State Texans. Tarleton had won 15 straight TIAA games, and most expected the winner of this outcome to be in the conference driver’s seat. Tarleton’s last TIAA defeat? A 1985 season ending 23-3 loss to Austin College in Sherman. That AC win included a TD reception by freshman Otis Amy. Of course it did.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #3.
Congratulations to TAMU-Commerce (formerly East Texas State), champions of the NCAA D2 Super Region 4. The Lions advance to the semifinals, and are just two victories away from a national championship. Follow the Lions the last step of the way with Brian Pate and his comprehensive site, The Lion Wire.
A common thread of AC football is rivalry against programs in Texas, before those schools move on to loftier heights. The same is true with AC & TAMU-Commerce. The Lions and Roos have shared history going back over a century, and were fierce rivals just before and after WW2. A highlight of the rivalry was a 1950 matchup in the Cotton Bowl.
Both schools own an NAIA national championship. The Lions secured theirs in 1972, after defeating the Carson-Newman Eagles in the NAIA D1 championship game. The Eagles later made their way into the 1999 NCAA D2 championship game, but came up short in a 58-52 4OT thriller against Northwest Missouri State and former 1988 AC head coach Mel Tjeerdsma. It was the second of three Tjeerdsma D2 championships with the Bearcats. See the comments for game highlights.
So send The Lion Wire and our Commerce cousins some love, and let’s bring an NCAA D2 championship back home to the state of Texas for the first time since Texas State’s (formerly Southwest Texas) D2 championship 36 years ago. The Bobcats won their title on December 12, 1981. I think Coach Larry Kramer’s Roos were playing that day as well. ;)
Back in 1988, Coach Tjeerdsma’s Roos continued to roll. Gilbert and Amy teamed up for two TDs, and Bart Tatum added two more on the ground. Tatum finished with 202 yards rushing, and Jason Johnson scored the first of his 34 TDs. The Roo Defense held Howard Payne to just 66 yards on the ground, and the secondary picked off the Yellow Jackets three times.
For his efforts on the ground, Bart Tatum was named TIAA offensive player of the week. AC routed Howard Payne 49-14. The Roos were 3-0, and all eyes were on the big games to come against Sul Ross & Tarleton.
Otis Amy finished with 10 catches for 199 yards. That same weekend, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana teamed up for a 69-yard TD catch in the Kingdome against the Seahawks. The 49ers won 24-0. See the comments.
It was becoming clear that Tatum was on his way to a big season. The focus of defenses on Amy meant an opportunity for the Roo running game, and Tatum responded after stepping in for an injured Wayne Coleman. By the end of the season, Tatum would find the end zone 13 times……….2 more times than Otis Amy himself.
Down in Stephenville, the Texans had escaped with a 20-17 victory over the Lobos in overtime. While OT is commonplace today at every level of collegiate football, back in 1988 the possession overtime was a novelty exclusive to the NAIA. With the win, Tarleton moved up to #8 in the nation. Sul Ross fell to #18. Up in Pennsylvania, Westminster College moved up a spot to #2. Austin College was unranked.
30 years ago, before the communications revolution, college students would write actual letters and mail them back home to family. Envelopes, addresses, stamps, the whole nine yards. And so I wrote to my family back in College Station to keep them updated on the 1988 Roo season and the exploits of Amy. Nearly three decades later, I still have that letter and others. See the comments.
QB Dean Gilbert was a senior, and I was a freshman. I may have had only a few conversations with him in my life. But I remember one. I spent a lot of time during the fall of 1988 in the AC weight room. Yup, that tiny, unimpressive closet of a weight room where football and non-football alike could lift. On Sunday morning after the Howard Payne game, Gilbert was there. All of a sudden, I had a question for him.
I had already read that Gilbert initially enrolled at UT in Austin, before transferring from the Longhorns to UNT and finally AC. That Saturday evening, the Horns had escaped at home with a controversial win against UNT. Keith Cash’s TD on third down with seconds to go was ruled in bounds, but clearly was not. I had a question for Dean. Who was he rooting for? His answer was the Horns, based primarily on state pride and a desire for Texas to return to its glory years. It made sense to me; the Mack Brown era was still a decade away. See the comments for game highlights.
Back on campus, there was quiet anticipation of the Lobo game on Saturday. The 1981 team won a conference title and national championship with only a single loss. That loss came out in Alpine, to a solid Sul Ross team. The Roos loaded up on the bus for the long trip out west. It would be their first real test.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The Lion Wire
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #4.
While Sul Ross was stung by the OT loss in Stephenville, the Lobos were still nationally ranked and very much in the TIAA title hunt. A victory would not be easy. Sul Ross owned the top rushing offense and passing defense in the conference.
The Roos came out of the halftime locker room tied at 10-10, thanks in part to a Bart Tatum TD run set up by a 77-yard Amy kickoff return. Amy quickly duplicated that effort by hauling in a Gilbert TD from 77 yards as well. The Roo defense kept Sul Ross out of the end zone the entire second half, and David Goss put the game away late with a 42-yard FG. The offense found the big play when it needed to, and the defense held when it had to. It was a tough team win on the road against a solid opponent. AC 20, Sul Ross State 16.
All of a sudden, the 4-0 Roos were headed back home to play a parent’s weekend matchup against the nationally ranked, undefeated, and defending TIAA champion Texans of Tarleton State. Tarleton had moved up to #6. AC had finally cracked the polls at #19.
It was going to be a big, big deal.
Amy finished the game with 4 catches and 112 yards, and added 159 return yards to boot. He was on his way back from Alpine for Monday morning’s C/I class, where we freshmen would once again fail to distract him from that week’s class lesson.
