Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Tonight

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From: http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3955&SPID=260&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=919114

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2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Thursday, November 15, 2012 Coors Events Center, CU Campus 6 p.m. ****tail Reception - 7 p.m. Ceremony Complimentary parking will be available in lot 436 which is the parking garage at the corner of Colorado Ave. and Regent Drive. Click Here To Register!	2012 Hall of Fame Inductee Profiles
Leason "Pete" McCloud Joe Garten Larry Zimmer Matt Russell

The University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1998 to recognize outstanding individual and team accomplishments and to preserve the heritage and tradition of the CU Athletic Department.​ Appropriately, one of CU's most distinguished alumni, former United States Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White, was the lone member inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1998.​ The CU Athletic Hall of Fame now stands at 47 individuals and one team. Twelve more distinguished individuals will be enshrined the on Nov. 15, 2012.​ Click on the individual icons, sorted by induction class, to look at the spectacular careers of each of our CU Athletic Hall of Fame members.​

 

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[h=1]CU's Announces 2012 Athletic Hall Of Fame Class[/h] Release: 07/12/2012 Courtesy: David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information

BOULDER — The ninth class that will be inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame this November 15 will include 12 Golden Buffalo luminaries with an impressive list of accomplishments equal to or even surpassing any of the eight classes previously inducted since Byron “Whizzer” White was the first and sole inductee in 1998. The dozen include the school’s first and only Heisman Trophy winner and a Butkus Award recipient among five football lettermen, the Buffaloes’ first and only two-time basketball All-American, a U.S. Open golf champion, a track performer who at one time set 10 world records, several NCAA champions, a Norwegian ski jumper that opened the floodgates for Scandinavians to attend CU, several with Olympic glory and the “Voice of the Buffs” who has called over 1,000 football and basketball games. The 2012 class will be the largest inducted into the Hall since it was conceived in 1998, as 11 former Buffalo athletes plus one in very special category will join 47 individuals and the entire 1959 ski team which have been enshrined to date. Every decade between the 1930s and 1990s with the exception of the 1960s are represented in the class. Those to be inducted are (click on each name for complete bios): Frank Bernardi, Football/Baseball (1952-55) He was selected not only for his football and baseball accomplishments, but for his heavy involvement in the Alumni C-Club for over 50 years. He rushed for 1,235 yards in his career, fifth-most by a Buff at the time, with his 6.33 average per carry still the fifth-best number by any of the school’s 49 players who have gained 1,000 career yards. Alan Culpepper, Cross Country & Track (1992-96) A seven-time All-American in the three disciplines, he was the 1996 NCAA outdoor champion in the 5,000-meter run and still owns the school record in the 1500-meters. He has enjoyed a stellar professional career, including participation in two Olympic games and becoming a seven-time U.S. champion. Mary Decker Slaney, Cross Country & Track (1977-79) The first star in any women’s varsity sport at Colorado, she basically established CU’s record book in numerous events and was a six-time All-American before turning professional following her sophomore year. In 1982 alone, she set six world records and at one time or another set world marks in 10 different events. A two-time Olympian, she won the coveted Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States for 1982. Boyd Dowler, Football (1956-58) Playing in the famed single-wing offense under Dal Ward, Dowler earned honorable mention All-American and first-team All-Big 7 honors as a senior in 1958. He caught 41 passes for 628 yards and 6 touchdowns in his CU career, big numbers for a primarily rushing offense at the time; in 1989, he was selected as a member of CU’s All-Century Football Team. Green Bay selected him in the third round in the 1959 NFL Draft, and he went on to be named the Rookie-of-the-Year and to the league’s all-decade team for the 1960s as he played a major role in Green Bay’s 1960s dynasty, leading the team in receiving seven seasons as the Packers won five NFL titles and posted victories in Super Bowls I and II. Joe Garten, Football (1987-90) An offensive guard, he was one of the first three unanimous All-Americans in CU history as a senior in 1990, along with tailback Eric Bieniemy and outside linebacker Alfred Williams that same year, both of whom are already in the Hall. He was also a consensus first-team All-American as a junior and a two-time, unanimous first-team All-Big Eight performer as a junior and senior. He was the runner-up for the Outland Trophy as a senior and still shares the school record for the most starts by an offensive player in school history with 44 from 1987-90. Jack Harvey, Basketball (1937-40) He remains the only CU basketball player to be selected twice as a first-team All-American (1938-39, 1939-40), when he led the Buffs to two Mountain States Conference titles, and as a senior, an N.I.T. title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Harvey scored 27 points in CU’s 52-37 win at Denver in 1940, at the time the most points scored by a Buff in a single game and virtually an unheard total west of the Mississippi at the time. Known for his tough defense, he was a key performer in limiting the opponent to just 31.2 points per game his junior season and only 37.0 his senior year. Steve Jones, Golf (1977-81) One of a just a handful of four-time, first-team all-conference performers in any sport at Colorado, he was a second-team All-American as a senior in 1980-81 when he set school records that still stand, nine top 10 finishes and 10 top 20 efforts. The first recruit of legendary CU coach Mark Simpson (who passed in 2005), he went on to have a solid professional career, including a victory in the 1996 U.S. Open, and he is now making a comeback on the Champions Tour (he’s 60th on the money list but has played just six events). Leason “Pete” McCloud, Basketball (1939-42) A first-team All-American, the third in CU basketball history and just the sixth CU athlete in any sport at the time, he was the Buffs’ leading scorer on the 1941-42 team that reached the Final Four (he scored 19 points in a 46-44 win over Kansas that enabled CU to advance in the tournament). He was also a member of the 1939-40 team that won the N.I.T. and was invited to the first NCAA tournament. A two-time All-Mountain States performer (junior, senior seasons), he led the league in scoring both as a junior (14.1 per game) and senior (16.5, big for its day). Vidar Nilsgard, Skiing (1971-74) A key performer on the front end of CU’s run to eight straight national titles in the 1970s, he was considered a huge star of his day in the most electrifying discipline, jumping. A three-time, first-team All-American, he was the 1971 and 1973 NCAA jumping champion (he was second in ’74 and fourth in ’72). He was a three-time Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association champion and a four-time member of the All-RMISA Jumping Team. Matt Russell, Football (1993-96) He won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker as a senior in 1996, when he was a consensus first-team All-American; also a two-time, first-team all-conference selection (All-Big Eight as a junior in ‘95; All-Big 12 as a senior in ’96). He finished his career as the second all-time leading tackler in Colorado history (446), with his 282 unassisted tackles setting a school record that still stands, and played in 44 career games, including starts in the last 40. He helped coach the secondary at Colorado in 2000 while assistant coach Tom McMahon was battling cancer; in 2009, he joined the Denver Broncos as their director of college scouting and in 2012 was named their director of player personnel. Rashaan Salaam, Football (1992-94) He was just the fourth player in college football history at the time to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, and did so in an 11-game campaign in 1994 that included six ranked opponents. He led the nation in rushing (2,055 yards), scoring (144 points) and all-purpose yards (213.6 per game) in leading CU to an 11-1 record and winning the Heisman Trophy, the school’s first and only, the Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back) and the Walter Camp Trophy (national player of the year). Larry Zimmer, Announcer (1971-present) He is the first inductee into the Hall who is not a former athlete, coach or administrator; but he’s been a part of more football and men’s basketball games than perhaps anyone else in school history, calling 481 for football and 525 in basketball, or 1,006 total, through the 2011 season. He was awarded an Honorary “C” in 1992, and was honored as the 15th recipient of the Chris Schenkel Award by the National Football Foundation in 2009, which recognizes those who have enjoyed a long and distinguished career broadcasting college football at a single institution. All inductees were nominated by their peers in the Alumni C-Club or by members of the selection committee; over 60 names originally submitted were pared to 25 finalists and then voted on by the seven-member committee that produced one of the deepest classes in CU Athletic HOF history. The group will be inducted in the Hall of Fame Thursday night, November 15, be part of the parade at the Pearl Street Stampede and a CU basketball game the next night and will be introduced at halftime of the next day’s CU-Washington football game. Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame Home

 

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Profile on Alan Culpepper
From: http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=205732759

Alan Culpepper was a seven-time All-American for Colorado cross country and track & field. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Alan Culpepper[/h] Release: 11/10/2012 Courtesy: Lauren Van Pelt, Student Assistant SID

