See You Later Mr.College Football!

While on my way to the Diamond Resorts International Celebrity Golf tournament, I got a text. I knew what is was about, and if was the first of many.

It said "We lost him."

Mr. College Football, the legendary Keith Jackson, had passed away late Friday.

Add caption

Jackson was a member of the inaugural Hall of BAHL class in 2011, where I wrote the following:

"By far, college football is my favorite sport. I rarely missed televised games as a child, and calling the play by play describing the color and pageantry of NCAA College Football was ABC's Keith Jackson. 

Mr. College Football, Jackson had a unique way of bringing the game to viewers who watched from couches across the fruited plain. Jackson respected and promoted the traditions, coaches and players and rivalries which make the game special. 

Terms of endearment to the game such as "Whoa Nelly", "The Big Uglies" and "Fumble" will never be forgotten, nor will Jackson. Keith Jackson, a big man at 6'4 275, is a bigger man in the annuals of America's greatest game, NCAA College Football."

I had the opportunity meet Keith Jackson at a "Legend's Luncheon" held when Florida State played Notre Dame in Orlando in 1994. It was an honor to meet Jackson, who was larger than life in many ways.

Like so many expressed who have commented via social media since his passing on Friday, Jackson meant so much to those of us who grew up cherishing the color and pageantry of those autumn Saturday afternoons, where with all due respect to Alabama's university slogan, where legends were made.

Keith Jackson was often imitated across the college football landscape, with many a "fumble" uttered from Jacksonville to Omaha, but few were as beloved at our Keith Jackson.

Alabama coach Bear Bryant and ABC's Keith Jackson

College Football Losing Our Tradition

It has been a very period of time of late for those associated with the Oklahoma Sooners, and sadly, it continued today with the loss of former head football coach Chuck Fairbanks. Fairbanks was head coach from 1967-72, before Barry Switzer took over.

 

It was Chuck Fairbanks coaching the Sooners in The Game of the Century at Norman in 1971, as Nebraska defeated OU 35-31 en route to winning the national title routing Paul "Bear" Bryant and Alabama in the Orange Bowl.

Nebraska's Bob Devaney with OU's Chuck Fairbanks

Jack Mildren, who quarterbacked the game for OU in '71, died of stomach cancer much too young in 2008. Ricky Bryan, and All America defensive tackle for OU in the early eighties, died of a heart attack in 2009 at only 47.

The death of Fairbanks comes just weeks after former Oklahoma quarterback Steve Davis, Switzer's first signal caller, died in a plane crash in Indiana.  Davis was magical running the wishbone Fairbanks implemented at OU.

Sadly, college football is losing many people who played significant roles in the history of the game.

Just yesterday, the game of football lost Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryants "Junction Boys" at Texas A&M and College Football Hall of Fame member.  I remember Jack Pardee when he coached our hometown Florida Blazers in 1974.  

Nebraska All America tailback Ken Clark died just a few weeks back, and Alabama lost Mal Moore this week.

Last fall, the game lost legendary Texas Longhorn coach Darrell Royal and Beano Cook, who in particular helped keep the history of the game, inclusive of the military academies, fresh in our mind.

Emory Bellard, who many credit with creating the wishbone while at Texas under Darrell Royal, passed away just over a year ago. Bellard was head coach at Texas A&M and Mississippi State.

Many of these men were instrumental in forming the fabric of The Color and Pageantry of College Football, America's game.  While we have lost many, we still have time to embrace and honor those who remain with us.  Some are among our heroes; excellent athletes, coaches, father figures, teachers and men of faith.

These men will be missed.  Let us not change our traditions; let us remember those who made them.

If Only

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, the winningest college football coach of all time, has died. Paterno, entrenched in Happy Valley having spent seven decades coaching the Lions, was recently fired in the aftermath of a horrendous child sex scandal which erupted at Penn State, with longtime Paterno assistant Jerry Sandusky having been arrested on over 40 counts.

Similar to Bear Bryant, who died within a month after retiring in 1983, it seemed obvious that the toll of the scandal, combined with his age and failing health, Paterno would not live much longer. The iconic coach had his reputation damaged significantly, and he was forced to exit the game he loved with his beloved university under extreme duress. One would have to conclude he died broken hearted over how these tragic events have destroyed lives and severely tainted Penn State University.

An immeasurable tragedy which continues to claim victims. If only those who had a chance, including Paterno, would have taken action. If only.