Comments on: Why Erk should be in the Hall of Fame

By: Thinking big can be small-minded « The Sports Arsenal

Thinking big can be small-minded « The Sports Arsenal — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:55:41 +0000

[...] the job, as this 1981 article from Sports Illustrated suggests. Tony Barnhart put it best when he wrote that “with the possible exception of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant in Tuscaloosa, no college [...]

By: How We’re Going to Get Erk Russell in the College Football Hall of Fame | MrSEC.com

Fri, 22 May 2009 17:20:58 +0000

[...] isn’t even an example of Kyle getting contrary, because we’re all in agreement. Tony Barnhart agrees, C&F agrees, and vineyarddawg agrees that Erk Russell belongs in the College Football Hall of [...]

By: Craig Taylor

Craig Taylor — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:32:27 +0000

Tony,

Great article! As one of the “greatest collection of non-athletes ever to step on a football field” 28 years ago at Georgia Southern College, I could not agree with you more.

Does the NFL Hall of Fame have similar requirements? If so, Jim Brown and Gale Sayers wouldn’t be members. Surely, there has to be a waiver policy or a procedure for amending the rules.

With regard to Atlanta Gator’s comments, during Coach Russell’s tenure as Head Football Coach at Georgia Southern College, enrollment more than doubled from around 5,000 to more than 10,000. Georgia Southern gained university status, and now enrollment exceeds that of Georgia Tech. Draw your own conclusion, but even former GSC President Dale Lick attributed these gains to Erk’s Eagles.

Thanks for remembering where you started. Keep up the good work!

By: Coach

Coach — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:40:39 +0000

Tony. I am also a football coach and I was fortunate to have known Coach Russell. The man impacted my life greatly. He was one of a kind and when God made him he broke the mold. Thank you for the story

By: Will

Will — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:41:02 +0000

Great article Tony! I completely agree with you that Erk should be in the Hall of Fame. He made Georgia Southern and Statesboro what it is today. As a current Delt at Southern I wish I would have had the oppurtunity to meet you this past weekend. Glad you had a great time at the Alumni weekend though!

By: Joe Quenga

Joe Quenga — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:39:53 +0000

GREAT article brother! My sisters, mother, and myself have all attended Georgia Southern either for our bachelors or masters. I can tell you Erk has touched each and everyone of us during our time at Georgia Southern. What is interesting Erk never coached the program during our time at Southern as students. Erk even touches the ROTC program at Southern and our fraternity. One of the best quotes I can take away from Erk that I hope to live by is “DO RIGHT!”

Awesome article Tony!

By: BKing

BKing — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:29:55 +0000

Tony,

I am a current student at GSU and I am also one of your brothers. First I would like to thank you for coming back for our 40th year at GSU. As a current student, I was at the football game after Erk passed. I along with the young community who had not witnesses more than the legacy of Erk could feel his overwhelming pressence and we continue to honor his name. Thanks for remembering and belong the community remember a great man. Maybe we can persuade you to join us at future GSU football games.

Thanks,

Benjamin King

By: Murph

Murph — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:57:19 +0000

Thanks for the article – Erk left a great legacy and inspired a lot of runts to try harder and do right. One of them is his grandson, Coach Rooster Russell. GATA !!!

By: egeagle

egeagle — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:04:51 +0000

Lots of warped memories for us all.
My first college game was the Ga-Fla game. There’s nothing like it and it needs to stay there. And that’s with Ga being my second favorite behind the Eagles.
GSC/U smashed Marshall in the playoffs one year. I believe their coach was George Chaump. We beat Donnan and Marshall in 90 or 91 under Stowers, and then MU got really good.
I was the first Gus, hence my handle. I even walked behind Coach on that first coach’s show on WJCL back in ‘82.
A note on the Hugo Bowl. Erk said that the team owed us 16000 their maximum effort if we braved a hurricane to see them play. And at that time, MTSU was our biggest rival.
One reason Erk didn’t take the UGA job when Dooley retired was his age. He says in his own book that had he been ten years younger, he’d have taken the job.

By: JumpiNEagles

JumpiNEagles — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:54:57 +0000

Coach Russell was the best, he definitely deserves to be in the HOF. A better person than a coach & that is daying a lot.