Every Saturday, we watched Otis do amazing things on the football field. Every Monday morning, we would try our best to get him to talk about the game. Otis! Remember that catch in the 3rd quarter when you did that juke? What about that punt return in the 1st quarter? Are we going to beat Tarleton?
Otis would have none of it. A quiet, professional educator to the end, he would politely tell us that the game was over, that it had been fun, but that it was time to get back to the business at hand. And so, we shared a mixture of frustration and admiration about Otis. He refused to prioritize his amazing athletic accomplishments that were unfolding before our eyes, and instead emphasized the academic.
But we certainly didn’t need Otis’s help to get excited about what was to come. The 6th-ranked Texans were headed to town. A Clash of the Titans loomed at Louis Calder stadium, with the winner in the TIAA driver’s seat. Tarleton was exceptional.
But so were we. And we were awfully good at Calder stadium. As Coach Tjeerdsma told the papers, “I’m in my fifth year here, and I can’t ever remember us playing poorly here. We have made mistakes and we’ve had poor portions of a ballgame. But we usually really do play pretty well at home.”
Game on.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #5.
The 34.0 point-per-game (ppg) average of the 1988 team is the second highest in Austin College history, surpassed only by the 1920 team. In 1920, the Roos were literally unstoppable. Ewing Freeland had the “fastest backfield” in the state of Texas, and Austin College cruised to a TIAA championship. The 1920 team averaged 36.7 ppg, while giving up only 8.0 ppg. Exclude the loss to the SWC Champion Texas Longhorns in Austin, and the numbers are even more dramatic. AC 41.3, Opponents 2.3.
That famous backfield was comprised of Ray Morehart, Hub Hollis, and West Point transfer Lee Jones. Austin College clinched the TIAA championship on Thanksgiving Day with a 21-0 shutout of Trinity in Waxahachie, thanks to the defensive help of Jones. AC went up 7-0 in the first half, but a late Trinity drive threatened to tie the score. That is, until Jones stepped in front of a Tiger pass and rambled 90 yards all the way to the end zone. For his efforts that season, Jones was awarded the rare distinction of “All-Southwest”. A Roo stood alongside Horns, Aggies, Bears, Horned Frogs, & Mustangs; Jones was the only player picked outside the Southwest Conference.
The 90-yard interception return by Jones was the longest in AC history for 68 years, until October 8, 1988.
3,600 fans were on hand, in what might have been the largest football crowd at Louis Calder stadium since the national championship game of 1981. On paper, it was a battle of two 4-0 teams. But were the Roos really up to the task against an opponent who had won 16 TIAA games in a row? Did this team, which had lost badly to the Texans the year before, really believe?
AC got off to a good start. Gilbert drove the Roos down the field, and hit Amy for a 15-yard TD. But the Texans answered with a drive of their own. The Texans methodically made their way all the way down to the goal line. It looked like Tarleton would score. Two attempts by running back Cason Rangle came up short. On 3rd down, Tarleton gave him one more chance.
From LB David Ucherek:
“Gary Don [Wright] and I lined up in the “a” gaps opposite side of the center. The center and fullback blocked me and Gary Don destroyed the [tail] back.”
Defensive back Gary Don Wright collided with Rangle just short of the goal line. The football popped loose into the air towards the back of the end zone.
30 years later, it still seems like slow motion. Jeff Cordell grabbed the ball six yards deep in the Roo end zone, headed east towards Hughey Gym and the Tarleton sideline, and then turned up field. Walker Fenci was by his side. After one key block by Fenci, there was nothing between either of them but the end zone. With Cordell’s eyes focused on Bryan Apartments, Fenci played the role of secret service agent, looking for another Texan from which to protect his teammate. There were none. After an eternity, they both finally made it to that south goal line. Touchdown. AC 14, Tarleton 0.
It was a fumble recovery. But because a fumble cannot be advanced, it went into the record books as a 100-yard interception return, the longest in AC history. In reality it was about 106 yards, but the NAIA did not count returns beyond 100 yards.
“Every football player dreams about something like that. It was like a gift from heaven”, said Cordell. “Soon as I got it, I just ran. I had a good block by Walker Fenci to keep the quarterback off me, then I realized I was going all the way. We just all work together. We played a hell of a game, and we had to.”
Tarleton never recovered. David Goss added three field goals, and AC took a 23-3 lead. A backup Tarleton QB attempted to make a game of it, but it was too little, too late. AC 23, Tarleton 17. The Roos were undefeated and in first place, all alone at 5-0. The Dallas Morning News gave the contest real estate similar to the Red River Rivalry that same day. It was a big game in North Texas.
For his two interception performance, including the longest in AC history, Cordell was named NAIA D2 national defensive player of the week. The game was marred by penalties and turnovers on both sides, but the Roos were good when they needed to be. The Red Shirt defense once again ensured an opponent would leave without a 100-yard rusher. David Goss’s three field goals after the Cordell touchdown would prove to be the difference.
With AC at 5-0 and preparing to face the same five teams again, the questions began. Could the Roos equal the 6-0 start of the 1980 team that helped to fuel a national championship a year later? Could they match the 7-0 start of the 1968 team? Might this squad just run the table and finish with a perfect regular season for the first time in history?
And Tarleton. With the win at home, AC moved up in the national rankings to #13. Tarleton fell to #16. But the two would meet again on Tarleton’s home field, with possibly a conference title and national playoff berth on the line. Already, the mind was moving from October to November, and what appeared to be an inevitable matchup of destiny in Stephenville.
But none of that was yet on the minds of fans that Parent’s Day weekend in Sherman. At a function that evening for parents and students, Athletic Director Bob Mason was asked to say a few words. He stepped up to the microphone, paused for a few seconds, and with perfect timing spoke in a very soft voice:
“How ‘bout those Roos?”
