College football

Kapp's ethic lands a spot in Hall of Fame

By wire services
Published August 14, 2005

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Joe Kapp's never-say-die attitude was in the College Football Hall of Fame long before he was.

Every day fans visit the hall and watch the five-lateral kickoff return the Kapp-coached Cal team used in 1982 to beat Stanford 25-20. Kevin Moen finished "The Play" by running over a Stanford band trombonist.

"The play didn't fall out of the sky," Kapp said Saturday. "Was it an accident, good luck or coaching? It wasn't an accident."

It wasn't an accident that Kapp was enshrined Saturday in the College Football Hall of Fame, either. But he was enshrined for his playing ability, not his coaching.

Oklahoma middle guard Tony Casillas, Penn State running back Lydell Mitchell, Southern Mississippi punter Ray Guy and 16 others were enshrined along with Kapp.

Kapp said it was the lessons he learned as a player at Cal in the late 1950s that helped the Golden Bears beat Stanford 24 years later.

"I learned: "Be ready when opportunity comes. Never give up,' " he said. "My credo in the 1969 Super Bowl year for the Minnesota Vikings was "40 for 60.' Forty players for 60 minutes. That was the attitude of our Rose Bowl team."

That attitude helped the Golden Bears improve from 1-9 a season earlier to 7-4 in 1958, as Kapp threw for 775 yards and ran for 616 yards. He doesn't think of being enshrined as an honor for him but for the entire team - the last Cal squad to play in the Rose Bowl.

"Quarterbacks get too much credit," he said. "Football's a team game. So when you get the honors, I know what goes into it. This is a team honor."

Casillas said he was overwhelmed when he learned that nearly 5-million men have played college football but fewer than 1,000 have been honored by the hall.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The Gamecocks have a lot of work to do before they are ready for their Sept. 1 opener against Central Florida, coach Steve Spurrier said after the team's first scrimmage of the fall. Some players were missing assignments and others didn't look like they wanted to compete, he said.

"I guess when you compare it to our first scrimmage in March we looked much improved, but other than that, we have a long way to go," the coach said.

Spurrier liked his quarterbacks. Starter Blake Mitchell was 12-for-17 for 114 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and freshman backup Antonio Heffner threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

But the coach wasn't pleased with too much else on the offense, saying the line looked slow and the tight ends needed to practice catching the ball.

PENN STATE: Coach Joe Paterno said he will defer to the university on how to respond to a court ruling that would make his salary public record.

"Whatever the university wants to do is fine. If you want to release it, release it," Paterno said.

A Commonwealth Court panel ruled 3-2 on Friday that the State Employees' Retirement System correctly decided last year that a reporter could see salary information for Paterno and other university officials. Jan Murphy of the Patriot-News of Harrisburg had asked for documents that reflect years of service, salary and salary history for Paterno, Penn State's coach since 1966.

The school has said that it will appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

Spokesman Tysen Kendig said Friday that none of Paterno's salary is funded by taxpayer dollars.

KENTUCKY: Running back Tony Dixon, who started six games last season as a true freshman, will miss this season after sustaining a severe ankle injury, coach Rich Brooks said.

PLAYERS: Bob Anderson, Army, 1957-59, halfback; Tony Casillas, Oklahoma, 1982-85, middle guard; Frank Emanuel, Tennessee, 1963-65, linebacker; Ray Guy, Southern Miss, 1970-72, punter/safety; Wayne Harris, Arkansas, 1958-60, center; Joe Kapp, Cal, 1956-58, quarterback; James Mandich, Michigan, 1967-69, tight end; Lydell Mitchell, Penn St., 1969-71, running back; Tracy Rocker, Auburn, 1985-88, defensive tackle; Jack Tatum, Ohio State, 1968-70, safety; Andre Ware, Houston, 1987-89, quarterback; Charles Young, Southern Cal, 1970-72, tight end; Mike Barber, Marshall, receiver, 1985-88; Kirk Baumgartner, Wis.-Stevens Point, quarterback, 1986-89; Leo Lewis, Lincoln (Mo.), halfback, 1951-54; Willie Totten, Miss. Valley St., quarterback, 1982-85.

COACHES: LaVell Edwards, BYU (1972-2000); George Welsh, Navy (1973-81), Virginia (1982-2000); Roger Harring, Wis.-La Crosse (1969-99); Frosty Westering, Parsons (1962-63), Albert Lea (1966-71), Pacific Lutheran (1972-2003).

[Last modified August 14, 2005, 00:54:16]