Big D one day, very little ‘D’ the next
JOHN MCGRATH; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: January 5th, 2007 01:00 AM
Six weeks after rookie cornerback Rolly Woolsey appeared with the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X – more commonly known as the Lynn Swann Highlight Catch Super Bowl – he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1976 veteran allocation draft.
For somebody who’d been realizing his dreams in Big D, the news he was about to depart a signature NFL franchise for one that required spoon-feeding came less as an engraved invitation than a court summons.
“It was one of those penthouse-to-the-outhouse deals, no doubt about it,” Woolsey recalled Thursday. “After the NFL announced that Tampa Bay and Seattle would be joining the league as expansion teams, some of us in the locker room started joking with each other. We’d say, ‘you better play better this week or you’ll end up in Seattle!’
“As things turned out, I became the butt of the joke.”
Talk about a tale of two cities: Woolsey went from The Best of Times to the First of Times.
The 1975 Cowboys were associated with the “Flex Defense,” which repositioned a typical front four with two offset linemen. The 1976 Seahawks assembled a bend-and-then-break defense that allowed a team-record 429 points, remarkable because they needed only 14 games to set a standard that’s survived 29 years of a 16-game schedule.
The 1975 Cowboys’ roster boasted such Hall of Famers as Roger Staubach, Randy White, Rayfield Wright and Mel Renfro. Even their nicknames were household: “Hollywood” (linebacker Thomas) Henderson. “Too-Tall” (defensive end Ed) Jones. “Too-Mean” (defensive tackle Harvey) Martin.
And then there was the legendary Tom Landry, one of a handful of coaches immediately identifiable by a single article of clothing.
“A world-class individual,” Woolsey said of the man in the hat.
The Seahawks had famous names, too, although tight end Ron Howard (a fellow Cowboys alum acquired in the allocation draft) wasn’t the future film director who spent his TV childhood in Mayberry. Nor was middle linebacker Ed Bradley the “60 Minutes” correspondent. And defensive tackle Richard Harris never spent a brief, shining moment in Camelot.
Still, Seattle wasn’t without its charms in 1976, when Kingdome fans embraced the Seahawks with a mad-dog fervor and a puppy-love innocence. For Woolsey, who grew up playing eight-man football in Grandview, Idaho, and went on to star at Boise State, the opportunity to return to his Northwest roots soothed the shock of going from 11-3 to 2-12.
And though he played only one season with the Hawks before he moved to Cleveland in 1977 and St. Louis in 1978 – he retired with five interceptions and 274 yards of kickoff returns accumulated on 14 attempts – Woolsey regards his year with Seattle fondly enough to watch Saturday’s playoff game at Qwest Field with a rooting interest in the home team.
“Especially when Terrell Owens is on the field,” he said. “It’s all about him, isn’t it? Excuse my French, but he’s a *******.”
(Let’s excuse Woolsey’s French. If we were using that particular pejorative while sitting at the nonsmoking table in a Parisian cafe, we would refer to him as an “imbecile.”)
“We had some different characters in Dallas, too,” he went on. “But when it came time to play, those guys put the team ahead of everything else.”
Woolsey’s passion for football these days actually leans more toward the Broncos than the Seahawks or Cowboys. The Broncos, as in Boise State’s Broncos.
“We weren’t even considered ‘mid-major’ when I went there,” said Woolsey, taken by Dallas in the sixth round of the 1975 draft. “But the winning tradition had been in place since it was a junior college. We won the ‘mythical small-school championship when I was freshman, and after I left – in 1980 – we won the Division I-AA championship.”
Woolsey and his wife Gayle drove to the Fiesta Bowl in a motor home with three other couples, including former Boise State quarterback Dee Pickett, father of ex-Washington QB Cody Pickett.
Having followed the Broncos throughout their unbeaten season, nothing in Arizona surprised him. Well, OK, the crazy hook-and-ladder and Statue-of-Liberty stuff in the last minute and overtime surprised him, but through three quarters and most of the fourth, Woolsey saw Boise State performing according to form.