Hall of Fame Part five of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Alan Culpepper, two-time Olympian and seven-time CU cross country/track & field All-American.Click herefor more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. The love for running began at an early age for Alan Culpepper. He first recognized his love for the sport at his elementary school in El Paso, Texas. Twice a year, Culpepper would line up with his classmates to run the mile for presidential fitness tests. Alan Culpepper was the 1996 NCAA 5,000 meter champion “That for me was the first indication of like, ‘Alright, I like this and it’s my day’ and I would go out and set the school record and all that,” Culpepper recalls. “That was my first taste of running hard.” Culpepper is the youngest of three boys, and although his father, Stan Culpepper, ran at Texas Christian University, Alan was the only son who enjoyed running. His two older brothers turned to basketball and baseball, but team sports never really interested Culpepper. “I’ve always been pretty independent-minded and self-motivated. Running really brought that out for me, allowed it to flourish,” he said. “Team sports were really always frustrating. I always felt kind of held back by different coaches’ styles, that kind of thing.” In high school, Culpepper set multiple district records that still stand in El Paso. He was a five-time Texas state champion and ranked first in the nation in the 1,500-meters with a time of 3:50. Although he was also recruited by the Universities of Texas and Arizona, Culpepper chose to run for the University of Colorado and became a Buff in 1992. “[My decision] ultimately came down to two factors: my belief in coach Jerry Quiller and his being able to support a smooth transition from high school to college and all that process entails, as well as my fondness of Boulder,” Culpepper described. “I knew that ultimately this is where I could see myself and the beauty and culture of Boulder was very attractive to me.” Culpepper excelled as a runner at CU. He lettered in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. He was a seven-time All-American, earning three of the honors in cross country and four in track. His first honor on the track was in 1994 in the 1,500-meter run. The last three came during his senior season in 1996. He earned two All-American honors during the indoor season in the mile and the 3,000-meter run and earned the last of his honors in the spring of 1996 in the 5,000-meter run. In the same season, Culpepper set a record that still stands at CU in the 1,500-meter with a time of 3:39.77 and capped off his years at CU as the NCAA champion in the 5,000-meter run. Culpepper’s success at the University of Colorado was only a sign of what was to come. He turned pro after graduation and, unlike many professional athletes, decided to coach himself. He negotiated his own endorsement contracts and created his own training schedules and workouts. The highlights of Alan’s professional career came when he qualified for the Olympics on two separate occasions. He represented the United States in Sydney in 2000 and in Athens in 2004. Culpepper describes running in the Olympics as some of his most special memories. “Making the first Olympic team was just incredibly special because it was a goal I wrote down when I was, like, 15 years old and it took 15 years to get there and accomplish that,” Culpepper described. “Making that second Olympic team was special because I won the [Olympic] trials and I was able to put my name in the history books in that regard. Those two [memories] were the most unique just because there is so much build up to Olympic years and they only come every four years. Everything just has to come together on that particular day to make the team.” Culpepper finished 17th in the 10,000-meter run in Sydney and 12th in the marathon in Athens. Two-time Olympian Alan Culpepper has won seven US national titles. Running at an elite level didn’t come as a surprise to Culpepper. He wrote an essay in sixth grade about competing in the 2000 Olympics and pushed towards his goal throughout high school and college. “It was ingrained in me by my high school coach who said I would be my best in 10 years,” he explained. “All through college, through injuries and the ups and downs, I had the conviction that I’d be competing at a high level.” Although Culpepper says the Olympics are some of his best memories, he has a tremendous number of additional accomplishments to add to his resume, including being a seven-time U.S. champion throughout his professional career. When he began running the marathon in 2002, his time of 2:09.41 in Chicago tied him for the fastest American debut in U.S. history. In 2005, his fourth place finish in the Boston Marathon was the highest finish for an American in 20 years. The next year, he finished fifth in the Boston Marathon and won the Denver Half-Marathon. Now, 16 years after he ran for CU, Culpepper runs purely for fitness. He stopped running competitively in 2008 and takes the time to enjoy life with his four children and wife, fellow Olympian and CU graduate and letterwinner, Shayne (Willie). Although they had their children during the height of their careers, they never put running first. They take turns doing their daily workouts and when either of them crosses the finish line, the rest of the family is always waiting on the other side. “That’s one of the other benefits of being a professional athlete,” Culpepper said in 2008. “We’ve been able to stay home a lot, spend a lot of time with our children.” Alan and Shayne have spent the last four springs leading an after-school running program at Boulder’s Douglass Elementary School. Once a week in April and early May, they lead over 200 kids on a half-mile course around the school. Culpepper says he does it just to get kids out and running. “By getting them out moving, [we are] hopefully changing their perception of what exercise is and that it doesn’t have to be torture and it doesn’t have to be punishment or only about weight management.” In 2010, Culpepper also began working for the Competitor Group, a company that puts on marathons around the country. “I am one of the directors of operations and I get to design marathon courses and go into various cities and put on big, large-scale, world-class events.” He is primarily in charge of designing many of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half-Marathon race courses. Looking back on his career, Culpepper really has no regrets. “Aside from a few things, I really accomplished more than I could have ever dreamt,” he said. “It was pretty amazing.”

 

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Leason "Pete" McCloud helped CU to its first two NCAA Tournaments. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Leason "Pete" McCloud[/h] Release: 11/05/2012 Courtesy: Anthony Lepine, Student Assistant SID

CUBuffs.com begins a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Leason "Pete" McCloud, a basketball All-American who helped CU to its first two NCAA Tournaments and the 1942 NCAA Final Four. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. The tradition of championship basketball at the University of Colorado dates all the way back to before World War II and the little town of Newton, Kan. It was in Newton where the 2012 CU Hall of Fame inductee Leason "Pete" McCloud grew up, and it was legendary Colorado head coach Forrest B. "Frosty" Cox, who also grew up in Newton, who offered McCloud a scholarship to play in Boulder. Frosty knew he had found a hidden gem in McCloud when Frank Lindley, the Newton High School basketball coach, recommended that McCloud play for the Buffaloes. Lindley had actually coached Cox and provided the future coach an immense knowledge of the game at a young age. While playing at CU from 1939-42 McCloud became Cox's "go-to-guy" as he could make every pass and shot there was to be made on the floor, while also bringing enough physicality to grab rebounds under the rim. McCloud was loved by his teammates who had dubbed him with a variety of nicknames, most notably the "Great American Eagle of the Hardwood" due to his large nose. Even more unique than his nickname, however, was the way Pete shot the ball. It was the era of the two handed shot in basketball, which nearly all players used at the time. But not for the "Great American Eagle of the Hardwood" who always insisted on using his silky-smooth one handed shot. What he was displaying for all those who packed Balch Fieldhouse to watch was the genesis of the modern day jump shot. McCloud said he would "always jump as high as I could" before shooting the ball which defenders did not know how to stop. His teammates often said that McCloud could jump like a kangaroo. Early in his high school career Lindley tried to convince McCloud not to use the one handed shot until he realized how accurate it was and finally said, "Go ahead and shoot anyway you want". That was only the second best thing his high school coach ever did for him. Originally McCloud had planned to attend the University of Kansas and play for Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen, even though Kansas did not offer McCloud a scholarship. Just before he was scheduled to graduate from Newton, his father tragically passed away and McCloud said he could not afford to go to college because he needed to take care of his mother. It was then that Cox - who began his coaching career at Kansas as an assistant under the legendary Allen - got a call from coach Lindley about a special kid from his hometown. Frosty excitedly offered McCloud a scholarship, unlike Allen who would later regret the decision. Not only did Lindley make the call to Cox but he also called a meeting with McCloud and the Newton principal in which they told him his future laid underneath the flatirons in Boulder. Pete was not exactly thrilled with the idea of leaving his mother and hometown behind, but Lindley promised that he would take care of the boy's mother, and everything else for that matter. "I went home and told my momma, and she cried her eyes out," McCloud recalled. "But she said, 'that's what you oughta do.'" So, McCloud was on his way to Colorado with a fresh set of shoes and a new wardrobe courtesy of coach Lindley. The decision to come to Boulder proved to be a wise one as McCloud would terrorize opponents for the ensuing four years. He became a three-year letterman and helped Colorado maintain a 43-12 record during his time as a Buff. When he was only a sophomore, the talented guard would lead the Buffs to their third consecutive Mountain States Conference title as they finished the season 11-1 in league play. During the 1939-40 season Colorado did not lose at home - winning all eight contests - and had a streak of 12 consecutive wins during the middle of the year. After building such an impressive resume during the regular season, Colorado became the first ever school to receive invitations to both the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) as well as the NCAA Tournament. Only 12 other schools accomplished that feat, during the era teams could play in both events. First, the Buffaloes packed their bags for the big lights of New York City and Madison Square Garden to face DePaul University in their first NIT game. McCloud did not exactly enjoy being in a city as large as New York; he felt out of his comfort zone and said the city was "too busy for my small town ways." Yet, if there was one place the kid from Kansas did feel comfortable it was on the court, no matter what city he was in. As McCloud set the NIT Madison Square Garden scoring record, the Buffaloes would defeat the Blue Demons of DePaul handily, 52-37, in the semifinals and then advance to claim the championship against Duquesne with a 51-40 victory. Colorado was now 17-2 overall and had rightfully earned the attention of the nation from coast-to-coast. According to the 1940 Coloradan, CU was the No. 1 ranked team in the nation after winning the NIT title. In the NCAA Tournament the Buffs would face two tough and experienced opponents in Southern California and Rice. They lost the two games by a combined 10 points, with the shortcoming against Rice coming in a four-point overtime defeat. The following season McCloud became the co-captain with George Hamburg of a young team comprised of four juniors and seven sophomores, with only one starter and one letterwinner returning from the previous year. McCloud became one of the leading scorers in the country, collecting 225 points for a team that would finish third in the Mountain States Conference. He finished the 1940-41 season as the league's scoring champion, and was named the most outstanding player of the conference. McCloud and his fellow captain, Hamburg, would also be named to the All-Mountain States Conference team that year. McCloud entered his senior season knowing he had already accomplished a great amount; however, the dynamic player knew he had one last season to do something truly special. Colorado began the 1941-42 season with 14 consecutive victories - with the first four all coming on an east coast road trip against the likes of St. Joseph's, St. John's, St. Bonaventure's, and Loyola-Chicago - surging to the No. 1 spot in the rankings just as they had two years prior. In the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] game of the season the Buffs would slip at Wyoming, yet it served as the team's only loss in the regular season, and the Buffaloes finished with an 11-1 Mountain States Conference record earning their fourth league title in five years. McCloud once again finished as the team's leading scorer. In a 1942 Denver Post article, sports writer Frank Haraway described the elegance of McCloud's play throughout the remarkable season: McCloud's one-handed shot was the most phenomenal in these parts in some time and absolutely unstoppable when he was having a good night -- which was practically every night he played. In addition, he was cool, heady and saved his shots for the most important moments. It was his hot streaks that broke the backs of C.U.'s opponents more than anything else. Colorado made their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, drawing a first round match-up against none other than Allen and the Kansas Jayhawks. It was exactly who McCloud wanted to face in one of his final games as a Buffalo with everything on the line. The game was played in Kansas City, Mo., 190 miles northeast of where Cox and McCloud both grew up. As usual, Kansas had an extremely talented team, living up to the tradition of basketball that had already been well established even at that time. For the two men from Newton, it was time to teach Allen and the Jayhawks a little something about the pride and tradition of the Buffalo. Cox prepared a beautiful game plan and McCloud did what he always did scoring 19 points with the stroke of just one hand. Allen - who was once cited saying that McCloud would have never made his team - watched in disbelief as the "Great American Eagle of the Hardwood" led the Buffaloes to a 46-44 victory. When asked of the victory McCloud says, "Yes. I loved it. I remembered we played pretty good as a team. With Phog on the bench that was pure joy. That settled the score." Settled the score indeed, and set the Buffs up for their first ever Final Four appearance where they loss to eventual national champion Stanford, 46-35. Colorado finished with a 16-2 record overall; including nine road wins, which are the most in a season still to this day. McCloud was honored as an All-American, becoming just the third basketball player and sixth athlete to garner the accomplishment in CU history. Leason "Pete" McCloud joins an elite group of CU athletes as he enters the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, and he represents an era of basketball that would shape the tradition of Colorado basketball for years to come. He credits the accomplishment to, "All of those who played beside me and coached me along the way in order to help make me what I came to be," McCloud said. "This is a great honor to be in the hall of fame, yet I was simply doing what I knew best."

