There’s been more than a few recent posts about the upcoming potential College Football Hall of Fame nominees, including two Dawgs making it on the 2025 ballot:
Along with that chatter of the recent nominees, I’ve likewise seen more than a few posts about the continued exclusion of Erk Russell.
In case you’re wondering why, there’s a certain catch to it that is leading to this unnecessary exclusion:
Russell was a head coach for a total of eight years at Georgia Southern. The National Football Foundation’s criteria requires a minimum of 10 years in a head coach’s career, regardless of total years coaching as an assistant or other responsibilities, to be eligible for the hall.
While having a standard and criteria is one thing, consider this:
Notable coaches on the ballot include former Toledo, Michigan State, LSU, and Alabama head coach Nick Saban and former Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer. This will be the first time Saban and Meyer have been included on the ballot.
Anyone else watch Swamp Kings? Aside from that, Meyer accumulated three national championships over a span of 16 seasons as a head coach, to Russell’s three national championships in half the time as Meyer, including one national championship as the DC at Georgia in 17 seasons.
I dare you to find a person who has a negative thing to say about Erk, while there’s a whole documentary about the lack of ethical or humane approaches to raising a squad of young men to compete at a high level. If you ever ran into him, which I had the pleasure of doing several times, Coach Russell remained a consummate and passionate advocate of both the Bulldog and Eagles programs. His genuine love for both programs and Universities was unfiltered and sincere; by contrast, Meyer likely sees both tOSU and UF as stepping stones for his legacy.
Come to think of it, forget the title of this post. No one has to defend a legend. Erk holds a distinction in a place where it matters most: as a champion of the athletes, coaches, and fans of the programs he loved the most.
When you can’t think of your favorite team without thinking about a legendary coach at the same time, that’s the rub. Everything else is inconsequential.
GATA.
If Erk ain’t in it, it’s not a true College Football Hall Of Fame. Bullshit rules. 🤬
The mere mention of Erk Russell and fucking dick wad corch in the same sentence takes a good conversation and makes trash of it. Erk Russell is a stand alone individual with a great appreciation for life, victory seegars and southern women, Coach Russell is in the Hall of Fame, there exists a bunch who don’t fucking know it….GO DAWGS!!
Erk is the absolute best thing to ever come out of Lee County, Alabama. The next best thing is I-85.
Hey, I resemble that remark.
I couldn’t care less about their validation. Failed and fired Jim Donnan got in 15 years ago and Erk isn’t? The one thing Michael Adams did as president that we all agree on was firing that guy and going in a new direction was a great idea. What else need be said to illustrate the complete irrelevance of the place?
Mandel’s mailbag yesterday addressed this and also mentioned that neither Mike Leach nor Pete Carroll could be in the hof because of their rules. One commenter suggested a veterans committee that has the ability to look at cases such as this and overrule the baseline criteria. Evidently the Baseball HOF has such a committee and process. Certainly makes sense to me.
Why not form The Fan’s College Football Hall of Fame? I’m sure Erk would rather be recognized by the fans than his own peers. Coaches with ten or more years need not apply, only those that have been ignored for various reasons. Who can make this happen.
The University of Georgia > CFB Hall of Fame. The fact they ain’t honored him is shameful. How in the blue heyell can we expect him to be honored up the road if UGA ain’t done it? Congratulations University of Georgia, y’all trail Georgia Southern in honoring the man.
Additionally, it’s the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Dudes That Hung Around Ten Years, but when you get cowards that need rules to make a decision expect garbage administrative definitions of “Fame.” FTMF to all bum arse, fake Hall of Fames – they’re just glorified roadside flea markets that charge admission, but hey, the fans like it, so… I’d rather see Erk in Tinkertown, New Mejico than some made up, corporate Hall of Fame.
Other than that, the CFB Hall of Fame can go suck their Mama’s dick.
P.S. so can beisbol for omitting Dale Murphy and Buck Martinez
And Pete Rose.
Let’s not forget that in addition to winning those Nattys at Georgia Southern, he literally built the football program from scratch. They were winning those titles within the first 5 years after not even having a football program at all. I bet there are few, if any coaches who could accomplish that feat. It’s a travesty that he’s not in the College Football hall of fame.
Personally, any organization that considers Urban Meyer for inclusion doesn’t deserve to have Erk among its members.
And yes, how in the world has UGA not honored Erk yet?
Monte Cater is in.
Lobby the Governor to issue an executive order to at least allow entrance into the Georgia Hall of Fame. I believe he could make it happen.
I’ve spoken on the before, so I won’t repeat it but as one of our departed posters would have said FTMF.
69 Dawg – I can hear Ranger Russ yelling FTMFs as I read your comments. Can’t say it enough RIP to a DGD.
Erik is a legend. Letterman’s Association needs to crank up the noise on getting him in the Ga HOF. Hell, I think the closed in east end of the stadium (Train Track end) should be named in his honor.
GATA
Just thinking about how much Erk loved the Train Track fans makes me want to bleed more Red and Black!!!! I might not get my four hours of sleep in after lunch at the office now!!!