Robinson Honored
Former USC coach John Robinson was one of two coaches and 16 players who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Here's the full class:
2009 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS
PLAYERS
PERVIS ATKINS - HB, New Mexico State (1958-60)
TIM BROWN - WR, Notre Dame (1984-87)
CHUCK CECIL - DB, Arizona (1984-87)
ED DYAS - FB, Auburn (1958-60)
MAJOR HARRIS - QB, West Virginia (1987-89)
GORDON HUDSON - TE, Brigham Young (1980- 83)
WILLIAM LEWIS* - C, Harvard (1892-93)
WOODROW LOWE - LB, Alabama (1972-75)
KEN MARGERUM - WR, Stanford (1977-80)
STEVE McMICHAEL - DT, Texas (1976-79)
CHRIS SPIELMAN - LB, Ohio State (1984-87)
LARRY STATION - LB, Iowa (1982-85)
PAT SWILLING - DE, Georgia Tech (1982-85)
GINO TORRETTA - QB, Miami (Fla.) (1989-92)
CURT WARNER - RB, Penn State (1979-82)
GRANT WISTROM - DE, Nebraska (1994-97)
* Selection from the FBS Veterans Committee, deceased
COACHES
DICK MacPHERSON - 111-73-5 (.601) - Massachusetts (1971-77), Syracuse (1981-90)
JOHN ROBINSON - 132-77-4 (.629) - USC (1976-82, 1993-97), Nevada-Las Vegas (1999-2004)
Congrats to Robbie. You have to ask though, Major Harris? Grant Wistrom? Even to some extent, Chuck "head-hunter" Cecil? And even though he's a Palo Alto nut-case grad, congratulation to "Psycho Margerum". He's the one guy that I patterned myself after, during my playing days. Fight On!
Robinson could have left even bigger footprints than he did with a break or two. The 1976 team lost its first game to Missouri and then ran the table, but ended up No. 2. The 1978 team won the National Title and the 1979 team was ahead 21-0 to Stanford but the Indians (in those days) came back to tie, and then Troy botched the potential winning field goal, and thus ended up No. 2 again.
Funny, but if there had been the BCS in those days I believe SC would have played for the championship in 1976 and 1979.
I ran into Marvin Powell last year while in Tampa on business. I was thrilled. He was so engaging as we talked about Trojan football.
Anyway, one of the first questions I ask was, "So what happened against Missiouri in '76?" His response was that they were just asleep, and took them lightly. He then said something quite interesting. He told me that in his opinion that team was better than the 1972 team. He talked about how loaded they were. I'm not sure that I agree, but it was interesting to hear him put the 76 team that high.
Oh what might have been, 76, 79, 05, 07, 08.......