 

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Joe Garten was in the middle of one of college football's best offensive lines in the late 1980s. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Joe Garten[/h] Release: 11/06/2012 Courtesy: Shay Hicks, Student Assistant SID

Hall Of Fame Part two of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Joe Garten, a two-time All-American offensive lineman who helped the Buffaloes to the 1990 national championship. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. "If you ask any offensive lineman out there, we would rather run block," Garten said. "Run blocking you can be aggressive. I think we had the most rushing yards ever at CU in that stretch. That is something we focused on. That was something that I hold dearly." In 1988 the Buffs continued their success with the same formula, hard-nosed running. CU continued to depend on the offensive line to open holes for the running game. Colorado had 3,095 rushing yards on the entire 1988 campaign averaging 5.0 yards a rush. Joe Garten (left) with fullback George Hemingway and the 1989 Big Eight Trophy In 1989 Colorado had the best offensive line in college football. CU went into the season with a No. 14 national ranking and rolled over their opponents by an average score of 41-14. The only team to lose to Colorado less than a touchdown was Nebraska in a 27-21 classic. Garten and the Buffaloes finished the 1989 regular season with an 11-0 record and the No. 1 national ranking. Unfortunately Notre Dame spoiled Colorado's bid for a national championship by upsetting the Buffs 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. "I still have a sour taste in my mouth over that Orange Bowl. I felt like we were a better team that season they just played better than us that day," Garten said. Garten and the Buffs came back in 1990 and played the toughest schedule in college football. Colorado opened against No. 8 Tennessee in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic without their Heisman Trophy candidate Eric Bieniemy. With a wide receiver (Mike Pritchard) playing running back, the offensive line opened up holes which allowed Colorado to rush for 368 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Colorado tied Tennessee 31-31, defeated Stanford 21-17, and then lost a heartbreaker to Illinois 23-22 to start the season 1-1-1. Garten and the Buffs pulled out an emotional 29-22 come-from-behind win over Texas and held on to beat Washington 20-14. The year before, Colorado was accustomed to beating teams by comfortable margins, but it became apparent that these Buffs were different in that they were going to need to win games by holding on in the fourth quarter. Colorado continued to pile up wins and went into Lincoln to play the undefeated and No. 3 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. CU pulled out a very convincing win by outscoring Nebraska 27-0 in the fourth quarter for a 27-12 win. "The Nebraska game always stood out because that turned into a huge rivalry," Garten said. "I was redshirting in 1986 and we beat them, it just proved that anybody could win on any given Saturday. Every Nebraska game was special. That was our big rally game of the year. 1990 really stood out because it was in nasty conditions and we turned it around in the fourth quarter." Colorado climbed back to the No. 1 team in college football and won the Big Eight Championship for the second year in a row. CU beat Notre Dame in a rematch of the previous year's Orange Bowl 10-9 to clinch Colorado's first, and to date, only football national championship. "It was good to beat them in 1990 because you don't get an opportunity like that too often to avenge a loss in the postseason," Garten said. Garten and Hemingway, this time with the national championship trophy, at the 20-year reunion in 2010. A unanimous first team All-American his junior and senior seasons, Garten helped anchor the best offensive line in the country. Garten set a school record with 44 career regular season starts, and 47 total games including bowl appearances. He missed only one game his entire career, a 21-9 victory over Kansas his sophomore season in 1988 as he was overcoming an ankle injury. Garten played in over 2,400 career snaps, allowed only three sacks and was flagged for a penalty only twice. His senior season he allowed only one sack and was called for one penalty in 739 plays against the toughest schedule in the country. He garnered serious contention for the Outland Trophy, an honor given to the nation's best interior lineman. Miami's Russell Maryland beat out Garten for the honor by one vote. "Growing up you look at the Outland and that is the ultimate prize for a lineman, it was a huge honor to be a finalist for it. It was something really exciting to be a part of. I have never been in the spotlight but that was something fun to be a part of. But individual honors are down by the wayside for me. I just wanted to help the team be successful. But, not very many people get to be nominated for an award like that, I was lucky to be one of those guys." On being inducted into the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, Garten said. "It is a tremendous honor, I am from southern California and I went to a lot of USC games, but once I got to Colorado I have been a Buff ever since. I have received a lot of honors in college football, but this one stands out the most along with seeing my name in the stadium. This is icing on the cake for my career at Colorado and this validates what we did back in the day and there should be more guys on that 1990 team that will be receiving the same honor. I think they should induct the entire National Championship team into the Hall of Fame."

 

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Larry Zimmer is in his 39th year broadcasting Colorado football. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Larry Zimmer[/h] Release: 11/07/2012 Courtesy: Kelsey Simms, Student Assistant SID

Hall of Fame Part three of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Larry Zimmer, long-time sports director and voice of the Buffaloes for Newsradio KOA. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. Larry Zimmer has broken the status quo of the individuals previously inducted into the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame. At 77, Zimmer becomes the first person inducted outside of athletics or coaching. The 2012 season marks the 39th year Zimmer has been on air as a voice for the Buffaloes. Larry Zimmer and Mark Johnson have called CU football together since 2004. Zimmer was born November 13, 1935, in New Orleans. His mother and grandparents raised him while his father was in the Navy fighting in World War II. The absence of his father during childhood left Zimmer with a void that was filled by his grandfather. “Had my dad not been in the Navy during the war, I suspect I would have probably grown up liking hunting and fishing like he did,” said Zimmer. “My grandfather, on the other hand, was a big sports fan. He always had football or baseball games going on the radio. It seemed magical to me.” By age 10 Zimmer had dreams of one day becoming a sports announcer. He was able to fulfill his dreams after spending two years at Louisiana State University and then finally graduating in 1957 from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. After college, Zimmer enlisted in the U.S. Army where he reached the level of 1st Lieutenant and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Although there was a military background in his family, Zimmer quickly decided the military was not for him. “My sort of guru was the play-by-play voice of the Missouri Tigers, he also owned the radio station and he really gave me my first opportunity,” said Zimmer. After committing to sports announcing, Zimmer did the play by play for Missouri Tiger baseball as well as the play-by-play for Michigan Wolverine football, basketball, hockey and baseball. Zimmer first came to CU in 1971 when he was hired by KOA to handle play-by-play duties. He missed only three seasons when the Buffs aired on a different station, KHOW from 1982-83 and KRXY in 1984. “Literally I have been doing college football in Colorado for 42 seasons,” said Zimmer. “KOA lost their contract with the Buffs from 1982-84 so I did announcing for Colorado State University.” Zimmer returned to Boulder as the color commentator for the Buffaloes in 1985, just in time to experience the most memorable football ever played at the University. The season of 1989 is one that sticks with Zimmer to this day. The ’89 team was not only one of Colorado football’s most talented teams; it was a team that captured the hearts of football fans across the nation. This was the year that Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese died at the age of 21 from inoperable stomach cancer. Aunese’s death happened on a bye week, the week before Colorado was to play the University of Washington. The team arrived in Seattle 3-0. No one knew how the team would react. “The three games prior to Washington were at home. Sal got to watch all three of the games. He used to sit up in the photo deck in his wheelchair. Each game, before kickoff, the whole team would take a knee and would point to him. In Seattle, right before kickoff the whole team took a knee and pointed up to the sky,” said Zimmer. Today, this is one of the most memorable moments of silence in the history of college football and it also marked the only time in his career that Zimmer’s emotions got the best of him. “I truly lost it,” said Zimmer. “The emotions were so overwhelming that I couldn’t keep it together.” All those who were listening on air felt his overwhelming passion for the Colorado football team. Zimmer’s most notable moment happened September 24, 1994 when Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart threw a 64-yard Hail Mary pass to Michael Westbrook as time expired to beat Michigan 27-26. “Today, they call it ‘The Catch’,” said Zimmer. “That was a signature call for me because ESPN plays it all the time.” Larry Zimmer received the prestgious Chris Schenkel Award in 2009. Pictured here with CU alum Chris Fowler (right) and National Football Foundation President/CEO and former CU SID Steve Hatchell Zimmer retired as KOA Sports Director in 2004, but continues his work with Colorado football as the color commentator for the Colorado Buffaloes Radio Network, teaming with current sports director and "Voice of the Buffaloes" Mark Johnson. The honor of being the first person outside of athletics or the athletic department to be inducted into the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame is something that strikes a cord with Zimmer. “I am blown away,” Zimmer said in an emotional attempt to find the words to describe his feelings. “It’s a great honor and a great feeling that the people who make those selections feel like I’ve made enough of a contribution to deserve this.” The University of Colorado is not the first institution to recognize Zimmer for excellence. He is a five-time recipient of the White Stagg Award for Excellence in Ski Journalism. In 1996 Zimmer was awarded the Colorado Sportscaster of the Year Award. In 2010 Zimmer received two of his most prestigious awards. He was inducted into the Broadcast Professionals of Colorado Hall of Fame and was also the recipient of the Chris Schenkel Award. Aside from his duties as color commentator, Zimmer shares his passion for sports announcing on campus. He works an adjunct sports journalism professor at CU during the spring semester. Zimmer and his wife, Brigette, have established an endowed sports announcing scholarship to aid students who share the passion of sports announcing. Zimmer lives with his wife on Lookout Mountain where he enjoys the mountain scenery and the various animals that wonder through his yard. He has two children from a previous marriage, Larry and Tracey. Zimmer is also a grandfather; his granddaughter, Shannon, is a sophomore at Missouri where she is following in her grandfathers’ steps and majoring in journalism. In his free time Zimmer enjoys traveling and the opera. He is on the board of Opera Colorado and frequently attends the University of Colorado Opera.

