Erk to the HOF?

[jiminbogart]

He certainly deserves to be there.

Georgia Southern leaders request waiver to get Erk Russell inducted into College Football Hall of Fame (msn.com)

Under the current rules, a college football coach must have been a head coach for ten years to be nominated for the Hall of Fame.

Erk Russell was head coach at Georgia Southern for eight years. Prior to arriving in Statesboro in 1981, Russell was defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia.

From 1981 until retirement in 1989, Russell would compile a coaching record of 83-22-1 at Georgia Southern. He would lead the Eagles to three NCAA 1-AA national championships (1985, 1986, 1989).

 

[brownceluse]

Let the MAN in!

 

[MudDucker]

I can't think of any coach that deserves it more!

 

[Browning Slayer]

Just more proof rules are made to be broken. Let the man in.

 

[JustUs4All]

Amen!

 

[Silver Britches]

The man is a legend! Should’ve been in long ago!

 

[BanditOne]

Long overdue. What he accomplished at Georgia Southern alone should get him in!

 

[Danuwoa]

He surely deserves it.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

Bout time. He needs to be there.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

 

[ol bob]

I saw him walk the side line at App State, below 0, snowing, wind blowing about 20 miles per hour, he had a white tee shirt on, told may son that's the toughest man I've ever seen.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

Got some support from Govner

 

[jiminbogart]

Wonder if we should start sending letters?

 

[kingfish]

Can't believe he's not. I'd sure vote for him.

 

[elfiii]

If anybody belongs in it Erk is first among equals. The exception should have been made long ago.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

I went to Ga. Southern the same year he did and he was the only person in that town that I knew. He kinda treated my like the daughter he never had. I went to high school with is oldest son Jay, so I knew him. He's a great man.

 

[MudDucker]

I was at UGA when Erk was there. I often went to the practice field and there he would be larger than life smokin' a stogie and hollering. He was very approachable and I enjoyed talking with him multiple times. The players loved Erk ... Vince, not so much. He deserved as much, if not more, of the credit for the 1980 championship run. His defense pulled out behinds out of the fire more times than I can count.

I was one angry dude when they didn't hire him as the head coach when Vince hung it up. The scuttle butt, which I think was true, is that Vince was afraid he would show him up and he didn't want that.

 

[mizzippi jb]

I was at UGA when Erk was there. I often went to the practice field and there he would be larger than life smokin' a stogie and hollering. He was very approachable and I enjoyed talking with him multiple times. The players loved Erk ... Vince, not so much. He deserved as much, if not more, of the credit for the 1980 championship run. His defense pulled out behinds out of the fire more times than I can count.

I was one angry dude when they didn't hire him as the head coach when Vince hung it up. The scuttle butt, which I think was true, is that Vince was afraid he would show him up and he didn't want that.

Agreed. And although I was 6.in 1980, I've heard the last paragraph many times from my dad and others. Also heard a lot about Dooley as athletic director holding the reigns on coaches during his tenure

 

[westcobbdog]

I met him at Ga Southern when a few friends walked on to the then new football team. He was an awesome man. Another friend tells me of walking into his class at GSU and Erk had his cigar fired up. Nobody said a word…another friend still has Erks cell number in his day timer from when they golfed together 40 years ago.