Memphis coach Tommy West has a tiny bit of history with football in the Tampa area -- he was part of the Bucs' original draft class in 1976, taken in the 16th, or next to last, round. His stay with the Bucs wasn't a long one, as he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs shortly after joining the team.
"I was here for like three or four weeks and then they traded me to Kansas City," West said. "Thank goodness. At that time, it was a good thing if you got out. That would have been like escaping prison at that time. Expansion team, and then you didn't have all the rules to make you equal. It was a pretty bad team."
West played tight end at Tennessee but was drafted as a linebacker, and said he was shipped to Kansas City the day after he went to coaches and said he preferred to play tight end. He remembers practicing with Lee Roy Selmon and Steve Spurrier, but said he doesn't consider himself part of the '76 Bucs' infamous 0-14 season.
"I had nothing to do with that 0-14," he said. "I get blamed for enough dang losses as it is. They blame me at my place for plenty, so I'm taking no credit for any of those."
TIT FOR TAT: USF has lost starting guard Matt Huners to academic ineligibility, but Memphis will go without a starter as well. Brett Russell, a senior tight end who has started all 12 games for the TIgers, is also ineligible, and Memphis will go with sophomore Deven Onarheim in his place.
Russell, 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, has 12 catches for 73 yards and no touchdowns. Onarheim is bigger at 6-7, 255 pounds and has two starts this season; he has three catches for 19 yards.
Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
That's a shame about Huners, real shame. I guess he's the only one, though?
Posted by: Ken | December 18, 2008 at 08:29 PM