 

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Matt Russell was the 1996 Butkus Award winner, given to the nation's top linebacker. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Matt Russell[/h] Release: 11/08/2012 Courtesy: Lauren Lanier, Student SID

Hall of Fame Part four of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Matt Russell, a two-time All-American at linebacker and the 1996 Butkus Award winner. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. Matt Russell earned all-conference honors in both the Big Eight (1995) and Big 12 (1996) Established in 1998, the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame honors those who represent what it truly means to be a Buff. One of 12 individuals that will be inducted this month is former CU linebacker Matt Russell after making a tremendous impact on the program during his four-year career at Colorado. Born on July 5, 1973, Russell was recruited by the Buffs after a successful high school career at Belleville East High School in Belleville, Ill. Rated the No. 10 and No. 3 linebacker prospect in the country by PFR and SuperPrep respectively, Russell chose Colorado over offers from the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa and Clemson University. For Russell, it was an easy decision. "Back when I was in high school, I came to visit Boulder and we drove over that hill on U.S. 36 and I saw campus and I knew it was a done deal. I knew exactly where I was going to school," says Russell. As a freshman in 1993, Russell came into the program and was quick to make an immediate impact on the field. His first season as a Buff, Russell set the record for freshman tackles in a season with 85. By his junior season (1995), Russell was named a third-team All-American, a first team All-Big Eight Conference selection and the recipient of Colorado's Dave Jones Award, presented to the team's most outstanding defensive player. With an impressive first three seasons at Colorado, Russell's greatest accomplishment came during his senior year in 1996. A first team All-American and a first team All-Big 12 Conference player, Russell's career as a Buff concluded with one of the greatest honors in college football when he was named the winner of the 1996 Butkus Award. Awarded to the nation's top linebacker, Russell was just the second CU player to receive the accolade. Even when asked 16 years later about that moment in 1996, Russell is quick to give credit to those that made the achievement possible. "I felt a great sense of accomplishment. It's obviously a great individual honor, but it was honestly a compliment to our whole defense. The Butkus Award is an award where you really have to be on a successful team. I was lucky to be surrounded by great teammates," says Russell. Along with his teammates, Russell credits legendary linebackers coach Brian Cabral for his undeniable influence on his career. "Coach Cabral is a real technician. His strong suit is his ability to teach his players how to play and how to win. I think I really benefitted from him. His impact on my career was greater than any coach I ever played for," says Russell. Matt Russell, 1996 Butkus Award Winner. By the end of his career at CU, Russell was the second all-time leading tackler in Colorado history (446) and set a record for most unassisted tackles (282) that stands to this day. Between 1993-96, Russell played in 44 career games, starting 40. After an impressive college career, Russell was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 1997 NFL Draft (130th overall). Playing in 14 career NFL games with Detroit, a pair of knee injuries ended his promising professional career. After his time with the Lions, Russell spent the 2000 season at Colorado assisting with CU's defense. He then spent seven seasons scouting in the NFL with Philadelphia (2006-08) and New England (2001, '03-05). In 2009, he joined the Denver Broncos as their director of college scouting and in 2012 was named director of player personnel. For Russell, his love for the University of Colorado is something that hasn't faded over the years. He is just as passionate about the university as he was during his playing days. "I think there's a great sense of honor that comes with being a Buff. I'm very proud of the university, very proud of the guys I played with and the coaches I played for. There's a great sense of pride and a great sense of happiness when I think about being a Buff. If I had to make the decision of where I was going to go to school all over again, it wouldn't take me more than 10 seconds to go right back to CU. It's great to be a Buff. I'm very proud," says Russell. Along with his numerous accomplishments as a Buff, Russell views his induction into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame as one of the accolades he is most proud of. "It's great. It is a great honor to be in a class with so many people that were so good at their craft. The University of Colorado means so much to me. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is something that you have for the rest of your life. It's very humbling and it's a great honor. To be honored by a university that you love so much, it's incredible."

 

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Boyd Dowler, a member of CU's All-Century Football Team, played on five NFL championship teams with the Green Bay Packers. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Boyd Dowler[/h] Release: 11/12/2012 Courtesy: Jonathan Huang, Student Assistant SID

Hall Of Fame Part six of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Boyd Dowler, a member of CU's All-Century football team.Click herefor more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. A multi-sport superstar, Boyd Dowler remains one of the most distinguished athletes CU has ever seen. Although he is now a Hall of Famer in collegiate and professional football, Dowler came out of high school as a self-described “better all-around athlete than specifically a football player...probably a better basketball player and hurdler in track.” But it’s easy to see where Dowler got his passion and genes for sports. His dad was a high school football coach. He and his brother were simply athletes playing whatever was available to them. At the time, it was playing football, basketball and running track. With all the choices, football seemed to be at the bottom of that list to start. “I went to CU on a dual scholarship...I wasn’t highly sought after as a football recruit. CU offered me a scholarship because I was capable of playing more than one sport. I didn’t really understand what I would be as a college (athlete),” Dowler said. “(In terms of football), I had been a tailback to high school and wasn’t a college prospect but I could do a lot of things. I could throw, I was big, I could run. I was about six foot four inches.” The decision with which sport to focus on quickly became apparent as the football coaches slowly realized the gem of a player they had recruited – albeit a player that didn’t even consider football his best sport. Boyd Dowler (44) with Eddie Dove (11) in 1958. His freshman year, CU football decided to change to the now famed single wing offense and head coach Dal Ward placed Dowler at quarterback. Dowler is quick to admit that at the time, he “didn’t get much done.” However, the story takes a curious turn; as a junior he led the conference in pass receiving...as a quarterback. Interestingly enough, this was also when Dowler describes himself beginning to think about the possibility of playing professional football. “I just played for three years and didn’t even think about pro football until I was a junior...It was kind of unusual (to) lead the conference (in pass receiving) as a quarterback but I knew I wasn’t going to be a quarterback in the pros. I wasn’t sure what I was going to play (position-wise). I thought I could punt in the NFL. I was very versatile. The thing I did have was attractive, I could do a lot of different things and was able to contribute in a lot of ways,” Dowler explains. CU head coach Dal Ward took advantage of this and later; Dowler’s coach in the NFL, Vince Lombardi, also made use of the full range of his talents. Essentially, he was a chameleon on the football field. He did anything and everything the coaching staff needed him to do. In his career at CU, Dowler’s statistics are the best way to tell that story. Just to start, he caught 41 passes for 628 yards and six touchdowns. Seems like nothing crazy...until you realize this was all done within a predominantly rushing-focused offense. He also threw for 769 yards, seven touchdowns, and rushed for 65 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive end, he made 10 interceptions, a record that was second-most in school history at the time. Oh, and let’s not forget that he could also punt. From quarterback to wide receiver to punter, there were few things Dowler couldn’t do and he knew it. “I was a pretty good college passer. I was a pretty good college receiver,” he unashamedly admits. “You do what you can do in the offense. I kind of grew with the offense and it suited what I was capable of doing. In different formations, I did different things; I called the plays and helped out a little in the running game.” After a distinguished collegiate career, Dowler was drafted by Green Bay in the third round (25th player overall) of the 1959 NFL Draft. The selection started an NFL career highlighted by playing a major role in Green Bay’s 1960s dynasty. While success didn’t come easy at first, it was only a matter of time before Dowler’s talents began to shine too brightly for the Packers coaches to ignore. “Coach told me I was a wide receiver. I came to training camp and played and caught a couple balls. We then got our brains beat the Colts. I didn’t start immediately but I played. But then, we went back up to Green Bay, I caught some balls and got pretty hot,” Dowler says of his early days in the NFL. Dowler (44) was a first team All-Big Seven performer and honorable mention All-American in 1958. He blazed his way to the 1959 NFL Rookie of the Year award. When describing his days with the Packers, the nostalgia quickly kicks in for Dowler. “When I got Rookie of the Year, we actually won more games than we lost that year. The Packers had basically been terrible. In my second year, we got to the conference championship and got beat by the Eagles. In the next seven years, we won five world championships. It was a great time to be a Packer.” After 12 seasons in the pros, 11 of them with the Green Bay Packers, Dowler’s achievements piled up and his legacy continued to grow. In a career where he played wide receiver, split end, flanker, and punter; he had 474 receptions for 7,270 yards (15.3 per) with 40 touchdowns. In addition to five NFL titles, including Super Bowls I and II, Dowler earned All-Pro honors on two occasions and played in two Pro Bowls. He was also selected to the all-decade team for the 1960’s and named to the Packers Hall of Fame in 1978. Dowler was also named to CU’s All-Century Football Team and is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. After his retirement as a player, he continued in the NFL as an assistant coach with the L.A. Rams and Washington and as a college scout. The gratitude comes spilling out when Dowler speaks of his days in football. “I was 75 years old last week. I stayed in the NFL till I was 72. I was in pro football for most of my life; I was a pro football guy. Now my wife and I live in Richmond where my son is and we help out with his kids. That’s my life. “It’s fortunate that I got to do something I love for a lifetime. I got great friends and family and I’ve got football to thank for all of that. I’ve got real fond memories. And it all started at CU.”