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #6.
The Oakland Athletics had won a league best 104 games in 1988. The A’s swept the Red Sox in 4 games in the ALCS, and were up a run in the ninth with 2 outs and a full count in Game #1 of the 1988 World Series. On the mound was Dennis Eckersley, the best relief pitcher in baseball. Eckersley had notched 45 saves in 1988, second on the all-time list for a season. At the Dodgers Stadium plate was a batter so injured he had not even suited up at the start of the game.
The Roos were undefeated and tops in the conference. But Otis Amy was falling further behind.
After 5 games, Amy had caught 31 passes. Fine numbers for sure, but not enough to break national records. He was now 17 catches behind the pace to surpass Jerry Rice, an already monumental climb. It was becoming increasingly clear that Amy would fall short of the greatest receiver in football history.
But he was also at risk of losing the NAIA receptions crown. Amy was 4 catches off of the pace to beat Jeff Gosa, and the season was half over. There was the real possibility that the record would be sacrificed for a conference championship run.
Amy was a victim of his own success, and the productivity of the offense. With the outcome often not in doubt, the Carthage receiver would frequently see little action in the fourth quarter. Also, the double coverage he would usually draw allowed for yardage opportunities by other Gilbert receiving threats or by Tatum, Coleman, or Waters on the ground. As Amy himself mentioned in the press, “we’re not throwing the ball as much, but we’re getting more out of our passing game than we have in past years.”
But there was still time to catch Gosa.
After the wins over Sul Ross & Tarleton, the schedule once again returned to the weaker conference opponents. It was here, against Midwestern, McMurry, & Howard Payne, that Amy would reassert himself and make a serious run at the NAIA receptions mark. Over those three games, his numbers were simply astounding. 32 catches, 479 yards, 4 touchdowns. Nobody could stop him.
With a win over the Texans, the Roos had secured a #13 NAIA ranking. They headed to Wichita Falls and played like they were the top NAIA team in the country. In the first half, Goss had three field goals, Tatum had two TD runs, and Amy had a TD catch. Tatum added a third TD for good measure, and freshman Jason Johnson scored his second career TD. A huge Midwestern crowd of 9,000 saw the hometown team head to the locker room down 37-0. The arrival of college football in Wichita Falls was a draw; so was the opportunity to see the best team in the conference.
The offensive line of Brien Sanders, Scott Brown, Steve Nivin, John Nix, and Jim Tatum opened holes for Tatum and gave Gilbert plenty of time all day. AC finished with nearly 500 yards of total offense. Nolen, Tatum, Murphy, Ucherek, and the rest of the Red Shirt defense held the Mustangs to just 46 yards rushing, and the Roos routed Midwestern 57-12.
Amy had 13 catches for 183 yards. It was his best outing of the season. Just like that, he was 1 catch ahead of the pace to break Gosa’s record and own the NAIA career receptions mark. Did the Roos have a post Tarleton let up? Just the opposite. The 45-point win on the road in front of one of the largest crowds to ever watch AC football showed that the team was just hitting its stride and playing like champions.
That same evening, Kirk Gibson launched a Dennis Eckersley pitch into the Chavez Ravine right field bleachers, and hobbled around the bases like Robert Redford in the Natural. Gibson’s home run in California ended Game #1 just after 10pm CST, just about the same time as Johnson’s 4th quarter TD in Texas.
AC returned home to take on McMurry, with Amy as hot as ever. Woe to be a McMurry DB.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos (send me corrections):
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #7.
Coach Mel Tjeersdma was asked about Otis Amy after the McMurry game.
“What can you say?”
Amy torched McMurry at home with 10 catches for 186 yards and 2 TDs. He added a 45 yard punt return for a TD as well. AC easily beat McMurry 42-14, to move to 7-0 on the season. Amy was named TIAA offensive player of the week, and was now 4 catches ahead of the pace for the NAIA receptions record.
He was 13 catches behind the pace to surpass Rice, and it was clear now that Rice’s record would be safe. Amy tore through the weaker TIAA competitors of Midwestern, McMurry, and Howard Payne in 1988, averaging the 9 catches per game needed to catch the great 49ers receiver. It was his output against Sul Ross & Tarleton, the two teams battling AC for the conference crown, that kept his numbers lower than his incredible year of 1987. In those games, the Roos were using every tool in the tool box to earn victories. Amy’s double and triple teams were not recorded in the statistics, but they were showing up in in a balanced offensive attack and TIAA victories.
That same weekend, Rice caught a Montana TD pass in a Monday Night Football game against Chicago. The 49ers and Bears would meet again in the NFC Championship game in January. There, Rice would haul in a 61-yard TD pass from Montana. San Francisco won 28-3, and was on its way to the Super Bowl. See the comments.
-23 yards rushing.
McMurry took a look a Nolen, Nason & Dabboussi on the DL and Tatum, Myers, Murphy & Ucherek at LB, and decided to abandon the running game entirely. Not that it helped. Cordell and the Roo secondary picked off 4 passes and kept the McMurry completion percentage under 35%. Gilbert threw for 373 yards and 4 TDs. Bart Tatum, Wayne Coleman, and Jeff Coleman combined for over 100 yards on the ground, and the Roo offense had over 500 yards total.
The personnel of the 1988 team was similar to 1987, yet the results were starkly different. LB John Gallagher tried to explain what changed. “I’ve thought about this a lot,” Gallagher said, concerning the reason for the defense’s improvement this season. “The difference between this year’s team and last year’s team has got to be the leadership and the attitude of the team. We’ve got great leadership from our seniors, and the attitude of the team is just great. Ken Tatum, Gary Don Wright, and Scooter Nolen are great leaders. We want to win, and we’ll do anything we have to [do] to win.”
