Alumni J-TAC, February 1980 Page: 4 of 12
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Page 4
Two Texans winnational
The Texans' 64 record may
not have been as glorious as last
year's but they still managed to
place two athletes in pretty lofty
positions with post season
accolades.
Middle linebacker/defensive
end Tony Tuck and runningback
Ricky Bush earned honorable
mention All-America status at
the conclusion of the season,
ending Tuck's career in high style
and beginning Bush's in fine form.
Tuck, a 6-1, 205 pounder from
Stephenville, was part of
Tarleton's nationally ranked
defense last year and earned honors.
at end. This year he was moved to
middle linebacker to fill the shoes
of two-time All-America . Tally
Neal.
"I know that no one can
replace Tally Neal," Tuck said in
an interview before the season
began, "but I'd like to make
All-America , too, and I plan to
do the best job possible."
Tuck fulfilled his prophecy
with a vengeance. He finished the
year as the leading tackler for the
Texans with 113 stops -- 37 more
than the next defender.
Because of injuries to other
teammates Tuck often alternatedTexans dc
Domination is a strong word,
but in the case of Tarleton State
University track teams it's a word
that aptly applies. For the last
three years both the men's and
women's track and field teams at
T S U have won the Texas
Intercollegiate Athletic
Association title by dominatingthe rest of the conference schools.
Men's coach Joe Gillespie and
women's coach Jean Cozby see no
reason for that to change this
year.
Gillespie, who joined TSU in
1973 as defensive football coach
and head track coach, has been
named coach of the year in the
TIAA the past three seasons as his
men's teams have recorded
I Uv
. ..Lee Ann Hunt
honors
between linebacker and end and
as a result earned all-conference
honors at linebacker and
all-district honors at end. His
All-America status is as a
defensive linemen.
Bush, a 5-10, 185 pounder
from Waco Connally, rushed for a
league-leading 810 yards and was
chosen the TIAA Freshman of the
Year. He was also named to the
first team all-conference squad
and the first team all-distrct
squad.
In addition to rushing, Bush
also led the team in kickoff
returns with 429 yards and scored
once on a 99 yard return. His
all-purpose yardage (rushing,
returns and receiving) totaled
1305 yards or an average of 6.9
yards everytime he touched the
ball.
Bush was given high praise
throughout the season by his
fellow players and coaches. After
his record breaking 175 yard
performance against Lubbock
Christian College, Coach Fornes
said with some amazment, "I have
never, ever had a player grade out
100% in my fourteen years of
coaching college. But Ricky Bush
had a perfect game."minate T
resounding point totals in
claiming the title.
Gillespie-coached athletes hold 12
of the 17 conference records.
With 48 men on the 1980
roster, Gillespie will have a lot to
work with to regain the title.
Although it appears that this
year's squad will be a little weaker
in the sprints and quarter mile,
the 1980 team will be stronger
overall than last year's team.
Top returners include pole
vaulter Tab Felts, who finished
seventh in the national meet with
a vault of 15'-6"; John Rhodes,
conference hurdles champion; and
Clyde Steelman, second in the
conference in the javelin.
Top recruits for 1980 include
AAA State high jump champion
Steve Wester, who leaped 6'-10";
Jim Owens, a transfer high hurdles
specialist from Odessa Junior
College; and distance man Javier
Tamez from Corpus Christi.
With the largest contingent of
track athletes ever to compete for
TSU, Coach Gillespie feels the
team will be strong in all field
events and all running events from
the half mile on up.
Jean Cozby, a graduate of
Eastern New Mexico University
working on her masters at TSU,
will be the new women's track
coach. She will be assisted by Lois
Hill, a graduate from last year's
squad.
Ms. Cozby reports that only
four letter winners are back from
last year's team but a strong
influx of freshmen and transfers
should keep the TexAnns on top.
Lee Ann Hunt heads the list of
returners. The junior sprinter
holds the TSU record for the 440
yard dash at 67.14 and alsoAlumni J-TAC
Trophy leaves case
of empty feelingTony Tuck
Ricky Bush
IAA track
. 4 -Tab Felts
competed in five other events.
Sophomore Cindy Dittmar is the
other top returning sprinter and is
particularly strong in the 100 and
220 yard dashes.
In the field events, Coach
Cozby will be calling on veterans
Belinda Huse and Leslie Byrd to.
anchor the team. Around these
two capable performers the coach
will be depending on a number of
newcomers for depth.
Although the rest of the team
is young, Ms. Cozby expects the
team to be strong in the distance
events as well and is confident
that there is enough talent
available to maintain a hold on
the conference crown.Buddy Fornes stood in front of
the trophy case in the Wisdom
Gymnasium lobby and looked
forlornly at a large empty spot
where the dust had yet to collect.