 

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Steve Jones' accomplishments are on display at the Colorado National Golf Course. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Steve Jones[/h] Release: 11/13/2012 Courtesy: Adam Steinberg, Student Assistant SID

Hall of Fame Part seven of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Steve Jones, All-America golfer and U.S. Open Champion. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. Resiliency is a term Steve Jones is no stranger to. He has overcome numerous challenges in his life to solidify himself a successful career in professional golf. In 1991, Jones was involved in a serious motorbike accident that kept him out of golf for nearly three years. He has also suffered serious elbow injuries and had elbow surgeries in 2003, 2008, and 2009. Although these kept him out of golf for extended periods of time, his toughness and passion have helped him to overcome these obstacles. Jones has made an astonishing impact on the CU golf program and he prepares to join an elite group of athletes when he is inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame this week. Steve Jones was a four-time All-Big Eight pick. Jones attended CU from 1977-81, where he set numerous career records for the golf program. He had high expectations being the first recruit for legendary golf coach Mark Simpson. He more than fulfilled the expectations, as he is still the only four-time first team all-conference performer in golf (four top 10 finishes at the conference championship event) and one of only a select few in all sports at CU. Although he was impressive his first three seasons with the team, his 1981 senior season was his most prolific year, when he was a second team All-American. That season he totaled nine top-10 finishes and 10 top 20 efforts, which are both school records. Jones accumulated 19 top 10 finishes and 26 top 20 finishes, which were both CU records at the time. Among his other accomplishments, he is still the only player in CU’s records to lead the golf team in stroke average for four consecutive seasons. “It was a great experience to play golf under Mark Simpson, we had a really good team and we played a good schedule, exactly like the football team does," Jones said. "It was great to always play the best because you could find out just how good you were or what you needed to do to compete with the best.” His innate drive for competition helped improve himself as a player, a skill he could use at the next level. Jones became a professional golfer after graduating from CU in 1981. He played in the PGA Tour with minimal success until his first top 10 finish at the Texas Open in 1985. Three years later, he won on the PGA Tour for the first time at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The following year he won three PGA tour events and finished eighth in earnings, his most victorious year. Then his professional golf career took a scary turn when a motorbike accident occurred and sidelined him from golf competition for nearly three years while he recovered from ligament and joint damage in his left index finger. He healed from his injury and began his comeback on the courses in 1995 finishing in the top 10 in two events. The following year would become the biggest year of his career. Jones won the 1996 US Open, his only major championship and biggest accomplishment of his career. When asked about winning it, Jones described how it changed his life. “It changed my life in many ways. Recognition, obviously. Accomplishment, my personal goal of wanting to win the U.S. Open since my childhood playing in Yuma, doing what all kids do, saying ‘This putt is to win the US Open.’ It changed things financially, having exemptions for several years into many tournaments. But to hear your name on the first tee, 1996 U.S. Open Champion, that’s nice.” This was an impressive feat as he was the first sectional qualifier to win the U.S. Open in 20 years. His success at the U.S. Open led to an invitation to play with Tom Lehman for the U.S. National team in the 1996 World Cup of Golf. He helped the U.S. to finish in second place losing to Ernie Els and Wayne Westner of South Africa. The following year, Jones won the Phoenix Open. His 11-shot victory was highlighted by scoring the third lowest 72-hole score in PGA history at the time. He won three more events after Phoenix, two in 1997 and another in 1998. Tennis elbow surgeries limited his appearances from 2003-11. He made his long-awaited return at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament on the Champions Tour and teamed with Doug Tewell to tie for 10th place in their division. He also played in the Bob Hope Classic on the PGA Tour that same year. Jones now resides in Arizona and has started the Steve Jones Golf Academy at the Rave Golf Club in Phoenix and also runs his website, stevejonesgolf.com. He also had his own weekly radio show, “On the Tee”, on 1060 AM The Fan in Phoenix started in 2009. After playing on the tour for over 20 years, Jones recalls, “I think the camaraderie has been great. You get to meet so many different guys on the Tour, it’s like a big family out there. I have a big family on the Tour, like I have big families and friends back home in Colorado, and in Arizona. The friendships out there last forever.” Jones is one of the all time CU great athletes and has made a significant impact on the program from his 1977-1981 CU career. His talent, passion, and resiliency in golf will be honored when he is inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

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Vidar Nilsgard helped Colorado to four straight NCAA titles from 1971-74. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Vidar Nilsgard[/h] Release: 11/14/2012 Courtesy: Payton Scheifele, Student Assistant SID

Hall Of Fame Part eight of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, leading up to the induction ceremonies on Thursday, Nov. 15. Today's profile is on Vidar Nilsgard, All-American ski jumper that helped CU win four straight NCAA ski titles from 1971-74. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. In January of 1971, Vidar Nilsgard left the Scandinavian region for the first time in his life, and arrived at his new home in Boulder. After settling in for just one day, he was on a plane to South Dakota to compete for the University of Colorado for the first time. This marked the beginning of a historic career of ski jumping for Nilsgard. Nilsgard grew up in Norway, where ski jumping was very popular, and in his opinion, “the number one sport in Norway.” He picked the sport up at a very young age. “Skiing and ski jumping was the thing I enjoyed doing during the winter time since I was a kid of three to four years old.” Along with building a passion for skiing at a young age, Nilsgard also contributes his success in becoming a great ski jumper to his father, as well as his time spent with the Norwegian Skiing Association from the ages of 16 to 19. During his last year in high school, and one year in the Norwegian Army, Nilsgard was communicating with other Norwegians who had gone to the U.S. on skiing scholarships. Vidar Nilsgard is presented with the 1973 Dick Schoenberger Award Nilsgard had received offers to ski at Montana and Dartmouth, with the possibility of being offered from Denver and Colorado. CU’s engineering program was very appealing to Nilsgard, and from what he had heard about Colorado, the Boulder campus and Rocky Mountains were certainly “not a disadvantage.” Bill Malrolt, the ski coach at the time, had reached the scholarship budget limit, and was only able to offer Nilsgard a half-scholarship. But when Terje Guldbrandsen, a ski jumper from Norway, decided to go to Denver instead of Colorado, it opened up a full ride scholarship for Marolt, which he offered to Nilsgard. It was then that Nilsgard decided to go to Colorado. Upon his arrival to Boulder, the only people that Nilsgard knew in the state of Colorado were a few skiers, none of whom went to CU. Needless to say, it was a very new experience for someone who had never travelled outside of Scandinavia. “It took me about two months to ‘settle in’,” Nilsgard said about his experience at his new school. “Being on the ski team helped a lot of course.” Evidently, it didn’t take very long for Nilsgard to settle in as a collegiate skier. He became the NCAA champion in ski jumping in his first year at Colorado. In his four years at CU, Nilsgard never finished outside of the top four in ski jumping, winning individual NCAA titles in 1971 and 1973, and coming in fourth and second place in 1972 and 1974 respectively. He was a three-time, first-team All-American, a three-time champion of the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, and was a member of the All-RMISA Jumping team all four years. The only time he didn’t win the RMISA championship, he finished in second. In 1973, as a junior, he won the Dick Schoenberger Award for CU’s most outstanding overall skier. Out of all of his skiing accolades and accomplishments, Nilsgard’s favorite memory of ski jumping at CU came in 1973 in Middlebury, Vt. The team was losing badly after three events, but Nilsgard and his teammates were able to sweep the fourth and final ski jump event, and help lead Colorado to its third straight national title. His tremendous individual feats, and key role in part of what would be a series of eight straight national championships for Colorado, landed Nilsgard a spot in the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, an award he was very grateful of. “My gratitude should be extended to all the skiers on the team during 1971-74, the coaches and the sponsors, and a special thanks to those who voted for me to become an inductee this year.” On what being inducted into the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame meant to him; “I couldn’t believe it. Me out of so many great athletes that have come out of the Colorado program... I’m touched, I’m overwhelmed, and what more can I say?” He continued with a humbling statement, “I’m not sure if I deserve to be named together with such a fine bunch of people.” Aside from skiing, Nilsgard kept himself busy with school as an engineering major, where a typical day consisted of “classes in daytime, training with the team in the afternoon, and library after dinner, six to seven days a week”. The studying paid off for him as he graduated with a bachelor of science degree and a 3.73 grade point average, earning himself an NCAA post-graduate scholarship. Nilsgard also enjoyed playing tennis and soccer. He played on the Colorado club soccer team, for which he remembers “scoring some goals” as a forward and midfielder. After he had finished his Master’s degree, Nilsgard moved back to Norway in 1976 with his wife and daughter, who had been born just a year earlier in Boulder. Their son was born two years later in Hamar, Norway. Nilsgard continued his skiing career in Norway, competing with the best qualified ski jumpers (the A-class) from 1976-77, ending his career in the B-class in 1979. In 1990, he became a manager with the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee, where he worked for five years helping with the preparation of construction sites (particularly ski sites) for the 1994 Winter Olympics.

