Edmond, Okla. (Dec. 1) - - A quick glance at the University of Central Oklahoma All-Century Football Team reveals a power-packed squad featuring the most electric offensive performers in school history along with a dominating defensive cast capable of suffocating any opponent.
It's the best of the best as UCO celebrates the 100th year of Broncho football in 2005. The 47 players were selected by a panel of eight former players, coaches and administrators who have been a part of UCO football since the 1950s.
A host of multiple All-Americans dot the lineup, nine members of the group are in the UCO Athletic Hall of Fame and five went to play in the National Football League. The 1962 and 1982 NAIA national championship teams were real represented, with 12 players from those two years on the first- or second-team.
"I'd take this team and put it up against anybody that wanted to play," said John "Skip" Wagnon, a member of the voting panel who was a part of the UCO athletic department for more than 30 years. "There's a lot of great players on there and there's a lot of great players who had to be left off. '
UCO began intercollegiate football in 1902, then skipped the next year and was idle for three years during World War II. The Bronchos have had a long history of success, with a 568-312-47 record that includes 38 seasons of at least seven wins.
Selected as coach of the All-Century team was Gary Howard, recently voted into the UCO Hall of Fame and the winningest coach in Oklahoma state college history. Howard finished with a 162-105-6 record in 26 years at the helm and coached seven of UCO's nine playoff teams, leading the Bronchos to 1982 NAIA national title.
Highlighting the first-team offense is a powerful run-pass combination that includes the school's all-time leading rusher and pass receiver.Steve Tate was three-time All-American running back who finished with 4,360 rushing yards in a career that spanned 1977-80 and he's joined in the backfield by Joe Aska, who rushed for a school-record 1,629 yards in 1994 en route to finishing third in balloting for NCAA Division II Player of theYear.
Dee Dee Carter and Daric Zeno are the wide receivers, with Carter owning six school records that includes most receptions (173) and yards (3,357) and Zeno a sparkplug on UCO's 1982 national championship team who earned All-America honors twice.
Randy Page is the quarterback, another All-American member of that 1982 team who passed for 2,732 yards that season in leading the Bronchos to an 11-2 campaign, while Garry Smith was a 1978 All-American and is the tight end.
All-Americans fill all five spots on the blocking wall, anchored by center Dustin McNeil. John Fitzgerald was a three-time All-American and is joined by Rod Davis, Steve Leemhuis and Bill Sirkel in rounding out the offensive line.
The defensive unit would be a tough one to score on, showcasing a dominating front four, a star-studded linebacking corps headed by a three-time Super Bowl champion and a well-honored secondary.
UCO Hall of Famer Dale Alexander leads the defensive line that includes career sack leader Dean Shinault, career tackles-for-loss leader Claude Davis and All-American Don Eldridge.
Perhaps no position received as many honors as the linebacker crew, led by school career tackle leader and two-time All-American Johnny Luter. He's joined by another two-time All-American in Ed Desherow, the heart of the defense on the 1982 championship team, and Keith Traylor, who has played on three Super Bowl championship teams in an NFL career that continues today.
The players who rank one-two in career interceptions at UCO are on the last line of defense, with Johnnie Jones (20 interceptions) and Elton Rhoades (18) teaming with UCO Hall of Famer Keni Ray and John Preston to form an impressive secondary.
Jones is the lone member of the All-Century Team to make it at two different positions, earning the nod on special teams as the punt returner.
Also on the first-team special teams unit is kickoff returner Bobby Williams, who played six years in the NFL and once led the league in return yards, school career field goal and extra point leader A.J. Haglund and season and career punt average leader Jerome Bell.
Topping the second-team offense are UCO Hall of Famers James Hooks and Billy Jones, while Hall of Fame member J.W. Lockett heads the second-team defense.
UCO ALL-CENTURY TEAM
FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
OL Rod Davis, 1980-83
OL Steve Leemhuis, 1973-76
OL John Fitzgerald, 1997-00
OL Dustin McNeil, 1994-97
OL Bill Sirkel, 1950, 53-54
TE Garry Smith, 1975-78
WR Dee Dee Carter, 2000-03
WR Daric Zeno, 1980-83
RB Joe Aska, 1993-94
RB Steve Tate, 1977-80
QB Randy Page, 1981-83
FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
DL- Dale Alexander, 1972-75
DL- Claude Davis, 1998-00
DL- Don Eldridge, 1966-69
DL- Dean Shinault, 1985-88
LB- Ed Desherow, 1982-84
LB- Johnny Luter, 1994-96, 98
LB- Keith Traylor, 1989-90
DB- Johnnie Jones, 1996-99
DB- John Preston, 1982-83
DB- Kenni Ray, 1967-70
DB- Elton Rhoades, 1990-91, 93-94
FIRST-TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
P- Jerome Bell, 1964-65
PK- A.J. Haglund, 2001-04
KR- Bobby Williams, 1962-65
PR- Johnnie Jones, 1996, 99
SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
OL- Don Freeman, 1965-68
OL- Kenneth Lindsey, 1952-54
OL- Chet Mongold, 1975-78
OL- Jerry Perry, 1956, 59-60
OL- Ron Whiteley, 1982-84
TE- Billy Jones, 1961-64
WR- Todd Barnes, 1998-99
WR- Willie Henderson, 1980-83
RB- Reggie Donner, 1997-99
RB- James Hooks, 1969-72
QB- Scott Burger, 1979-80
SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
DL- Terry Jones, 1978-79
DL- J.W. Lockett, 1957-59
DL- Ed Nowlin, 1961-62
DL- Bob Sams, 1959-61
LB- Jason Melkisetian, 1990-93
LB- Jack Ross, 1968-71
LB- Jim Stone, 1973-76
DB- Neil Galbraith, 1984-87
DB- Marlon Gay, 1972-75
DB- Mickey Hoy, 1962-64
DB- Gilbert Gonzalez, 1961-62
SECOND-TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
P- Paul Ireland, 1989-92
PK- Mark Monroe, 1983-86
KR- Alton Lusk, 1996-99
PR- Pinkey Hurley, 1987-90