I would usually hit the weight room on Sunday mornings. That next morning, I arrived to find just one other person lifting. Otis Amy. “Morning Otis. Great game yesterday.” You had to talk about the game with Otis on Sunday, because there would be no discussion in class on Monday. Otis recounted some of the highlights with one of his biggest freshman fans. Which Amy TD did I want to talk about? I had three to choose from.
After enduring some my questions, Otis moved on to the bench press. Why would a wide receiver be benching during the middle of the season? Shouldn’t that await the off season? There was too much on the line. However, he was doing reps and not maxing, so it was all probably just fine. Except for one minor detail. He asked me for a spot. I was the only one there.
“Sure thing Otis, no problem”.
As I spotted Otis on the bench, I had one thought over and over in my mind.
“The whole season is in my hands. The whole season is in my hands. Don’t mess this up Marc.”
I started to imagine all of the schools where I could transfer if a poor spot led to an injury. Maybe some nice school in southern New Zealand. Maybe some community college on the moon. Ideally something even further away.
Luckily, the spot was injury free and the Roos would be off to Brownwood the following weekend to take on Howard Payne. AC had matched the 1968 team for the best ever start in school history. It seemed impossible that the now 10th-ranked Roos would not beat the Yellow Jackets a second time.
But just ask every NFL team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Going undefeated is hard.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos:
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #8.
It was in some ways a difficult year for North Texas football. Dallas continued to struggle, and a Cowboys icon who had led them for 3 decades to five Super Bowl appearances was on the hot seat. It was an open question throughout the fall as to whether 1988 would be Tom Landry’s last at Texas Stadium. After Jerry Jones acquired the team later that year, we all soon learned the answer.
The Dallas Morning News ran a special on October 30, 1988 about Landry, with a headline of “What’s The Trouble?” The newspaper could have used the same headline for the AC-Howard Payne game in Brownwood. After taking a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Roos proceeded to fall apart. Injuries and turnovers both played a factor. Howard Payne shocked AC, 37-10.
In spite of the loss, Amy had another exceptional game with 9 catches for 110 yards. With two games left in the regular season, Amy stood at 269 career receptions. 8 catches over the final two games would break Gosa’s mark.
We wrote letters back in 1988, and I wrote one back home that basically said “What happened? I don’t know.” See the comments. The football can take some funny bounces, and losses will happen to the best of teams. The true measure of a squad is how they respond to those losses. In the case of the 1988 team, the loss was a bump in the road to be shelved and forgotten. It was back to business.
In “The Perfect Pass” by S.C. Gwynne, Coaches Hal Mumme and Mike Leach are credited with revolutionizing the offensive side of the game at Iowa Wesleyan with the “Air Raid” offense. Mumme was a wide receiver for Tarleton State in the mid-1970s, and was head coach at McMurry from 2009 to 2012. It is Coach Mumme who stated that the best football players are those with “short memories”.
There were two games remaining against the toughest two teams in the conference. Sul Ross was headed to Sherman. With a win at home, the Roos would travel to Stephenville with everything at stake: a conference title, a playoff berth, and an NAIA receptions record. AC had fallen to #16 in the polls; Tarleton was up to #14. Both teams were now 7-1 and on a collision course.
The 1988 Roos were a short memory team looking forward. There was too much on the line to do otherwise.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos:
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
Perfect Pass - S.C. Gwynne
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #9.
Home once again at the friendly confines of Louis Calder stadium, the Roos were back on track. It was as if the Howard Payne game had never been played at all. AC and Tarleton were both headed for a season ending rendezvous, and Sul Ross was easily dispatched by a team with renewed focus.
After three quarters, the Roos held a commanding 40-7 lead on the backs of two Tommy Savage TDs, and TD runs by Bart Tatum and Lin Waters. Amy had a solid day with 4 catches for 89 yards. In an attempt to seal the record at home and avoid the distraction in Stephenville, Coach Tjeerdsma continued to direct Gilbert to fire at Amy late in the game. Sul Ross was determined to not have the record fall on their watch, and continued to double team Amy until the end. The record would have to wait. Tatum and Coleman combined for nearly 100 yards on the ground. The Roo defense held Sul Ross to 236 yards of total offense. AC won, 43-13.
Mike Freeman of the Dallas Morning News was already referring to it as “The Game”. It was #11 ranked Austin College @ nationally ranked Tarleton State in Stephenville, with the winner granted a TIAA conference championship and a berth in the NAIA D2 playoffs. Only Midwestern wasn’t really cooperating. In a preview of the D2 Lone Star Conference battles to come, the Mustangs shocked Tarleton at home in week #9, 20-17. Tarleton would show up for “The Game” at 8-2 and ranked #22 in NAIA D2.
Not that it mattered that much. A Tarleton win would still earn the Texans a conference co-championship. Also, a playoff berth was very much on the line. The NAIA had earlier declared that the higher nationally ranked team would get the invite in the event of a co-championship. With identical records and AC just 11 spots higher in the polls, it was entirely possible that a convincing win at home would leapfrog the Texans into the playoffs. Said Tarleton Coach Ray Despain, “if we can beat Austin College by a few touchdowns, then we stand a good chance of passing them in the final polls.”
“The Game” was still on.
As usual, I was writing letters to home. I was headed to “The Game” with a group of Roo fans, including Kyle Matlock. David Goss’s shoes were huge ones to fill, but Matlock ably did so over the next two years as a kicker for Roo football and outfielder for Roo baseball. Matlock sits in the AC Hall of Honor.
