Gobbler Fan
11-19-2010, 08:10 AM
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2010/nov/17/mf_onsports_111810_118896/?sports&local-sports
Alois Blackwell didn't remember meeting Bill Parcells, but the former Dallas Cowboys coach remembered him.
"Cuero Gobblers," Parcells said when Blackwell walked into the coach's office at Valley Ranch with former Cowboys running back Robert Newhouse.
Blackwell had forgotten Parcells was an assistant at Texas Tech when he was playing high school football at Cuero and the Red Raiders were recruiting him.
"I was going to go to Texas Tech right up until the end," Blackwell said. "I wanted to go to Houston, but my mom didn't want me to go to Houston because she thought it was too big of a city. What happened is I changed my mind at the end."
Even Doris Blackwell would agree her son made the right decision.
Blackwell had an outstanding career at Houston before going on to play for the Cowboys.
Blackwell's ties with his alma mater run deep and they were further enforced with his recent induction into the school's athletics Hall of Honor.
Blackwell was one of nine inductees that included Bay City graduate Chandi Jones.
"It was a very nice honor," said Blackwell, who went to work for the Houston alumni association as its director of corporate partnerships in July. "It was something that was unexpected when I was called."
Football was Blackwell's ticket to college, but it might not have happened if Buster Gilbreth hadn't become the head coach at Cuero.
"He was a great person to play for," Blackwell said. "If he hadn't been coaching, I don't know if I would have played in high school. I first met him when he came over to the junior high school. He told us give me a chance and you can win. That's all he asked."
Blackwell's decision to attend Houston was influenced in a large part by a challenge issued by assistant coach Carroll Schultz, who was recruiting him at Cuero.
"He said if you come to Houston, you'll have the opportunity to make history," Blackwell said. "I could be on the first team to play in the Southwest Conference. Our goal was to win the Southwest Conference in our first year and win the Cotton Bowl."
Blackwell admits it took a while for him to master coach Bill Yeoman's veer offense. But he became Houston's No. 1 running back in his redshirt sophomore year.
"The thing about coach Yeoman is you knew what he wanted," Blackwell said. "You just went to work."
Blackwell rushed for 934 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, and had three consecutive 100-yard games to help the Cougars win the Southwest Conference title in their first season and earn a berth in the 1977 Cotton Bowl game against an undefeated Maryland team.
"I remember I left Cuero and went to Dallas and the temperature was in the 70s," Blackwell said. "I got a wake-up call on the day of the game and it said, 'Good morning, it's 19 degrees.' I only had one prayer and that was not to let my feet get cold."
Blackwell kept his feet warm by rushing 22 times for 149 yards and two touchdowns and was named the offensive MVP in Houston's 30-21 win.
Blackwell ended his college career by rushing for 2,467 yards, which still ranks sixth all-time in the Houston record book.
He also ranks sixth in career rushing touchdowns (21) and eighth in average yards (5.8) per rush.
"The thing I remember about college football is I never ate before a game," Blackwell said. "I wasn't nervous or anything, I just never felt like eating. All the guys who weren't playing always wanted my food."
Blackwell earned his degree in hotel and restaurant management from Houston.
His career took a different path after he became a fourth-round draft pick of the Cowboys in 1978 and played for two seasons.
Blackwell returned to Houston and served as an academic counselor and assistant athletic director before becoming the athletic director at Texas Southern University for 7 1/2 years.
"It's something I wanted to do," Blackwell said. "I learned a lot from it. I enjoyed the experience. It was kind of like playing football. There's a lot of action in it."
Blackwell is happy to be back at Houston and is proud of what he accomplished.
"I just always wanted to make my parents and sisters proud of me," Blackwell said. "I just wanted to be a good big brother and do the right things. I just always wanted to go to college."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361- 580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Alois Blackwell didn't remember meeting Bill Parcells, but the former Dallas Cowboys coach remembered him.
"Cuero Gobblers," Parcells said when Blackwell walked into the coach's office at Valley Ranch with former Cowboys running back Robert Newhouse.
Blackwell had forgotten Parcells was an assistant at Texas Tech when he was playing high school football at Cuero and the Red Raiders were recruiting him.
"I was going to go to Texas Tech right up until the end," Blackwell said. "I wanted to go to Houston, but my mom didn't want me to go to Houston because she thought it was too big of a city. What happened is I changed my mind at the end."
Even Doris Blackwell would agree her son made the right decision.
Blackwell had an outstanding career at Houston before going on to play for the Cowboys.
Blackwell's ties with his alma mater run deep and they were further enforced with his recent induction into the school's athletics Hall of Honor.
Blackwell was one of nine inductees that included Bay City graduate Chandi Jones.
"It was a very nice honor," said Blackwell, who went to work for the Houston alumni association as its director of corporate partnerships in July. "It was something that was unexpected when I was called."
Football was Blackwell's ticket to college, but it might not have happened if Buster Gilbreth hadn't become the head coach at Cuero.
"He was a great person to play for," Blackwell said. "If he hadn't been coaching, I don't know if I would have played in high school. I first met him when he came over to the junior high school. He told us give me a chance and you can win. That's all he asked."
Blackwell's decision to attend Houston was influenced in a large part by a challenge issued by assistant coach Carroll Schultz, who was recruiting him at Cuero.
"He said if you come to Houston, you'll have the opportunity to make history," Blackwell said. "I could be on the first team to play in the Southwest Conference. Our goal was to win the Southwest Conference in our first year and win the Cotton Bowl."
Blackwell admits it took a while for him to master coach Bill Yeoman's veer offense. But he became Houston's No. 1 running back in his redshirt sophomore year.
"The thing about coach Yeoman is you knew what he wanted," Blackwell said. "You just went to work."
Blackwell rushed for 934 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, and had three consecutive 100-yard games to help the Cougars win the Southwest Conference title in their first season and earn a berth in the 1977 Cotton Bowl game against an undefeated Maryland team.
"I remember I left Cuero and went to Dallas and the temperature was in the 70s," Blackwell said. "I got a wake-up call on the day of the game and it said, 'Good morning, it's 19 degrees.' I only had one prayer and that was not to let my feet get cold."
Blackwell kept his feet warm by rushing 22 times for 149 yards and two touchdowns and was named the offensive MVP in Houston's 30-21 win.
Blackwell ended his college career by rushing for 2,467 yards, which still ranks sixth all-time in the Houston record book.
He also ranks sixth in career rushing touchdowns (21) and eighth in average yards (5.8) per rush.
"The thing I remember about college football is I never ate before a game," Blackwell said. "I wasn't nervous or anything, I just never felt like eating. All the guys who weren't playing always wanted my food."
Blackwell earned his degree in hotel and restaurant management from Houston.
His career took a different path after he became a fourth-round draft pick of the Cowboys in 1978 and played for two seasons.
Blackwell returned to Houston and served as an academic counselor and assistant athletic director before becoming the athletic director at Texas Southern University for 7 1/2 years.
"It's something I wanted to do," Blackwell said. "I learned a lot from it. I enjoyed the experience. It was kind of like playing football. There's a lot of action in it."
Blackwell is happy to be back at Houston and is proud of what he accomplished.
"I just always wanted to make my parents and sisters proud of me," Blackwell said. "I just wanted to be a good big brother and do the right things. I just always wanted to go to college."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361- 580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.