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August 10, 2006

Little Joe enters another HOF

By Bob West

Some 35 years after briefly contemplating Notre Dame as a place to play college football, Little Joe Washington has finally made his way to South Bend, Ind. And the occasion makes it as sweet as helping Oklahoma win back-to-back national championships in 1973 and 1974.

The former Lincoln High School All-America arrived at the home of the Fighting Irish on Thursday to take part in festivities honoring the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005. Fifteen former players and five coaches are being bestowed with college football’s highest honor.

“I’m excited, but it feels kind of weird,” said Washington, who lives in Baltimore. “When you are so far removed from your playing days, it seems a little strange to be getting an award. But the College Football Hall of Fame is something I’ve thought about and wanted to be a part of.”

Among those going in with Washington are two other running backs who played in the same era as he did — Texas’ Roosevelt Leaks and USC’s Anthony Davis. Davis and Little Joe, in fact, finished 2-3 behind Archie Griffin for the 1974 Heisman Trophy.

Others in the class include Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett, Notre Dame QB John Huarte and Mississippi Valley State wide receiver Jerry Rice. Heading up the coaches being inducted are Auburn’s Pat Dye and West Virginia’s Don Nehlen.

The entire group has already been saluted once, at a gala dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City last winter. They have reassembled in South Bend because that city has become the new home of the College Football Hall of Fame. Formal enshrinement ceremonies are Saturday night.

For Washington, it’s his fourth Hall of Fame and fifth if you count the Oklahoma Journalism HOF. He’s also been inducted into the Texas High School Sports Hall of Fame (1991), the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (1993) and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (2002).

Asked which of the four is the most meaningful, he hesitated, then said, “That’s a little like asking somebody which of their kids is the most special. I have been excited about each one of them, and feel deeply honored to be a part of all of them.

“If I had to pick one, though, it would be the Texas High School Hall of Fame, mainly because it was the first one. As a kid in Texas, I grew up in awe of some of those great high school players I watched and read about. To join them was great. But that doesn’t diminish how I feel about the others.”

Considering the numbers he piled up as a two-time All-America at Oklahoma — he’s No. 2 on the school’s all-time rushing list with 4,071 yards — it’s no surprise Washington was selected for the College Football HOF. What is surprising is how long it took for him to get the call.

“I really don’t know why it took so long,” he said. “I’ve thought about it. When you think about all the great players who have played college football over the years, that’s a lot of guys to consider. Part of it with me may have been the fact we couldn’t be on TV for two years. I didn’t get that much national exposure.

“But look at Anthony Davis. He played at USC the same time I was at Oklahoma, and he was on TV all the time. I figured I was going to get in sooner or later. When Barry (Switzer) got in 2001, I figured I wasn’t going to be far behind.”

Washington, who cracked Oklahoma’s starting lineup midway through his freshman year, averaged a remarkable 6.4 yards per carry for his career. His biggest season came as a junior when he rushed for 1,321 yards and 14 touchdowns, and added 531 kick return yards.

Following that season, he was named the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club’s College Player of the Year, the NCAA Player of the Year and finished third in the Heisman vote. If Oklahoma had not been banned from TV that year, he would have had a great shot at winning the Heisman.

Washington’s elusive running style led to many highlight reel runs. His most memorable game-breaking play came late in his junior season against Missouri. Trailing by seven points, the No. 1 ranked Sooners were facing 4th-and-1 at their own 24 with less than a minute to play.

Switzer dialed Little Joe’s number and he dipped and darted 76 yards to the end zone. He then followed up by hurdling into the end zone for a two-point conversion that turned defeat into victory.

Many years later, Switzer, who was headed to Port Arthur for a roast honoring Washington, lumped Little Joe with Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers and Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders as the most dangerous backs he saw in 16 years he coached in what was then the Big Eight Conference.

“Those three guys put your heart in your throat,” said Switzer. “In the open field, nobody was better than Joe. Every time he went back to field a punt at Owen Field, 74,000 fans would be on their feet. They knew it was showtime.”

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