Back in 1908, a special interurban train was rented by Austin College to transport students, faculty, and administration from Sherman to Waxahachie for the season ending game against Trinity on Thanksgiving Day. AC played inspired football, and came away with its first ever victory against the Tigers by a score of 11-10. According to the papers, the trains were a big party going and an even bigger party returning. President Clyce himself traveled with the enthusiastic group.
80 years later, Roo fans made a similar journey.
The attendance in Stephenville for “The Game” is listed at 4,100, and a significant portion of that total was cheering for the crimson and gold. We all made the trip to Stephenville, and congregated on the southwest side of Tarleton Memorial Stadium. We were excited, and we were loud. We had come to see a victory, a championship, a playoff berth, a receptions record, and the silence of thousands of fans in Stephenville.
We’d get it all.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos:
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #10.
“I know two things”, said Coach Mel Tjeerdsma. “One, we now own Stephenville. And two, we’re playing next Saturday.”
The Texas A&M University System is one of the nation’s largest, and comprises 11 campuses across the state. Its flagship campus in College Station has an enrollment of nearly 60,000 students, and like Austin College traces its football history to the 19th century. A&M’s first win over a collegiate opponent was an 1896 victory over AC in Sherman.
The second largest university in the A&M system, with an enrollment of over 12,000 students, is Tarleton State in Stephenville.
Anyone in Sherman even mildly interested in Roo football was making plans to head to Stephenville for the November 12th game. Everything was riding on the outcome. A conference title, a playoff berth, and a national receptions record.
4 catches. That was the magic number. 4 catches, and Otis Amy would have more than any other receiver in the decades long history of NAIA football. Would the record fall? Would AC win a conference title on Tarleton’s home field? Might this team just replicate the 1981 team’s run to a national championship?
The game at Tarleton Memorial Stadium was never really in doubt. What began as nervous tension slowly but surely became a celebration and a party. The Roos got two Bart Tatum TDs early after interceptions by Victor Myers and Jeff Cordell, and held a 17-7 lead late in the 2nd quarter. AC was using all the tools at its disposal to methodically move downfield. Runs by Tatum, Coleman and Waters, catches by Savage and Turner, scrambles by Gilbert. And of course, catches by Amy. Amy’s three receptions on those first half drives tied him with Gosa at 276.
Late in the first half, John Gallagher forced a Tarleton fumble, and Scooter Nolen came up with the recovery at the Texan 26-yard line. AC moved the ball to the Texan 22. And finally, history.
Most individual records in football are broken in a rather pedestrian fashion. Not Ricky Williams. When the Longhorn running back was just yards from Tony Dorsett’s single season rushing record, Williams passed the legendary Cowboy with a 60-yard TD run at home against the rival Aggies. Otis would pass Gosa in dramatic fashion as well.
At the 22-yard line with just 17 seconds remaining in the half, Amy improvised and streaked to the corner of the end zone. Gilbert recognized the change, and lofted a floater to the corner. Amy went up and got it. Touchdown. Record. 24-7 at the half. Otis even made the catch in the southwest corner of the stadium, right in front of the entire Roo fan contingent. He was right there, so close. We could all almost slap his shoulder pads in congratulations. In the history of NAIA football, nobody had caught more footballs than a Roo.
“I think they ran a signal, and I just broke the pattern off,” Amy said. “I’ve had a lot of big catches here at Austin College, but this one to break the record and give us six more points was one of the biggest. We couldn’t have won it any better than winning the championship here in Stephenville. It’s great. We didn’t want to share anything with Tarleton. We had to show them who was the better team today.”
“You can’t plan those things,” Austin College head coach Mel Tjeerdsma said about Amy’s record-breaking reception. “I didn’t even know it until the kids started screaming. I guess they were keeping track. In a game like that, you just want to live.”
Sometimes, the most exciting moments in football are truly exciting. The Amy catch for the record is a good example. And sometimes, the most exciting moments in football are actual the most tedious. Tarleton scored late in the 4th quarter to pull within two scores, and threatened to make a game of it. That’s when AC began “the drive”, a long, slow, methodical dagger to the heart led by Bart Tatum and the AC offensive line of Brien Sanders, Scott Brown, Steve Nivin, John Nix, and Jim Tatum.
From “100 Years of AC Football”:
“Tatum and the offensive line drove the fatal stake late in the fourth when Tjeerdsma lined the Kangaroos up in a single running back formation. Tatum ran 10 consecutive dives, right and left, head to head with Texan defenders and falling forward four or five yards a carry. ‘Most memorable performance I have ever seen,’ said [QB] Gilbert.”
Tatum, Coleman, and Waters combined for 167 yards on the ground. Gilbert threw for another 173 and completed more than 50% of his passes. Amy ended the day with 4 catches for 103 yards, and Turner and Savage combined for another 41 yards. Goss kicked 4 field goals, and accounted for 15 of the 33 points.
With Nolen, Nason & Dabboussi on the defensive line, and backed by linebackers Kenneth Tatum, Victor Myers, Mark Murphy, David Ucherek, and John Gallagher, the Roo defense limited Tarleton to just 114 yards rushing. After 10 games, only one TIAA back had gained more than 100 yards. The 894 rushing yards allowed by the 1988 Roo defense is still a school record.
Cordell picked off three passes in the Tarleton game, and his secondary teammates of Walker Fenci, Bill Didlake, Carlos Longoria, and Gary Don Wright backed by the LB corps came up with three more. Both Cordell’s three picks and the six by the entire Roo defense were TIAA records. Goss and Cordell shared TIAA player of the week honors.
It was a complete team effort, as usual. The TIAA season was over. Austin College 33, Tarleton State 15.