 

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Rashaan Salaam Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Rashaan Salaam[/h] Release: 11/15/2012 Courtesy: Morgan Tholen, Student Assistant SID

Hall Of Fame Part nine of a 12-day series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame. Today's profile is on Rashaan Salaam, the 1994 Heisman Trophy and Doak Walker Award winner. Click here for more information and to register for the 2012 induction ceremony. The trophy case in The Dal Ward Athletic Center is well-stocked with hardware reflecting some incredible seasons and incredible moments in University of Colorado Athletics history. Bowl wins, tournament victories, conference championships and a whole section of National Championship trophies (thanks, ski team) are real highlights on that tour. And while it’s always going to be about team accomplishments, there are certain awards the Colorado Athletic Department will always point out. Rashaan Salaam with the 1994 Heisman Trophy Like Rashaan Salaam’s Heisman Trophy. While the famous bust takes up residence in his mother’s home, the fact that CU has a winner of the prestigious trophy is something Buff fans can be very proud of. Salaam’s trip to the New York Athletic Club in 1994 may have seemed pretty unlikely to a lot of people, but not legendary Buffs coach Bill McCartney who recruited Salaam out of the San Diego area. Coach Mac saw Salaam tearing up the league as a high schooler. That’s pretty common for a kid getting recruited to the D-1 level, especially to a powerhouse football school. But here’s the catch: Salaam played on an eight-man team. Despite being on a small stage, he attracted attention from more than the famous coaches that stood on his high school sidelines. Salaam was also named a Parade All-American, something very few kids from small programs can claim. “I am proud of and enjoy my collegiate awards, but to play 8-man football and to be named a Parade All-American was just big for me,” Salaaam said with pride in a 2004 edition of Plati-‘Tudes on CUBuffs.com. Once he arrived in Boulder, the 6-1 210-pounder was suited up with a few more players on both sides of the ball, and players from schools like Nebraska and Oklahoma on the opposite side of the field. That’s a big step for anyone, and his freshman total of 158 yards was hardly the kind of result expected from a future Heisman winner. Sophomore year was a little more comfortable and Salaam notched eight touchdowns and 844 yards as a part-time back behind future NFL back Lamont Warren. And then came 1994. It took Salaam just five games to eclipse his previous season’s totals with a dozen touchdowns and 892 yards. That season, he became only the fourth player to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season, finishing with 2,055 and 24 touchdowns in 11 games. That season, one Buff fans will forever remember for “The Miracle in Michigan” game, the Buffs finished 11-1 and third in the national rankings. But a true sportsman, Salaam sees that season as a real disappointment not for what he accomplished, but rather what his team failed to accomplish. That one loss, a 24-7 defeat to Nebraska stung then and it still hurts even today. Rashaan Salaam eclipsed 2,000 yards in 1994 on a memorable 67-yard TD run against Iowa State. “I really felt that we were one of the best collegiate teams put together in the history of college football. That loss to Nebraska, to this day, still carries a sour taste in my mouth,” Salaam remembered in Plati-‘Tudes. “That loss pretty much null and voided “The Catch,” our win in the heat in Austin, and everything else we accomplished. It punched us in the stomach, and was just a sick feeling. It comes right back talking to you now. Most of us didn’t want to continue on for the rest of the season the first few days after that loss, with the Orange Bowl likely out of the picture. Up to that point, it had been a really special season, we had a lot of things go our way, but after Lincoln, we felt a little cursed.” “Looking back, the season was beautiful,” Salaam recalled. “We had a lot of record breakers, a lot of award winners, and face it, not many teams go 11-1 playing the kind of teams we played. But not having a national championship banner hanging in the stadium for that team, and not to have a ring, even a Big Eight ring, is what’s disappointing to this day.” Clearly, Salaam wanted more for his team but was awarded the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back in 1994. And in the Heisman voting, he captured all six regions and was selected over Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter and Alcorn State quarterback Steve McNair. Later, he would become the first-round selection of the Chicago Bears and in what should have been his senior campaign as a Buff, took the NFL Rookie of the Year honors. Buffs head coach Jon Embree was an assistant coach in 1994 and remembers him as a tough, team-first player. "The thing about Rashaan was his toughness. He was a very physical runner. He was a tough kid and took a lot of shots. He was a great teammate. He was very selfless. I remember how happy he was after we beat Wisconsin, he had about 85 yards. You would've thought he ran for 1,000 that game because he was so excited for the teams’ success." And Embree has great memories of what it was like being part of history – a Heisman trophy season. "It was really crazy. Those of us who were really close with the program were in a unique situation because he is our only Heisman winner. To have someone that had such a great chance to win it and to be in that position. There was about three weeks (before) the Iowa State game where it was always being monitored and we were at Kansas and coach pulled him out. People thought that might cost him. Coach Mac pulled him out when we were up by so many.” Here’s hoping Coach Embree one day has the same challenge as Coach Mac.

 

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From the Hall of Fame Reception

 

[Buffalo Brad]

Nice job goods! I need to spread some around or would have repped ya. Someone hit the man for me.

 

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Jack Harvey helped lead Colorado to a No. 1 national ranking in 1940. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Jack Harvey[/h] Release: 11/16/2012 Courtesy: Will Hathaway, Student Assistant SID

Hall Of Fame Part 10 of our series profiling each member of the 2012 Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame. Today's profile is on Jack Harvey, a two-time All-American basketball player and member of CU’s 1940 NIT Championship team. Click here for a recap of the induction ceremony which took place Thursday night. In 1951, as the University of Colorado celebrated its 75th anniversary, Dean Carlson, Kayo Lam and Frosty Cox were asked to name the university’s athletic greats. Jack Harvey was listed by all three men. The lanky center from Frankfort, Kan., wasn’t just good — he was one of the best athletes of an entire era. Jack Harvey was a great defender, as the Buffs beat DePaul in the 1940 NIT. “Harvey may have been the greatest basketball player in CU history. He earned more recognition for the basketball program and more personal accolades than any Buff,” said former teammate Bob Kirchner. “He was the outstanding college player of that era.” As a sophomore, Harvey earned all-conference honors while leading Colorado to a tie for first place in the Big Seven Conference. That same season, Harvey and the Buffaloes finished second in the N.I.T. in New York. At the time, the N.I.T. was the most prestigious tournament in college basketball. Harvey earned all-conference honors yet again as a junior and was also named to three different All-American teams. Harvey led CU to their first undisputed Big Seven Championship, establishing himself as one of the top players in all of college basketball. Harvey saved the best for last; in his senior campaign (1939-40) Harvey was named to three different All-American teams yet again and became the first player in Colorado history to be selected twice as a first-team All-American. No CU basketball player has accomplished the feat since. Harvey’s relentless defense and offensive prowess helped lead the Buffs to a No. 1 ranking, a feat that has not been repeated since. That same year, Harvey and the Buffaloes won the N.I.T. with wins over DePaul and Duquesne. In his back-to-back All-America campaigns (1938-39, 1939-40), CU posted one of the best two-season records west of the Mississippi, going 31-8 and earned recognition as the No. 1 team in the land in 1940. In his senior season, Harvey was fourth in conference scoring with 10.1 points per game and first in free throws made with 43. In 1940, Harvey scored 27 points in CU’s 52-37 win at Denver, a mark that at the time was the most points scored by a Buff in a single game. Harvey was the definition of an all-around basketball player. Not only was he an elite offensive player, but he was superb on the defensive side of the ball. During his junior season, the Buffs limited their opponents to just 31.2 points per game and only 37 points per game in his senior campaign. His ability to alter shots and grab defensive rebounds made Colorado one of the top defensive teams in the nation. His athletic career didn’t end after college. After CU, Harvey enjoyed success on the AAU level with the Denver American Legion team and the Denver Nuggets. He earned All-American honors with both teams in 1941 and 1942 before joining the Armed Services in 1943. Harvey was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. As great a player as Jack Harvey was on the court, it was nothing compared to the man he was off the court. Byron “Whizzer” White, a former Supreme Court Justice and teammate of Harvey’s at CU, once described Harvey as a “Man of fine character, devoted to his family and his friends, as well as to the public interest.” Harvey’s immense athletic success could only be overshadowed by the content of his character. Jack Harvey reamins CU's only two-time All-American in basketball. “Jack was so much more than a good athlete. He was a man of high intellectual capacity and curiosity,” said James Johnson, a friend of Harvey’s and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. “He took a fatherly interest in a young man whose father had died, and it was typical of his conduct that it was only by accident that I ever heard of it.” Harvey’s modesty was what struck so many people. A classic example is how he attributed his athletic success. Harvey — a two time All-American and one of the great college basketball players of all time — attributed his success to the fact that his ears were big and that they distracted his opponents. “He could cast a fly as gently as anyone and shoot as straight as anyone, but the stories he told were generally about the fish he lost or the birds he missed,” said Johnson. Harvey’s modesty struck people, but his humor attracted people. “We all know about his temper — but his humor would return shortly after one of his tantrums and how many of you in the congregation received flowers after his remorse set in,” said Johnson during Harvey’s funeral in 1981. “He used to say he would have been a rich man if he hadn’t had to send out so many bouquets to people he had insulted.” A classic Harvey story of humor occurred when one of his good friends was in the hospital awaiting surgery. There was a watch lying on the bedside table next to his friend. Jack went to his friend and asked, “Is this the best watch you have?” His friend responded, “Yes, why?” To which Jack replied, “Well, if anything goes wrong, I want a memento, but I’d like something nicer than this old cheap watch.” Harvey had a compassionate side as well. When his friend’s daughter had a tumor removed, he cried when he found out it wasn’t malignant. He was so happy that his friend’s daughter was going to be alright that he celebrated that night. The next morning when he woke up, he said that he felt worse than if he’d had the operation himself. His modesty and humor led him to be an integral part in the growth of the city of Fort Collins, Colo. After serving as a pilot in WWII, he settled in Fort Collins where he became a well-respected business man and the president of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1959, Harvey joined the Fort Collins City Council and was chosen as mayor for the next two years. During his time as mayor, Harvey helped establish some of the guidelines that have made Fort Collins one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Dynamic on and off the court, Harvey was athlete, a husband, a father, and friend. He served his country, his state and the city of Fort Collins. During Harvey’s eulogy, Johnson said a more fitting epitaph for Jack would be Hamlet’s remarks about his father, “He was a man; take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again.” Jack Harvey’s competitiveness and temper on the court, paired with him modesty and humor off the court, truly made him a unique man. In life very little is certain, but one thing is certain in regards to Jack Harvey; we shall not look upon his like again.

