W. Thomas Porter - Go Huskies!: Celebrating the Washington Football Tradition

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Copyright 2013 by W. Thomas Porter

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Triumph Books LLC, 814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Porter, W. Thomas.

Go Huskies! : celebrating Washingtons football tradition / W. Thomas Porter.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-60078-827-7

1. University of WashingtonFootballHistory. 2. Washington Huskies (Football team)History. I. Title.

GV958.U5865P67 2013

796.3326309797772dc23

2013012453

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Triumph Books LLC

814 North Franklin Street

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www.triumphbooks.com

Printed in China

ISBN: 978-1-60078-827-7

Design by Patricia Frey

This book is dedicated to the coaches and players whose performances led to numerous conference championships, many postseason bowl victories, and two national championships. Your commitment, team unity, and resolve have forged one of the greatest football traditions in the nation.

Don James, UWs winningest football coach.

T here are numerous things that make Washington football special. I can think of none greater than Husky Stadium. Every morning, as I drove to work from my home in Bellevue, it rose magnificently from the horizon as a monument to the Husky program. Now, with its extensive renovation completed, the stadium will continue to provide a beautiful setting and a much more fan-friendly venue.

I think Husky football has different meanings to different people. It means something different to each fan, player, and coach. In my 18 seasons of coaching at the University of Washington, I was associated with some of the greatest teams and players in college football history. Washington is truly one of the finest academic institutions in the world and provides an outstanding environment in which to learn, grow, and mature as an individual.

I have been greatly impressed with the commitment, the determination, and the pride of the men who wear the purple and gold. They are very tough competitors, and they play at the very highest level in collegiate football. A classic matchup with a big opponent on a Saturday afternoon in Husky Stadium is one of the best in all of sports.

Husky Stadium is an incredible place to play a football game. Its adjacency to the water and the mountains, its upper decks rising to the sky, the walk down the tunnel and onto the field, and the passion of the Husky fans combine to make it one of the greatest venues in college football.

Husky football excites, inspires, and rallies students, faculty, alumni, and the community around the program. All of them are proud of the Huskies tradition. Go Huskies!: Celebrating Washingtons Football Tradition is a complete chronicle of the history of Husky football. The book focuses on the major eras in Husky football history. It also spotlights the best teams, the greatest games, the biggest comebacks, and the greatest playersunsung heroes and fan favoritesin Husky history.

Go Huskies! helps all of us to relive the big games and big seasons and rekindles our memories of Husky legends.

Coach Don James

Current Husky head coach Steve Sarkisian.

B efore I became the Huskies head football coach in 2009, I had great respect for the University of Washingtons storied football tradition, as well as its outstanding academic reputation.

My most memorable experience in Husky Stadium was playing the Huskies on September 14, 1996, as the starting quarterback for BYU. I remember how loud the fans were, causing us to jump offside a number of times and preventing us from making audible corrections at the line of scrimmage. From the fans in the stands to the players on the field, you could sense their passion and enthusiasm for Husky football. It is something I will never forget.

Upon my appointment as Washingtons head coach, I was eager to turn the football program around and get it back to the high level of success that UW football had enjoyed in much of its history. I am very proud of the improvements we have made in almost every phase of the game, and I strongly believe we will soon be among one of the best football programs in the nation.

Go Huskies!: Celebrating Washingtons Football Tradition has captured that history and the success of UW football. The book weaves a complete history of Husky footballits humble beginnings, its major eras, the players and teams that forged the Huskies greatest victories, its greatest seasons and bowl triumphs, and the national championships and rankings.

Go Huskies! will help all of us to relive the greatest games, the thrilling comeback victories, the greatest players, and all of those athletes who wore the purple and gold and raised their helmets with pride and purpose.

Coach Steve Sarkisian

Bob Rondeau, Voice of the Huskies.

T he long-awaited renovation of Husky Stadium will certainly put a fresh face on the place, setting a framework of promise for years to come. It will be a new chapter in a football history that rubs elbows with many of the finest programs in America.

As the radio voice of the Huskies for more than 30 years, Ive been fortunate to observe and chronicle a good chunk of that history. The stadium is a tactile reminder of the evolution of Washington football through the years, a fortress of sorts anchored in the most beautiful setting the college game has ever known. In the concrete, wood, and steel, we can touch and feel what Husky football is all about. It is an intimate relationship and will be even more so with the track removed, bringing the fans even closer to the field and their favorite team, their clamoring making it an even tougher environment for visiting squads.