The TIAA rivalry between AC & Tarleton spanned 15 years, from 1977 to 1991. Over that time period, AC won the head-to-head meetings by a 16-11 count. The win in Stephenville was the last AC win over Tarleton on the road. A final win came in the last matchup between the two schools, a victory for QB John Talley and the Roos at Louis Calder stadium in 1991.
Like most AC rivals, Tarleton would soon be on its way to greater heights. By 1995, the Texans were Division II and a Lone Star Conference contender. Today, Tarleton regularly competes for an LSC championship alongside former Roo rivals such as A&M-Commerce & Midwestern. Like most programs in the state of Texas since 1896, Tarleton had been tested by AC, and was moving on.
As the clock wound down in Stephenville, Texan fans headed home. Roo fans stayed, to soak it all in.
From the Sherman Democrat:
“In the final minutes of Saturday afternoon’s Austin College football game against Tarleton State, the chant of ‘we’re No. 1’ echoed throughout the stadium as the sweetness of an undisputed Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship was about to head north to Sherman.”
Austin College was a TIAA conference champion once again. Amy had the record. And as Coach Tjeerdsma said, we were playing next Saturday.
Awaiting us were the future national champions in Western Pennsylvania.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos:
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #11.
The season came to an end in Pennsylvania. A late first half TD gave Westminster a 14-3 halftime lead, and the Roo offense could never get it going against the tough Titan defense and the bitter Pennsylvania cold. The final score was 34-12. Westminster was on its way to a national championship, to be clinched in dramatic fashion three weeks later at the very same Burry Stadium. The Micchia-to-Foley catch in the 1988 national championship game ranks right up there with “the kick” from the 1981 title game in Sherman.
Brad Tokar was the offensive MVP of the game for the Titans. He is now Director of Admissions for Westminster College. Brad has sent me his comments about the game and the Titan season. Thank you Brad.
“Heading into the 1988 season, we were excited and anxious. We had a lot of starters returning and we had made the playoffs in 1987 but were knocked out in the second round by a local rival Geneva College. All of this kind of came together, and I think we wanted to really prove something to ourselves. Heading into the first round against Austin College we were really fired up to avenge our loss the year before. There was no question that our defense was concerned with Otis Amy. For most of the game we had a linebacker bump him off the line of scrimmage and had our best corner playing over top. I also think the cold, wet conditions slowed him down, but he was a great player and we knew we had to contain him.”
Brad has also shared two pages devoted to the Westminster-AC game from a book about the Titan championship season. The book was written by a Westminster faculty member, and can be read in the comments below. Brad also put me in touch with Coach Scott Henninger, who was on the field that day in 1988. Coach Henninger provided me with the highlights of the 1988 Titan season, which included the first round playoff win over Austin College. See the youtube link.
While highlights of the opposition can be difficult to view, I hope you all still get some enjoyment out of simply watching the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos in action. I know I did.
Also, poignant moments are often found where you least expect. At the 1:43 mark, Coach Sig Lawson tosses the ball back to the referee. Thank you Coach.
Tarleton State rebounded in 1989 to win the TIAA championship and advance to the NAIA D2 playoffs. After winning a first round playoff game, the Texans hosted the defending national champion Titans at Tarleton Memorial Stadium. One year removed from defeating Austin College in Pennsylvania, Westminster was headed to Stephenville.
The Texans were confident. Too confident. Tarleton engaged in a significant amount of pregame taunting of Westminster, which fired up the Titans. Tokar had 183 yards rushing, Foley caught a TD pass from Micchia, and Westminster shut out the Texans on their home field by a score of 34-0. Westminster ended the season for Tarleton in 1989 just as the Roos had done in 1988………….with Texan fans in Stephenville quietly headed home.
Westminster repeated as NAIA D2 champions in 1989.
The game has changed dramatically over the past three decades. The Air Raid offenses of Tarleton’s own Hal Mumme have proliferated throughout the game, and receiving records have been falling left and right. But Amy’s career is still in the record books. Although no longer at the top of the list, his 280 receptions are still the fifth most in NAIA history. Jerry Rice and Otis Amy were #1 and #2 on the collegiate receptions leaderboard for six years from 1988 to 1994, when Chris George of Glenville State (WV) passed them both.
The NAIA record holder from Austin College finished his career that day in Pennsylvania. That same weekend, the NCAA record holder from Mississippi Valley State caught an 80-yard pass from Joe Montana in a Monday Night Football game against Washington at Candlestick. The 49ers won, 37-21. See the comments.
The Little All-American team is composed of the nation’s best players from NCAA D2, NCAA D3, and NAIA. Amy was named to the Little All-American team in January 1989, alongside Johnny Bailey of Texas A&I (now A&M-Kingsville). Bailey was a three time Harlon Hill Trophy recipient (Heisman for D2) who rushed for 6,320 career yards. At the time of Amy’s selection alongside Bailey, only one other collegiate back had ever rushed for more than 6,000 career yards: legendary Cowboy RB Tony Dorsett.
Amy was a legitimate NFL prospect, and was the first ever NAIA D2 football player to be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February of 1989. There, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, he displayed his trade alongside Rodney Peete, Lawyer Tillman, and fellow WR Andre “Bad Moon” Rison. Troy Aikman was scheduled to attend, but dropped out due to the flu and a likely #1 draft pick. Amy made an impression, and was hopeful that he might be drafted when the NFL owners met in April. “He has a chance to get drafted, probably in the last few rounds,” said legendary Dallas Cowboys VP and scout Gil Brandt.