"That thing sure looks empty,"
he sighed. "We've got to get it
back in there."
Coach Fornes was referring to
the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic
Association championship trophy
that sat firmly rooted to the
display case for two years. This
year it sits in Austin College's
gymnasium and the Texans want
it back.
The Tarleton Texans, taking
the field with a young team to
defend their TIAA crown, fell to
6-4 on the season and learned
some hard facts about football.
One of the major lessons the
Texans learned was that you can't
win games without a quarterback.
The Texans entered 1979 without
the services of their number one
signal-caller, 1978 TIAA Player of
the Year Shelby Wright, who
chose not to return.
That put senior safety Dan
Smalley in command of the
offense. But Smalley came up
lame with a pulled hamstring
muscle and was ineffective in his
first game, a 17-13 upset loss to
Austin College.
Smalley was sidelined with his
injury and another defensive back,
sophomore transfer Greg
Edwards, was called upon to
finish the season. At 5'-9" the
Comanche graduate was too small
to establish the type of offense
that Coach Fornes was hoping the
Texans could produce,
particularly with the passing
game. Tarleton went to a two
tight end formation which limited
the offense somewhat, but still
managed to chalk up six victories.
Part of the reason for
Tarleton's success, even behind a
reserve quarterback, was the
production of two newcomers to
the Texan backfield. Transfer
Henry Mills carried the load
through the first part of the
season, gaining 131 yards in a
19-9 win over Trinity University.
When Mills pulled up lame
following that game freshman
Ricky Bush took over the
limelight and rewrote some Texan
records.
Bush ran for 126 yards and all
three touchdowns in his first start
a 20-14 victory over McMurry
College. Two games later he ran
for a record breaking 175 yards
against Lubbock Christian and
followed that with a 165 yard
performance against Trinity.
In just six starts Bush totaled
657 yards rushing and five
touchdowns. He finished the year
as the TIAA's leading rusher with
810 yards and was chosen TIAA
freshman of the Year. In addition
he was a first team selection to
the all-TIAA and all-District teams
and an honorable mention
All-America choice in the NAIA.
Halfbacks Bush and Mills
along with fullbacks Ricky Elliot
and Billy Vacek, combined for
1606 of 1692 rushing yards,breaking a fifteen year old
standard by eight yards.
The fact that Tarleton set a
rushing record is somewhat
outstanding when considering that
offensive line coach Ronnie Giles
played "General Hospital" after
every practice session. Leg and
ankle injuries cut down six
offensive linemen during the
season, and the Texans worked
with a patched up line each week.
In the end, only veteran center
Mike Whaley and reliable guard
Randy Crook were left unscathed.
The receiving corps got similar
hostile treatment. At one time all
three starting pass catchers were
sidelined with injuries. Tight end
Sam Scott led the receivers with
512 yards while senior split end
Mark Owen had five touchdowns
and 348 yards in catches.
Mistakes were easily the biggest
factor in styming the offense. In
two of their late season losses,
Tarleton turned the ball over
seven times. The Texans ended
the season with 19 fumbles lost
and 19 interceptions. A total of
86 penalties for 829 yards did not
help the season's outcome either.
The Texan defense,
inexperienced with a new man at
every position, grew stronger
every game. Sledgehammer hitter
and emotional leader for the
team, middle linebacker Tony
Tuck, established himself as the
team's top tackler.
Tuck filled in the spot where
Tally Neal was a two time
All-America and established his
own piece of history when he was
also named to the NAIA
All-America team following the
1979 season. Tuck recorded 113
tackles and was the spearhead of
Tarleton's tough rushing defense.
But Tarleton's defense also
suffered from injuries. Before the
season started . All-America
defensive end Garry Wright and
starting linebacker Mark Wilson
were put out with knee knjuries.
Wilson's replacement, Tony
Viotto, also went out with a knee
injury before the fourth game.
Injuries to three-year starter Steve
Wood and newcomer Bradley
Graves also weakened the
secondary.
Stellar performances by
outside linebacker Bobby
Rodriquez and safety Dan
Smalley, who returned to the
secondary during the fifth week,
earned them Athlete of the Week
honors in the District. Five
members of the defense ended up
on the all-conference team; Tuck,
Smalley, end Eugene Weldon,
tackle Tony Rich, and defensive
back Reny Laughlin.
Coach Fornes and his staff
have been busy on the recruiting
trails, attempting to lure quality
athletes to Tarleton. The goal for
1980 is to return the TIAA title
to Tarleton and set sights on the
playoffs again.
Fornes doesn't lose sight of
that goal too often but when he
does he leaves his office and
stands in front of the empty spot
in the trophy case.
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Tarleton State University. Alumni J-TAC, February 1980, periodical, February 1980; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1040269/m1/4/: accessed May 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.