 

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Here is a summary of last night's induction ceremony from cubuffs.com

Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Dozen Greats Inducted Into CU Athletic Hall Of Fame[/h] Release: 11/16/2012 Courtesy: David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information

BOULDER — During an evening filled with stories, anecdotes, emotion and humor, the best line may have been appropriately delivered last as 12 new members were inducted as the ninth class into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame. The “Voice of the Buffs,” Larry Zimmer, who has called over 1,000 football and basketball games dating back to 1971, was the last inductee of the evening … done alphabetically, he was as often the case, last. But it worked to perfection for this event, as he signed off citing his peers in the class by exclaiming the thrill of being selected and, “The opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest of all Buffs.” Follows are the inductees with their select comments and/or memories they recalled (for complete bios, please reference the original Hall of Fame release from July). Frank Bernardi, Football/Baseball (1952-55) He got the evening rolling by stating, “This is a helluva time to have a senior moment.” He joked that when Mike Bohn (CU athletic director) called to inform him of his selection, he wondered why Mike would be calling him at 8 p.m. and that he finally figured it out “That Mike thought I had some eligibility left. Seriously, he delivered to me what I would call a verbal sledge hammer when he told me, “Frank, you’ve been selected for the CU Athletic Hall of Fame.” Bernardi thanked several people, most notably his coaches, Dal Ward and Frank Prentup, and the late Fred Casotti, a life-long friend who was CU’s sports information director when he was in school. Alan Culpepper, Cross Country & Track (1992-96) Upon receiving the Hall of Fame trophy, which of course featured a buffalo sculpture, he noted that his four kids would have some fun playing with it … and then alluded to his photo among the 12 and made fun of some of his hairdos he would wear during his time at CU. He specifically thanked two coaches, the late Jerry Quiller who he said was a straight shooter during his recruiting visit (“my interaction with him sealed the deal” that he was going to CU), and Mark Wetmore, CU’s current head coach who started out as a volunteer assistant and one of his first specific assignments was to tutor Culpepper and get him back on track after he his performances had slipped his first couple of years. He went on to become a seven-time All-American and an NCAA champion. Mary Decker Slaney, Cross Country & Track (1977-79) She made it clear that she never transferred to Oregon; living in Eugene since moving there in 1979 after turning professional, Decker said people in Eugene automatically assume she went to Oregon. “I’m not a Duck,” she said. “In my heart, I was always a Buff and it was heart wrenching to find out that I was a member of this great class.” She reminisced about Title IX being in its infancy and that the NCAA didn’t sponsor women’s sports, asking how many remembered what the AIAW was. Suffering from assorted leg and shin injuries, she said she didn’t think it was fair for her to go anywhere, but that CU’s women’s track coach at the time, Rich Castro, said he was willing to take a chance on her. Boyd Dowler, Football (1956-58) Dowler recounted how he was a 17-year old in Cheyenne and that his parents had him ticketed to attend the Air Force Academy. “I’m thrilled to be inducted. When you’re a skinny 17-year old, you have no idea it would end up like this. I was originally going to go the Air Force Academy … that was until I took the test. But I didn’t want to be a pilot any way, I wanted to be an athlete.” He thanked his father, who reached out to Kayo Lam at CU after he didn’t make it into the Air Force, and that Kayo would get coach Dal Ward interested in a 6-foot-4, 175-pound receiver in June, two months ahead of camp. Ward not only was interested, but he had enough faith in Dowler to play him at quarterback. Joe Garten, Football (1987-90) Garten opened by looking over his shoulder at the photos of the dozen inductees. “Everyone else up here, they all had great stats. An offensive linemen getting in with these people – wow. I still get excited when I come back here and coming over that hill into Boulder. It’s a spectacular sight I never get tired of.” He thanked his coaches and a couple of administrators, but made a point to honor is scholarship donors, John and Shaaron Parker (who also coordinated the Ralphie program), and his brother Steve, who at first couldn’t attend but wound up driving 1,100 miles on Tuesday to be here for him. Jack Harvey, Basketball (1937-40) Harvey passed away some time ago, but his daughter Gail accepted for the family. “Daddy came from a small town in Kansas (Frankfort), about 100 miles south of Lincoln and 60 or so north of Manhattan. The town has a population of 627 today. That was just after the Great Depression and the family, the town, was poor. He told me stories of how his mother took one potato and made soup for his entire (high school) basketball team. Frosty Cox (CU basketball coach) convinced him to come out to Boulder, so he traveled here in the back of a pickup truck with two shirts, two pairs of pants, two sets of socks and a pair of shoes. He fell in love with the university and Boulder the minute he got here.” Steve Jones, Golf (1977-81) Jones could not be in attendance, much to his chagrin, and hoped to come back at the next induction to thank everyone. He is in Florida at Champion Tour qualifying, which found him tied for 16th with one round left, three strokes back of fifth as the top five will earn their cards for 2013; the next seven will be conditionally exempt. By phone, he said he was, “Humbled by such an honor, credited his late head coach Mark Simpson for everything he meant to him and his never-wavering support throughout his professional career.” Leason “Pete” McCloud (1939-42) McCloud could not attend as he is in a nursing home in Newton, Kan., but master of ceremonies Charles Johnson cited all his accomplishments in the early 1940s in helping CU be a basketball power west of the Mississippi. Vidar Nilsgard, Skiing (1971-74) He could not attend due to his wife developing some health issues, but the skier largely credited with opening the floodgates for Scandinavians to attend CU under coach Bill Marolt had Stein Sture, CU Vice Chancellor and engineering professor and a classmate accept on his behalf. Sture noted that “ski jumping is a curious sport, gravity defying as the skiers seem to float on the air, and looks dangerous but very few people actually get hurt.” He relayed that Vidar hoped to return Boulder as soon as next summer. Matt Russell, Football (1993-96) The always jovial Russell said he rivaled Culpepper in bad 90s hairstyles and said he was sure his father called CU and said not to use any pictures of him with a mullet or a Mohawk, or wearing earrings. “I was about 225 pounds when I got here, and I see Greg Biekert at a rock solid 250m and I was thinking, ‘If they want the scholarship back, they can have it.’” But he’s always been humble. “You get awards like this when you’re surrounded by great players. And I have to give a lot of credit to my position coach, Brian Cabral.” He also cited Gary Barnett for having the confidence in making him a temporary assistant coach in 2000 when Tom McMahon was battling cancer, noted that started his transition into what he does today. Rashaan Salaam, Football (1992-94) Salaam shared with the audience that his mother (Khalada) wasn’t going to sign the letter-of-intent for him to attend CU. “She wanted me to go to Stanford, but Stanford was like La Jolla Country Day (his high school) on steroids. CU was the best place for me to achieve my dreams. But I arrived here ****y and undisciplined. Coach Mac (Bill McCartney) and all the coaches helped me so much.” He specifically thanked several people, including Brian Cabral who recruited him. “He believed in me after looking my film.” He closed with a reading of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, If, dedicating it to current CU football coach Jon Embree (If you can keep your head when all about you … Are losing theirs and blaming it on you … If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you … etc.), altering the ending to, “and if you do, the Buffs will rise again!” Larry Zimmer, Announcer (1971-present) Zimmer opened with “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever be up here,” noting that he was the emcee at most of the first eight ceremonies. He recalled that when he received an Honorary “C” some 20 years ago, that his relationship with the University of Colorado, “Couldn’t get any better. It just got better. To go in with this class, to be a part of this group – wow. This recognition is the best because it represents the largest portion of the body of all my work.” He shared a story of him growing up and attending LSU games in New Orleans where he group up, and the irony of his first game he would call for the Buffaloes on Sept. 11, 1971, was in his hometown. The Buffs defeated the Tigers, 31-21, “A great way for the team to start and a great way to start for me as well.” The 2012 class is the largest inducted into the Hall since it was conceived by then-athletic director Dick Tharp in 1998, as the Hall now numbers 59 individuals in size, along with the entire 1959 ski team which have now been enshrined to date.

