1. Charles White – USC RB: Top USC tailbacks are going to be in the limelight and Charles White had an incredible 1978 season with over 1,800 rushing yards. In 1979, White was more than spectacular running for over 2,000 yards and beating out Billy Sims for the coveted Heisman award. It was a great season for USC as well and only a tie with Stanford kept them from winning a national title with an 11-0-1 record and a win over #1 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. For his career at USC, Charles White ran for 6,245 yards which placed him in second place on the all time rushing list behind only the great Tony Dorsett. One of the best things about being a USC Tailback was the Offensive Linemen that this school has produced over the years. Offensive Line U
Don Mosebar, Keith Van Horne, Roy Foster, Brad Budde and Christ Foote were his Offensive Line and Marcus Allen was his Fullback. Charles White was a burner and won the California High school 330 hurdles over Olympic gold medalist Andre Phillips while he was at San Fernando High School.
White was picked in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland was not so kind to White and the Browns finally cut him after 4 seasons. USC coach John Robinson had moved on to the Los Angeles Rams and the Rams signed Charles White. His only good season in the NFL was in 1987 when he rushed for for nearly 1,400 yards. White got out of football after 9 seasons and ran for 3,075 yards total.
After football, Charles White was the Running Back coach at USC from 1993 through 1997.
2. Billy Sims – Oklahoma RB: It’s hard to repeat as national champions in college football and it’s also hard to repeat as Heisman winner. 40 years later and only Archie Griffin from Ohio State has done it. Sims was sensational in 1978 rushing for 1,762 yards and 20 Touchdowns which was actually less than Charles White of USC. But, Billy Sims won the Heisman. In the 1979 season, Sims rushing totals dropped to !,506 yards, but he did score 22 Touchdowns. White may have had a better 1979 season than Billy Sims, but that didn’t stop the Detroit Lions from taking Sims with the very first pick in the draft. Sims was a huge star at Detroit before he injured his knee. Read the 1978 post about Billy Sims: 1978
3. Marc Wilson – BYU QB: Lavelle Edwards became the BYU head coach in 1972 and he put the Cougars on the map. The Cougars were throwing the ball around like few others in those days. Gifford Nielson was the first big BYU Quarterback before the Cougars produced one after another
including Marc Wilson, Jim McMahan, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco, Ty Detmer, and Steve Sarkisian. In 1979, Wilson threw for 3,720 yards and 29 Touchdowns. Those were modest numbers compared to what some of the later Quarterbacks produced.
Wilson was a tall skinny man at 6-6, 205 but that didn’t stop the Oakland Raiders from taking him with their first pick which was at 15th of the 1st round. Wilson played 10 years in the NFL mostly with the Raiders, but he finished with the New England Patriots. The Green Bay Packers cut him during the Preseason of 1988. He wound up throwing for over 14,000 yards in the NFL. He didn’t have a great career at that level, but he was not a bust.
Wilson grew up in the Seattle, Washington area and returned there and became a real estate developer. Supposedly, Wilson was better in baseball and basketball as a kid growing up, but then he was able to make a career in the NFL.
4. Art Schlichter – Ohio State QB: The legendary Woody Hayes was coaching at Ohio State and he was famous for hating the forward pass. Art Schlichter, from Washington, Ohio was the top Quarterback recruit in the country in the 1978 class. Hayes and Ohio State signed Schlichter and he was a four year starter for the Buckeyes. Schlichter was partly responsible for the dismissal of Buckeye legend Woody Hayes. Against the Clemson Tigers in the Gator Bowl, Schlichter threw an interception to end the game. Clemson Linebacker Charlie Bauman picked off the pass near the Buckeye sideline and he was attacked by Hayes who threw a punch. Hayes was fired soon after.
Probably the reason that Hayes lost his cool so badly was Schlichter had thrown 4 Touchdown passes in 1978 and 21 Interceptions. When you are famous for saying 3 things happen when you throw the ball and 2 of them are bad, dealing with 21 picks in one season against 4 Touchdowns has to be brutal.
In 1979, Schlichter threw for over 1,800 yards and 14 Touchdowns. The best thing about the season is that Schlichter only threw 6 Interceptions.
Schlichter’s story is an interesting one. His gambling addictions cost him dearly for the rest of his life. He finished 4th in the Heisman in 1979, and he placed in 1980 and 1981 so more of him to come.