“Oklahoma was a perfect matchup,” he said. “Their strength is running the ball; our strength is stopping the run. Their weakness is passing, and our weakness is defending the pass.”
Speaking of defending the pass: The Seahawks’ cornerback situation is dire. Might they consider placing a phone call to the 53-year-old owner of a Boise-based publishing company?
Woolsey laughed.
The notion of reporting for emergency duty sounded preposterous during a mid-week conversation at the office. But when Terrell Owens gets warmed up on Saturday, who knows? At least one former Hawk might feel a pang to strap on the pads and hit somebody.
Or at least throw a shoe at the TV.
seahawks EXPANSION DRAFT
How many of the 39 players the Seahawks selected in the 1976 expansion draft do you remember?
Player Pos. From Player Pos. From
Wayne Baker DT 49ers Gordon Jolley T Lions
Carl Barisich DT Browns Gary Keithley QB Cardinals
Nick Bebout T Falcons Art Kuehn C Redskins
Lyle Blackwood DB Bengals Kerry Marbury RB Patriots
Ed Bradley LB Steelers Al Matthews DB Packers
Dave Brown DB Steelers Sam McCullum WR Vikings
Don Clune WR Giants John McMakin TE Lions
Rondy Colbert DB Giants Eddie McMillan DB Rams
Dwayne Crump DB Cardinals Bill Olds RB Colts
Mike Curtis LB Colts Jesse O’Neal DE Oilers
Jerry Davis DB Jets Joe Owens DE Saints
John Demarie G Browns Bob Penchion G 49ers
Norm Evans T Dolphins Bob Picard WR Eagles
Ken Geddes LB Rams Rocky Rasley G Chiefs
Neil Graff QB Patriots Steve Taylor DB Broncos
Don Hansen LB Falcons Dave Tipton DE Chargers
Gary Hayman RB Bills Charles Waddell TE Chargers
Fred Hoaglin C Oilers Larry Woods DT Jets
Ron Howard TE Cowboys Rolly Woolsey DB Cowboys
Ken Hutcherson LB Packers
Published: January 5th, 2007 01:00 AM
Six weeks after rookie cornerback Rolly Woolsey appeared with the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X – more commonly known as the Lynn Swann Highlight Catch Super Bowl – he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1976 veteran allocation draft.
For somebody who’d been realizing his dreams in Big D, the news he was about to depart a signature NFL franchise for one that required spoon-feeding came less as an engraved invitation than a court summons.
“It was one of those penthouse-to-the-outhouse deals, no doubt about it,” Woolsey recalled Thursday. “After the NFL announced that Tampa Bay and Seattle would be joining the league as expansion teams, some of us in the locker room started joking with each other. We’d say, ‘you better play better this week or you’ll end up in Seattle!’
“As things turned out, I became the butt of the joke.”
Talk about a tale of two cities: Woolsey went from The Best of Times to the First of Times.
The 1975 Cowboys were associated with the “Flex Defense,” which repositioned a typical front four with two offset linemen. The 1976 Seahawks assembled a bend-and-then-break defense that allowed a team-record 429 points, remarkable because they needed only 14 games to set a standard that’s survived 29 years of a 16-game schedule.
The 1975 Cowboys’ roster boasted such Hall of Famers as Roger Staubach, Randy White, Rayfield Wright and Mel Renfro. Even their nicknames were household: “Hollywood” (linebacker Thomas) Henderson. “Too-Tall” (defensive end Ed) Jones. “Too-Mean” (defensive tackle Harvey) Martin.
And then there was the legendary Tom Landry, one of a handful of coaches immediately identifiable by a single article of clothing.
“A world-class individual,” Woolsey said of the man in the hat.
The Seahawks had famous names, too, although tight end Ron Howard (a fellow Cowboys alum acquired in the allocation draft) wasn’t the future film director who spent his TV childhood in Mayberry. Nor was middle linebacker Ed Bradley the “60 Minutes” correspondent. And defensive tackle Richard Harris never spent a brief, shining moment in Camelot.