 

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Frank Bernardi has been involved with CU Athletics since 1951. Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Frank Bernardi[/h] Release: 11/17/2012 Courtesy: CUBuffs.com

Hall Of Fame CUBuffs.com profiles 2012 CU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Frank Bernardi, All-America and All-Big Seven wing back for the Buffaloes in the early 1950's. Bernardi has been involved in CU Athletics for over 50 years, supporting the Alumni C-Club. Twelve CU greats were enshrined this past Thursday, click here for a recap of the event. During his athletic career at the University of Colorado, the two-sport star in football and baseball, Frank Bernardi was known for using his head to get things done. Today he is known as one of the men that has been keeping the Alumni C-Club; alive and thriving for over 50 years. Together Bernardi is well deserving of being inducted into this years, Hall Of Fame class. In 1950 CU nearly lost this amazing Buffalo to the University of Arizona before the head football coach Dal Ward visited Bernardi’s home in Chicago. Coach Ward urged the family to visit the Boulder campus, and when they did Bernardi said, “The view was magnificent and I really like Dal Ward… I didn’t make it to Arizona.” Frank Bernardi on a run against Nebraska in 1954. At 5-foot-9 and weighing 175 pounds, Bernardi battled some big odds due to his size. But coach Ward decided to use Bernardi as a football wingback and after his first year Ward said, “He [has] blossomed into almost everything that was expected of him.” A knee injury sidelined Bernardi from playing his sophomore season which he underwent surgery in December of 1952. His junior year Bernardi found his stride that led to an amazing senior year. It was his senior year things became very interesting for Bernardi. He along with senior Carroll Hardy, were a devastating one-two punch on the football field for the team, which at that time competed in the Big Seven Conference. This duo became known not only all around the campus, but all over the state and was even referred to as a Vaudeville act sometimes. Then one incident changed Bernardi’s football career forever. In a game against Missouri, the Tigers scored with less than a minute left in the game to tie Colorado 19-19, an extra point would mean a win for Missouri. “I was going to block that kick at any cost,” Bernardi explained. “When Missouri got its touchdown I felt all the worse. I made up my mind to block the kick after their third touchdown. I worked it out with Lamar (Meyer, CU end) as we lined up to get an extra step. I did and the next thing I remembered was being led to the bench.” Bernardi ended up blocking the kick as he sped in from the left side but, he didn’t just block the kick, he ended up blocking it with his face. Bernardi’s nose was badly broken, his right eye was swollen shut from the impact, and he received a minor concussion. Word of this block spread quickly, and even 48 hours after the game people were still giving him a round of applause for what he did. Frank Bernardi earned second team All-America honors in 1954. “If there was one man on the University of Colorado football squad to be singled out for his efforts it would be wingback Frank Bernardi” This quote was never more evident than when Bernardi showed up to practice the next Monday after the infamous game with a statement in hand, “Why is everybody surprised to see me. I don’t run with my nose.” That perfectly describes Frank Bernardi in a sentence; he was here to play and to give it everything he had. That year, Bernardi was chosen as one of the winners of the “Football Player of the Year” award in a poll taken by the members of the Rockne Club. He also made the All-Big-Seven team, was an AP second team All-American, he was named The Outstanding Back in the Missouri Valley region by the MV chapter of the FWAA, he made the Shrine West squad and the College All-Star Squad. But Frank Bernardi didn’t only play football; he was also on the baseball team. He was primarily an outfielder but was known for leading the Buffs in home runs (6) and also runs batted (26). Bernardi was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the fourth round of the 1955 NFL draft. He was the 38th player picked overall. Bernardi played at Chicago for six years before he was traded to the Denver Broncos for their inaugural season of the AFL in 1960, this was his last season playing football. Bernardi is now a driving force in organizing an active C-Club of Colorado, establishing a link between the alumni and the athletic department. He has remained in this club for 50 years and on at least two occasions he almost single-handedly kept the club from going inactive. This Colorado Buffalo was an amazing college player in both of his sports, went on to compete well in the NFL and today is doing some amazing things for his alma mater. Bernardi is well deserving of being inducted into this years 2012 Hall Of Fame class.

 

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Mary Decker Slaney won two individual national titles at Colorado Photo Courtesy: CUBuffs.com Share on facebook_like

[h=1]Hall Of Fame Profile: Mary Decker Slaney[/h] Release: 11/18/2012 Courtesy: Meggan Murphy, Student Assistant SID

Hall of Fame CUBuffs.com profiles 2012 CU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Mary Decker Slaney, All-American Cross Country/Track athlete, world champion, U.S. Olympian. Twelve CU greats were enshrined this past Thursday, click here for a recap of the event. In the timeline of an entire athletic career, Mary Decker Slaney’s time in Boulder was brief, just two seasons, but her impact on the University of Colorado cross country/track & field program was significant. With national championships, world records and various hall of fames already on her resume, Decker Slaney made one more special addition this last Thursday as she entered the CU Athletic Hall of Fame. Previously she had been inducted to the USA Track & Field and the National Distance Running Halls of Fame in 2003. Decker Slaney has lived in Eugene, Ore., since 1979 when she left CU to begin her professional career but was quick to point out at the induction ceremony... “I’m not a Duck,” she said. “In my heart, I was always a Buff and it was heart wrenching to find out that I was a member of this great class.” Mary Decker Slaney set world records in 10 different events during her career. A cross country legend, she won her first competition at age 11, and one year later she remarkably made it through a marathon and multiple distance races just prior to having her appendix removed. She was too young to run in the 1972 Olympics, but that didn’t keep her away from the world stage. In 1973 she won an 800-meter race at a dual meet between the United States and the Soviet Union in Minsk, knocking off a future silver medalist. Decker Slaney went on to become the number one prospect for the 800 and earned multiple world records. The first world record for Decker Slaney was for a 4:40.1 indoor mile, followed by a 1974 1000-meter time of 2:26.7, an 800 time of 2:01.8, and an 880-meter time of 2:02.4. Unfortunately, the streak of success was interrupted when Decker Slaney’s body gave out to a muscle condition in ’74, prohibiting her from competing in the 1976 Olympic Games. Thankfully for the Buffs, though, this bend in the road led the running superstar directly to Colorado, where she spent two seasons changing CU cross country & track forever. Rich Castro, who started CU’s women’s intercollegiate track & field program in 1975 was Decker Slaney’s coach. He was introduced to Decker Slaney by a mutual friend and CU All-American John Gregorio. There was no doubt in Castro’s mind that Decker Slaney would have a great CU career. “Mary had already competed in some really big meets for the USA vs. the Russians, so collegiate competition didn’t seem to faze her,” Castro said. “She knew she was talented and had a lot of self-confidence; but was one of the most competitive athletes I have ever been associated with.” What made Decker Slaney’s career even more remarkable was its place in time in women’s athletics. Title IX was in its infancy. There were no Nike contracts or chartered flights. Her collegiate achievements even predate the NCAA as women’s athletics at that time fell under the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). “We operated on a shoe string budget during my era and I donated my salary back to the program,” Castro said. “The (jersey) that Mary and her teammates wore were plain white cotton shirts that kept shrinking and had iron on black numbers. Not very flattering. We would stuff our teams into brown 15 passenger vans and hit the road, seldom making stops and rarely getting to spend the night.” A two-time AIAW All-American in cross country, Decker Slaney was the 1978 individual national champion. She also won the 1978 national title in the indoor 1,000 meters and was a two-time All-American indoors. Decker Slaney still holds two school indoor records (800, 1000). She was the Big Eight Conference Indoor champion in four events (400, 800, Mile and 4x400 relay) In 1980, she broke the world record for the women's mile, running a 4:17.55 to become the first woman to break the 4:20 barrier for the mile. In 1982 Decker set six world records, at the following distances: 800m, 1500, mile, 3000, 5000 and 10,000; she is the only athlete to ever hold all six, much less at the same time. This amazing feat won Decker Slaney the coveted James E. Sullivan award for the top amateur athlete, the Sportsperson of the Year award from Sports Illustrated, and the Jesse Owens Award from USA Track & Field. Overall, she set world records in 10 different events and she still holds the U.S. women's records in the 1500 (3:57.12), mile (4:16.71) and 3000 (8:25.83). In 1983, she achieved a "Decker Double", winning both the 1500 meters and 3000 meters events at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki. Finally, in 1984, the runner was able to fulfill her dream of competing in the Olympics. Although the end result was unexpected, Decker gracefully continued into a successful season in ’85, winning multiple races and welcoming her first daughter, Ashley Lynn, into the world. Decker Slaney saw the Olympic track for the last time in 1996. She now lives with her family in Eugene and still enjoys running whenever she can. “Although Mary only spent a couple of years at CU she put us on the map and got the program off to a great start,” Castro said. I am glad that CU has not forgotten that she was there at the beginning and that we were a small part of a now great tradition.”