It was not to be. Left undrafted, Amy considered free agency or the Canadian Football League. Eventually, as the dreams began to slowly fade, he decided to return to AC for a master’s degree in education. That led to service in the U.S. military, a career in public education administration in his native Carthage, and development of his East Texas ministry.
Ray Morehart was a member of the “fastest backfield in the state of Texas” that brought home a Roo conference championship in 1920. He was arguably one of the greatest Roo athletes in history, and eventually became a member of the greatest team in baseball history, the 1927 Yankees. According to James Creighton’s book about his time at AC, larger schools had attempted to lure the Roo star away from Sherman. Morehart would have nothing of it. “I started here, and I will finish here. Whatever the cost required.”
As Amy’s career soared to new heights, the idea of transferring to a SWC school became of greater interest. But after a lot of soul searching with family, coaches, and teammates, Amy decided to stay in Sherman. “In talking with all of those people, I was convinced that I would lose too much if I left. I’m glad I stayed with it.” An NFL draft preview in the Longview News got it just about right. “When folks who know Amy talk about him, before they get to the football exploits, they mention what an outstanding person he is.” Amy is an example of the best of Austin College.
December 12th, 1981 is the anniversary of Austin College’s national championship in football. There are many ties between the 1981 and 1988 teams, from opponents to players and coaches. One of those ties is to a freshman WR on the 1981 team, Larry Fedora. Otis Amy has written to me about Fedora. Thank you for writing Otis.
“Larry Fedora was my position coach my freshman year at Austin College. He coached me into being a WR. My natural position was RB and that's what I really wanted to play. I asked Coach Tjeerdsma every single year if I could change position to RB. Obviously the answer was always no. My success at WR is attributed to Larry Fedora. He took me under my wing and taught me how to be a receiver.”
The 10-year period from 1979 to 1988 included 9 winning seasons, 5 conference championships, 3 playoff appearances, and a national championship. Over that span, the #4 jersey was worn by just three wide receivers:
#4 Rory Dukes, two time NAIA All-American. Dukes caught a TD in the 1981 NAIA National Championship Game.
#4 Larry Fedora, two time NAIA All-American. Fedora won a C-USA championship as head coach at Southern Mississippi, and is now the head coach of the UNC Tar Heels.
#4 Otis Amy, three time NAIA All-American. Amy held the NAIA career receptions record in 1988, and was the first NAIA D2 player ever invited to the NFL combine.
Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up the “12 Days of Roo Football Christmas” with a celebration of both the 1981 and 1988 teams on December 12th, the most revered of Roo football dates.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos:
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
The 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas. Day #12.
On December 12, 1981, a small school in north Texas won a national championship in football.
The similarities between the 1981 and 1988 teams are many. Both teams went 9-1, and won TIAA conference championships. Both teams made the NAIA D2 playoffs. Both teams went head-to-head against national champions.
Also, both seasons nearly ended at the same place. Burry Stadium in New Wilmington, PA.
Coach Joe Fusco’s Titans were favored to defeat Concordia at home on December 5, 1981. The Cobbers traveled to Burry Stadium and took on the Titans in weather conditions even worse than 1988. While players and fans were having to cope with frostbite inducing cold, the Pennsylvania wind blowing from end-zone to end-zone would be a deciding factor.
The first half ended tied at 10-10. The Cobbers had deferred their coin toss decision until the second half, and chose to play with the wind in the 3rd quarter. It paid off. Concordia drove down the field mercilessly, scoring three times and taking a 23-10 lead. The 4th quarter began with the wind at the backs of Coach Fusco’s Titans. But a few costly turnovers put the Westminster comeback in jeopardy. The Titans came up short, and Concordia escaped with a 23-17 win.
Weather conditions in Minnesota led the higher seeded Cobbers to decide to play the championship in Sherman. Had Westminster won, the higher seeded Titans might have chosen to stay at home. The Roos & Titans would have squared off in 1981 at Burry Stadium for the championship.
The teams are united by coaches, players, and records. The 1988 team had five members honored as NAIA All-Americans, exceeded only by the six All-Americans on the 1981 team. Dean Gilbert’s 19 TD passes in 1988 is second only to Larry Shilling’s 25 TDs in 1981. Vance Morris, who recruited Amy, was a coach on both squads. Only one team in AC history has surpassed both the 1988 team’s win totals and winning percentage. That team is the 1981 squad, which won a national championship 36 years ago today.
UNC Head Coach Larry Fedora was a freshman receiver on the 1981 national championship team; by 1985, he was a graduate assistant at AC coaching freshman receiver Otis Amy. Back in 1988, Fedora said the following after Amy’s record catch and AC’s conference title:
“There’s no doubt that Otis could have played major college ball. But he got a lot of things at Austin College that he wouldn’t have got at another school, more than just the academics. There’s been a long line of outstanding wide receivers come through Austin College. In my freshman year, it was Clay Oliphant who was an All-American. And there was Rory Dukes, and it just goes way back. (Former Roo WR) Butch Gladden was the one that had all the records for Austin College. He almost made it with the Cowboys. I talked to him last week at Homecoming, and he thought Otis was one of the best.”
Otis has written to me one last time about the final game and his AC career. Thanks Otis; you were a great C/I leader.
“Marc, thank you so much for putting this together. I do commend Westminster for their game plan against our passing attack. It took away our short passing game and we never got rolling good against them. The cold, wet, snowy weather was a factor as well but no excuses...the best team won that day. I just want to thank my teammates, coaches, and fans for an outstanding career at Austin College. Memories live on forever.”
