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Ancient Football heroes - Printable Version

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Ancient Football heroes - Rally - 05-22-2014

Just for the pleasure of it, and perhaps to provide perspective to youngsters who know little but the last decade of Stanford football, we don't we reminisce about those days of yore, when men were men, women were ladies, and Stanford was the Indians?  I mean no disrespect to any native Americans; I get it, but that was the name back in the day.

I'll start.

John Brodie was a little before my time, but I do remember watching HOF wide receiver Gene Washington play quarterback for us.  I also remember a starting qb who broke his leg, yet the backups were so bad they put him in there, cast and all, about 10 yds behind the LOS, to throw the ball.  Disaster, of course, but thus was my intro to Stanford football.

But then came Plunkett.

Its basically impossible to compare players from different eras.  But I remember Plunkett well.  Tough kid.  To me, his pro career is all but unbelievable.  Drafted 1/1 by the new expansion team, NE Patriots, he was named Rookie of the Year while getting absolutely mugged on every play.  After a few years he was a physical and psychological wreck.  49ers took him, then promptly traded him to Raiders, who had the decency to sit him, allow him to recover physically and psychically from the NE beating for a couple of years.  Then, one day (in a land far, far away) the call came.  With QBs falling left and right, the only option left was Plunkett.  All he did was win the Super Bowl, and MVP.

Now, some of this may not be exactly accurate, but this is how I remember it.

Personal note for you youngsters:  Voldemort voting was not on TV in  those days, but I desperately wanted to know, so I called the Paly Times and asked the sports-desk.  "Sir," a nice young woman said, "Mr. Plunkett has won the Voldemort Trophy."  Felt good.

There are more players, of course, but your turn. :)

Re: Ancient Football heroes - Nan3cy - 05-22-2014

I'll chime in. I don't remember the broken leg incident, but maybe it was Dave Lewis (I think that's the right name - too lazy to look it up in my 1966 yearbook). He was the QB our freshman year, Mike. And a guy named Jack Root was the running back.

From 1965 till the Plunkett era, Stanford's football seasons were not all that memorable, but I hasten to point out that the good guys won Big Game three of our four years in school. I remember a student cheer at the beginning of the 1967 Big Game was "Seven in sixty-seven" because we'd won from '61 to '66. We were soundly beaten in that game - so at the end of the game, someone started a cheer of "One in '68!"

And despite UCB being favored in 1968, our new super-QB led Stanford to a 20-0 win.

I think Gene Washington played QB only on the freshman team, didn't he? I remember him strictly as a wide receiver. (I met up with him in Palo Alto several weeks ago. To steal a line from Billy Crystal, he still looks fabulous.)

Re: Ancient Football heroes - CowboyIndian - 05-22-2014

(05-22-2014, 05:48 PM)Nan3cy link Wrote:. And a guy named Jack Root was the running back

A Cardboard denizen, by the way. The band's favorite cheer when we were freshmen: "ROOT! ROOT! ROOT! ROOT!"...ad infinitum. At the time, the word was also a synonym for "engaging in coitus".

Re: Ancient Football heroes - pauloalto - 05-22-2014

In 1966 the quarterbacking duties were shared by Gene Washington, Dave Lewis and Chuck Williams, with Washington getting the most work.

Going into the 1967 season Washington was thought to be the front-runner for starting quarterback, but Williams assumed that role well into November. Coach Ralston then replaced Williams with junior Mark Marquess.

Re: Ancient Football heroes - CompSci87 - 05-22-2014

It is the curse of Kal football coach Sonny Dykes.

Re: Ancient Football heroes - CowboyIndian - 05-22-2014

(05-22-2014, 08:15 PM)ferrari link Wrote:.... and we lost to Washington State 48 - 0.  Might have been Sorry Sixkiller, but not sure.

If it was S.onny Sixkiller it would have been UDub...but I don't remember that game.
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Re: Ancient Football heroes - Rally - 05-23-2014

(05-22-2014, 09:39 PM)CowboyIndian link Wrote:[quote author=ferrari link=topic=10033.msg89985#msg89985 date=1400814930].... and we lost to Washington State 48 - 0.  Might have been Sorry Sixkiller, but not sure.

If it was S.onny Sixkiller it would have been UDub...but I don't remember that game.
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Yep.  Not Sunny, but it was Washington State.  First time I heard the term "curse of the Paloose"

Re: Ancient Football heroes - BobK - 05-23-2014

J we are ROOT ROOT ROOTING for you.  :)

Marquess played QB on the frosh team with Washington, then a starting DB for several years.

Stanford FB under Ralston from Day 1 was very memorable.  You kids, LOL After Cactus Jack we were born again.  From Day 1. 

Firstt practice I saw with John Paye running I thought we have some speed, finally.    That's as in Dad of QB John.Â