5. Vagas Ferguson – Notre Dame RB: Ferguson was a senior in 1979 and a consensus All American. After sharing carries with other Running Backs his first 3 seasons at Notre Dame, Ferguson had a big season with 1,437 yards and 17 Touchdowns. In 4 seasons with the Fighting Irish, Ferguson rushed for 3,472 yards and 32 Touchdowns.
The New England Patriots picked Ferguson in the 1st round with the 25th pick. As a rookie, Ferguson ran for over 800 yards and he looked like he was on his way. As a second year guy, he ran for 340 yards and that was pretty much it for him. He played another season in New England, and then a year in Cleveland with the Browns and another season in Houston with the Oilers.
After football, Ferguson returned to his hometown in Richmond, Indiana where he works for the Athletic Department.
6. Paul McDonald – USC QB: McDonald was a good Quarterback, but the Heisman winner was right behind him in the I-formation as well as Fullback Marcus Allen. His Offensive Line was as good as it gets in college football history. He had top notch Wide Receivers Kevin Williams, Dan Garcia and Ray Butler and Tight End Hoby Brenner. While McDonald was a good Quarterback, he was also in a good situation. As a senior in 1979, completed 62% of his passes for 2,223 yards and 18 Touchdowns.
McDonald started in 1978 and in 1979 and finished with 4,138 yards and 37 Touchdowns. As a
starter at USC, McDonald led the Trojans to a 22-1-1 record and his last game there was a thrilling 17-16 Rose Bowl win over formerly number 1 ranked Ohio State.
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Today, McDonald lives in Newport Beach, California and does color commentary on Trojan football games.
7. George Rogers – South Carolina RB: The Duluth, Georgia product was the real deal. As a freshman in 1977, Rogers ran for 623 yards which was second on the team to sophomore Spencer Clark. The Quarterback for the 1977 Gamecock team was none other than Sunshine Ronnie Bass from the movie Remember the Titans.
As a sophomore in 1978, Rogers broke the 1,000 yard barrier by a grand total of 6 yards. But, in 1979, Rogers ran wild totaling 1,681 yards and placed in the Heisman voting.
Rogers would win the Heisman Trophy in 1980 and more about him in the 1980 Heisman Trophy post.
8. Mark Herrman – Purdue QB: Herrman was a 4 year starter at Purdue after playing high school football at Carmel, Indiana. I don’t know how good he was, but Indiana is a basketball state and Herrman played on his high school basketball team which won the Indiana state championship. At Purdue in 1977, Herrman threw for 2,453 yards and 18 Touchdowns. The negative was he threw for 27 Interceptions as the Boilermakers struggled to a 5-6 record.
The 1978 season saw the Purdue Boilermakers improve to 9-2-1 and Herrman threw for 1,904 yards
and 14 Touchdowns and he improved his Interceptions to only 12.
The Boilermakers were 10-2 in 1979 and Herrman threw for 2,377 yards. Herrman finished this season in 8th place in the Heisman voting, and he would finish in 4th place in 1980.
9. Ron Simmons – Florida State DL: Pro Wrestling fans will remember Ron Simmons from his many years in the wrestling ring. Pro Wrestling is real.
Simmons was the recruit that really got the Florida State football program going under Bobby Bowden. He did as much to put the Seminoles on the college football map as anyone back in those years. Simmons played high school football at Warner Robins and made All State and he was heavily recruited.
Simmons was consensus All American in 1979 and 1980. He played Nose Guard for the Seminoles and while he was dominating in college and one of the very best players in the country, his size did not bode well for an NFL inside Tackle. He was listed at 6-2, 270 and he finally got the call from the NFL in the 6th round when the Cleveland Browns picked him. He played briefly with the Browns and the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League before getting into Professional
Wrestling.
10. Steadman Shealy – Alabama QB: Wishbone Quarterback for Bear Bryant on a Crimson Tide team that won the national championship in 1979. As a Wishbone Quarterback, Shealy was the force behind the offense that worked, but he never put up big numbers. In 1978, Shealy backed up Jeff Rutledge at Quarterback but Bear Bryant usually played his back up Quarterbacks so he had some playing time. Shealy only started one season and led Alabama to a 12-0 record.
He threw for 717 yards and 4 Touchdowns, and he ran for 791 yards and 11 Touchdowns.
As soon as he graduated, Shealy got into law school. While he was in law school, Shealy hosted the Bear Bryant show in 1982 which would be Bryant’s last season to coach.
He has been practicing law since 1984.