Amy owns nearly every Austin College receiving record. But not all of them. His NAIA record breaking TD against Tarleton gave Amy 13 TDs for the 1988 season. Those 13 TDs tied the record set by Hall of Honor WR Clayton Oliphint in 1981. Oliphint secured his 13th TD in dramatic fashion as well, by catching a Larry Shillings pass late in the 4th quarter of the national championship game. Clayton was kind enough to offer his thoughts earlier about the success of the 1988 team in general, and Amy in particular. Thanks Clayton.
“From the perspective of someone on the 1981 team, I can't begin to tell you how exciting it was to follow the Roos in 1988. When Coach Tjeerdsma broke out the Satellite offense (back when Larry Fedora was a graduate assistant at halftime of a game against Sul Ross) it was amazing to watch how the passing game evolved. Watching Otis Amy and his career at AC was absolutely poetry in motion. It didn't even bother me that he smashed (not broke- smashed) the few records I held along with everyone else's. Watching his chase for the NAIA record in 1988 was one of my favorite football years. That team was amazing across the board, and because of the attention Otis demanded it opened the offense up to be more balanced that year. Otis did me the favor of tying, not breaking the record for most TD reception in a single season. I always noted the asterisk beside it because I had 13 games to Otis's 11. I wanted so much for that record to be gone and for the Kangaroos to advance in the playoffs. It's been amazing in the day of spread offenses that the record still stands after all these years. I'm so honored to share a record with Otis. On and off the field, one of the finest Roos ever!”
Otis Amy finished the 1988 season as the NAIA career receptions record holder, and #2 on the all-time collegiate list behind Jerry Rice. In January of 1989, San Francisco won Super Bowl 23 in Florida on the back of an historic 4th quarter drive late in the game. Thanks in part to three clutch catches by Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and the 49ers drove 92 yards in the final 3:10 to defeat Cincinnati in what some call the best Super Bowl in history. It was a great ending to a football season filled with great receptions, in Sherman and across the nation. See the comments.
The post season honors and individual/team records for the 1988 team began to pile up almost immediately after the season ended:
Kodak / AP All-American: Otis Amy
NAIA All-American: Otis Amy, David Goss, Scooter Nolen, Kenneth Tatum, Jeff Cordell
TIAA Coach of the Year: Mel Tjeerdsma
TIAA All-Conference: Dean Gilbert, Bart Tatum, Tommy Savage, John Nix, Steve Nivin, Brien Sanders, John Gallagher, Mark Murphy, Gary Don Wright
Most passes caught, career: Otis Amy (280, NAIA record)
Most receiving yards, career: Otis Amy (4,018, NAIA record)
Most receiving yards, season: Otis Amy (1,231)
Most TD passes, career: Otis Amy (26)
Most TD passes, season: Otis Amy & Clayton Oliphint (13)
Punt return yards, career: Otis Amy (1,037)
Punt return average, career: Otis Amy (9.7 yards)
Most TD passes thrown, season: Dean Gilbert (19)
Most field goals made, season: David Goss (19, NAIA record)
Highest % of field goals made, season: David Goss (79.2%, NAIA record)
Most points scored by kicking, season: David Goss (98, NAIA record)
Field goals made, game: David Goss (4, vs. Tarleton)
Total points, career: David Goss (217)
Most rushing carries, game: Bart Tatum (40, vs. Howard Payne)
Longest Interception Return: Jeff Cordell (100 yards, NAIA record)
Most interceptions, season: Jeff Cordell (10)
Most interceptions by defense, game: 1988 (6, vs. Tarleton)
Fewest rushing yards allowed by defense, season: 1988 (894)
Most passing yards by offense, season: 1988 (2,180)
Most points by team, season: 1988 (362)
You only get one attempt to make a first impression, and the first impression of Austin College for me was the 1988 Roo football team and their tremendous season. As I look back at a young kid making Sherman his new home nearly 30 years ago, the best way I can wrap up these past 12 days is to simply say thanks. Thank you to the 1988 squad for showing what a true team can accomplish, and for bringing pride to the students, faculty, and administration of that little school in Grayson County.
The next Roo Tale takes us to Austin, TX, where the 1912 Austin College Kangaroos take on the mighty Longhorns of the University of Texas.
Hope you all enjoyed the 12 Days of Roo Football Christmas and the re-living of the 1988 season. We’ll pick another Roo football season next fall and do it all again. God bless us, everyone………..and Go Roos.
Members of the 1988 Austin College Kangaroos:
Otis Amy, Jason Armstrong, Derrick Ballard, Matt Bass (Patti Bass), Steve Birdsall, Bryan Bragg, Rod Brock, Scott Brown, Chris Campbell, Wayne Coleman, Jeff-Janine Coleman, Jeff Cordell, David Curtis, Nader Dabboussi, Darren Davis, Kyle Deatherage, Bill Didlake, John Fedora, Walker Fenci, John Gallagher, Dean Gilbert Jr, Donico Godinez, David Goss, Bill Harrison, Jason Johnson, Robert Johnson, Brian Land, Carlos Longoria, Chuck Mattingly, Matt McCullough, Chris Medlin, Dwain Milam, Mark Murphy, Victor Myers, Tim Newsom, Rich Nieto, Steve Nivin, John Edward Nix, Chance Noble, Scooter Nolen, Doug Overstreet, Roy Perez, Damion Roberts, Patrick Russell, Brien Sanders, Kenneth V Sanders, Tommy Savage, Tony Schrader, Corey Scott, John Talley, Bart Tatum, Jim Tatum, Kenneth Tatum, Kirk Thor, Frank Tooley, Dale Trompler, Daryl Turner, David Ucherek, Bryant Vaughn, Lin Waters, Pat Wharry, Keith Willeford, Dan Wilson, Gary Don Wright, Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach Vance Morris (Paula Young Morris) AD David Norman,"A" Board Kirk Hughes
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