Still, Seattle wasn’t without its charms in 1976, when Kingdome fans embraced the Seahawks with a mad-dog fervor and a puppy-love innocence. For Woolsey, who grew up playing eight-man football in Grandview, Idaho, and went on to star at Boise State, the opportunity to return to his Northwest roots soothed the shock of going from 11-3 to 2-12.
And though he played only one season with the Hawks before he moved to Cleveland in 1977 and St. Louis in 1978 – he retired with five interceptions and 274 yards of kickoff returns accumulated on 14 attempts – Woolsey regards his year with Seattle fondly enough to watch Saturday’s playoff game at Qwest Field with a rooting interest in the home team.
“Especially when Terrell Owens is on the field,” he said. “It’s all about him, isn’t it? Excuse my French, but he’s a *******.”
(Let’s excuse Woolsey’s French. If we were using that particular pejorative while sitting at the nonsmoking table in a Parisian cafe, we would refer to him as an “imbecile.”)
“We had some different characters in Dallas, too,” he went on. “But when it came time to play, those guys put the team ahead of everything else.”
Woolsey’s passion for football these days actually leans more toward the Broncos than the Seahawks or Cowboys. The Broncos, as in Boise State’s Broncos.
“We weren’t even considered ‘mid-major’ when I went there,” said Woolsey, taken by Dallas in the sixth round of the 1975 draft. “But the winning tradition had been in place since it was a junior college. We won the ‘mythical small-school championship when I was freshman, and after I left – in 1980 – we won the Division I-AA championship.”
Woolsey and his wife Gayle drove to the Fiesta Bowl in a motor home with three other couples, including former Boise State quarterback Dee Pickett, father of ex-Washington QB Cody Pickett.
Having followed the Broncos throughout their unbeaten season, nothing in Arizona surprised him. Well, OK, the crazy hook-and-ladder and Statue-of-Liberty stuff in the last minute and overtime surprised him, but through three quarters and most of the fourth, Woolsey saw Boise State performing according to form.
“Oklahoma was a perfect matchup,” he said. “Their strength is running the ball; our strength is stopping the run. Their weakness is passing, and our weakness is defending the pass.”
Speaking of defending the pass: The Seahawks’ cornerback situation is dire. Might they consider placing a phone call to the 53-year-old owner of a Boise-based publishing company?
Woolsey laughed.
The notion of reporting for emergency duty sounded preposterous during a mid-week conversation at the office. But when Terrell Owens gets warmed up on Saturday, who knows? At least one former Hawk might feel a pang to strap on the pads and hit somebody.
Or at least throw a shoe at the TV.
seahawks EXPANSION DRAFT
How many of the 39 players the Seahawks selected in the 1976 expansion draft do you remember?
Player Pos. From Player Pos. From
Wayne Baker DT 49ers Gordon Jolley T Lions
Carl Barisich DT Browns Gary Keithley QB Cardinals
Nick Bebout T Falcons Art Kuehn C Redskins
Lyle Blackwood DB Bengals Kerry Marbury RB Patriots
Ed Bradley LB Steelers Al Matthews DB Packers
Dave Brown DB Steelers Sam McCullum WR Vikings
Don Clune WR Giants John McMakin TE Lions
Rondy Colbert DB Giants Eddie McMillan DB Rams
Dwayne Crump DB Cardinals Bill Olds RB Colts
Mike Curtis LB Colts Jesse O’Neal DE Oilers
Jerry Davis DB Jets Joe Owens DE Saints
John Demarie G Browns Bob Penchion G 49ers
Norm Evans T Dolphins Bob Picard WR Eagles
Ken Geddes LB Rams Rocky Rasley G Chiefs
Neil Graff QB Patriots Steve Taylor DB Broncos
Don Hansen LB Falcons Dave Tipton DE Chargers
Gary Hayman RB Bills Charles Waddell TE Chargers
Fred Hoaglin C Oilers Larry Woods DT Jets
Ron Howard TE Cowboys Rolly Woolsey DB Cowboys
Ken Hutcherson LB Packers
posted by The Gryphon at 7:32 PM
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