USD Football 1994

The Road Less Traveled continued coach in his last two seasons. For his career, Clark-who easi- ly drop-kicked the ball through the goal posts from 45 yards out- averaged 4.6 yards per carry and scored 27 TDs. He became a charter member of the Hall of Fame in 1953. Willie Davis: One of the

by many the greatest defensive lineman of all time, Deacon Jones was drafted on the 14th round out of South Carolina State by the Los Angeles Rams in 1961. Jones made his impact quickly with the Rams-and on opposing quarterbacks- becom ing a member of the Rams' Fearsome Foursome and the person credited with coin- ing the word "sack" to indicate tackling a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. Though sack statistics arc sketchy from his era, one set of numbers from the 1967 season is eye- popping: Rams 1 quarterbacks were sacked 25 times that sea- son; Deacon Jones had 26 sacks of opposing quarterbacks. Jones played for 14 seasons in the NFL-I I with the Rams, a pair with San Diego and his last sea- son with the Redskins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility. Willie Lanier: Speed, agility, quickness and a ferocious hitting

many greats to come out of fabled Grambling College, Willie Davis waited patiently for his shot at stardom. He wasn't selected until the 17th round of the 1956 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He then spent two years in the Army. When he finally got to the Browns, he was shuffled from offense to defense and back before being traded to the Green Bay Packers. There, he flour- ished under the guidance of Vince Lombardi, who placed him at the position that would make him famous: defensive end. He appeared in 162 games with the Packers, recovered 21 oppo- nencs' fumbles and was consid- ered one of the toughest linemen to block in the NFL in those days. The 6-3, 245-lb. Davis, a five-time All-Pro selection- was inducted into the Hall in 1981. Ken Houston: This 6-3, I98-lb. defensive back from Prairie View A&M always did the unexpected: though he was a linebacker on his college team, which won three consec- utive NAIA championships, Houston became one of the best defensive backs ofall time after his arrival in the NFL. He played for six years with- appropriately enough- the Houston Oilers, and was out- standing for the team, returning fou r interceptions for touch- downs in one season to set a pro footba ll record. A year later, the Oilers soured on him, and dealt him to the Washington Red- skins for five players-a trade that turned out to be a steal for the D.C. bunch. Houston gave the Redskins eight more great years. In his career, Houston earned 12 straight trips to the Pro Bowl, and redefined the position of safety with his range and quickness. He scored 11 touchdowns, had 49 pickoffs, and an 18.3-yard interception return average. Deacon Jones: Considered

Deacon Jones, the fiercest of the Fearsome Foursome, was quite civil in a recent address to his alma mater, South Carolina State.

target of Joe Namath, and they formed one of the greatest passing combinations ofall time, and had an incredible 50 games in

NAIA players earned a trip to the NFL Ha ll of Fame in the early days of pro football, such as Marion Motley (who started his collegiate career at South Caroline State and finished at University of Nevada}, George Marshall (founder of the Wash- ington franchise), Johnny "Blood" McNally, Johnny "Bulldog" Turner and Ray Fla- herty. Recent N FL players from the NAlA include Buffalo's Don Beebe (Chadron State), quarter- back Wade Wilson (East Texas State) and David Krieg (Milton College). So, maybe the crowds were smaller, the uniforms of a less expensive style and the bus a bit more rickety. But the talent cer- tainly wasn't less for these NATA greats-and who knows? There may be another Payton, Maynard or Deacon Jones out there right now, just waiting for a chance to fi nd the Hall of Fame. The above players arc proof positive you can get there from the NAlA.

One set of numbers from the 1967 season is eye-popping: Rams' quarterbacks were sacked 25 times that season;

Deacon Jones had 26 sacks of opposing quarterbacks.

style arc what earned Willie Lanier his spot in the NFL Hall of Fame. A graduate of Morgan State (Mdm), Lanier was considered one of the greatest linebackers in the game during his days with Kansas City, an earlier-day version of Lawrence Taylor. He was the object of complex blocking schemes and virtually always double-teamed - but not very effectively. Don Maynard: Drafted by the New York Giants out of Texas Western in the late I950s, Don Maynard wasn't good enough to stick with the team and soon found himself cross- town with theenemy: the upstart NewYork Titans (laterthe Jets) of the fledgling American Football League. He became the favorite

which he caught passes for I00 yards or more. He finished his career with almost seven miles in pass completion yardage-11,834 - and snared 88 touchdown passes. Gene Upshaw/Art Shell: A coupled entry, because the two were inextricably linked as the dominant offensive line- men of the 1970s while with the Oakland Raiders. Shell, from Maryland State, and Upshaw, from Texas A&J, over- powered defensive linemen with strength, outraced them with speed, and made any back playing behind them almost as good as Walter Payton, thanks to the gaping holes they tore in defensive lines. There arc others. Several

JOHN BARTIMOLEIS A FULL-TIMEFREE- LANCE AUTHOR WIIO WRITES EXTEN· SIVELY FORPROFESSIONAL SPORTS PUB- LICATIONS, THE NCAA, ANDAVARIETY OF SPORTS-RELATEDPUBLICATIONS.