Latest / The Auburn Undercover Podcast / Randy Campbell on Auburn, Rivalries, and Respect | Terry Bowden Show

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Randy Campbell on Auburn, Rivalries, and Respect | Terry Bowden Show · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

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>> Welcome to Auburn Undercover.
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Welcome in again everybody to the Terry
0:53
Bowen Show on the Auburn Undercover
0:54
podcast. I'm your co-host Ronnie Sanders
0:57
and we're joined today as always by
0:58
former Auburn coach Terry Bowen and
1:01
today we've got a special guest uh Randy
1:04
Campbell who was a quarterback on the
1:05
1983 SEC and national championship team
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who played for Pat Dy. Good to be with
1:10
you guys today.
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>> Great to be here.
1:13
>> Thank you. Thank you Ronnie War Eagle
1:15
and uh again I want to thank Tom Tom
1:17
Haley again who was the Haley family
1:19
foundation sponsors our podcast. You may
1:21
know Tom uh or remember Tom, not sure if
1:24
you do, Randy. He's a an Auburn man who
1:27
uh his dad Lee Haley was an ad back with
1:29
with uh Jordan.
1:33
>> Tom built my house when I coached at
1:35
Auburn in ' 92. I know Tom really well.
1:38
>> Hey, he built my he built my house the
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next year. So, I know Tom.
1:42
>> I know where yours was. Yeah.
1:43
>> Yep. Family foundation. But thank you so
1:45
much being on here. We decided that it
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would be it would be fun to do. we've
1:49
kind of put it off till after the
1:51
championship game to talk about Auburn's
1:53
championship teams and and I thought it
1:55
was so uh great for the players that I
1:58
think although we back we we we came
2:00
around when they they weren't splitting
2:02
up the championship like they were in 90
2:04
91 92 they were all split championships
2:08
uh and yet uh you had one of the great
2:10
teams at Auburn that you were a part of
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as a quarterback and uh and uh and then
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we came back I think Auburn came back
2:17
and recognized uh the teams that had
2:20
received championship designation from
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other teams because that's pretty much
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what they did up until uh 93 or 94 I
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believe when they started mixing them
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together. But uh uh great uh um uh great
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to have you on our show and great to be
2:36
with us. Now what are you doing now uh
2:38
Randy?
2:39
>> Uh Terry, I've been a financial advisor
2:41
since uh 1993 and so about 33 years. uh
2:46
spent almost all of that time in
2:48
Birmingham, Alabama, and I'm still
2:51
working. I've got an office in
2:52
Birmingham and got um one partner and
2:56
two employees and u our office is right
3:00
there on 280 at Grand View, but I live
3:02
at Lake Ooney in Georgia and I've been
3:04
over here about three years. So, I work
3:06
a lot out of my home and and I do
3:08
commute to Birmingham probably once a
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month uh on an average. And thankfully
3:13
I've got a condo in Auburn so I can I
3:15
can go to Auburn and spend the night and
3:17
hang out and then go to Birmingham and
3:18
kind of make cut the trip in half so I
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don't go to Atlanta.
3:22
>> Well, you know, we just we just moved my
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mother to assisted living in Auburn. And
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uh my sister my sister Robin and Jack
3:28
Hines who was on my staff, they live
3:30
there. So we getting back we get back
3:32
there quite a bit now as well. But I
3:35
have to start just being from Alabama
3:38
and having coached at North Alabama and
3:40
myself and at Sanford and at Auburn.
3:41
I've been to every school. You played at
3:43
Hartsville. O Morgan County or
3:44
Hartsville High School. That's Alabama
3:47
territory. How did you get to Auburn?
3:50
>> I know the recruiting area. Well, I tell
3:52
you what happened was uh the University
3:55
of Alabama didn't accept your philosophy
3:58
and I was 5'11 and a half and so no uh
4:02
actually Auburn uh Dave Beck recruited
4:05
North Alabama and um Auburn was the
4:08
first school to invite me to campus. Uh
4:11
they were the first school to uh offer
4:13
me a scholarship and I I think I got uh
4:17
I was offered by Auburn, Tennessee, Old
4:21
Miss, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt
4:23
in the SEC. And then um Richard
4:26
Williamson was at uh Memphis. And you
4:30
probably don't know this, but M. Brown
4:32
and Watson Brown played for the same
4:35
high school coach that I had, but they
4:37
were in Cookville, Tennessee. and then
4:40
been the coach Bucky Pitts uh moved to
4:42
Alabama and so Watson and Mack both
4:46
would recruit our high school every year
4:48
no matter where they were and M just
4:49
happened to be the running back coach
4:51
but he recruited me at Memphis and I
4:53
really loved all their coaching staff.
4:54
Richard Williamson was the head coach. I
4:56
wanted to be in the SEC and Auburn just
4:59
seemed to be a great fit for me. But
5:01
you're right, we we actually I mean our
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high school football team could run on
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the field with Alabama and you wouldn't
5:06
know the difference. We had Crimson
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jerseys and if they changed their socks
5:10
from white to a red stripe, we did the
5:11
same thing. Our coaches were big Alabama
5:14
fans.
5:15
>> Oh, I know. Is we both have worked at
5:17
North Alabama for a while and we weren't
5:19
too far from Hartzell uh during during
5:21
th those years, but but those were the
5:24
years of of the Wishbone and and Auburn
5:26
was running the Wishbone. Uh it brought
5:29
back memories to watch a little bit of
5:30
the 83 season again. Uh although the
5:33
wishbone had been around for a good 10
5:35
years or 15 years, it was still the
5:37
predominant uh offense that was run.
5:41
Now, did you run that in high school?
5:42
Cuz you ran that while you were at
5:44
Auburn.
5:44
>> No, we actually ran the split back ver.
5:47
So, I did run the triple option just out
5:49
of a different formation, but but when I
5:51
signed with Auburn with coach Barfield,
5:53
you know, they were an I formation team
5:55
and they ran some triple option, but you
5:57
know, they had William Andrews, Joe
5:59
Cribs, James Brooks, all those guys
6:01
already there. So, uh, but, uh, Charlie
6:04
Trotman actually would have been a great
6:05
wishbone for if they had done that. But,
6:08
>> you know, Alabama was running it. Steman
6:10
Sheileely was their their guy. And then
6:12
later on, Walter Lewis, he and I ended
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up being seniors the same year.
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>> Oh, yes.
6:16
>> And Mississippi State ran it back then
6:18
with John Bond. And, uh, I think
6:20
Oklahoma did and probably some of the
6:22
servicemies still ran it.
6:24
>> Yeah. It was a it it was still going
6:27
strong at that time with so many many
6:29
many people. But the but the 83 season
6:32
and I I want to go back because again
6:34
you were the captain of the 82 and the
6:36
83 teams. The 83 team for sure, but you
6:39
were the quarterback of the 82 and the
6:40
83 teams. Uh and and and as I look back
6:44
and and think back those years, it was
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almost I don't know. It kind of began
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with the win the big win over Alabama in
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82. It seems like when y'all won that
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game, went on to win the Tangerine Bowl,
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it kind of mentally got y'all ready for
6:56
the upcoming season.
6:57
>> It it really did. And you know, I was
6:59
thinking about that today and
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>> I mean, Terry, we were so close to being
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really good. We were really good in 82.
7:08
>> You know, we lost to Florida 19-7 in
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Gainesville and we were winning the game
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1713 with about two minutes to go. They
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kicked a field goal onside kicked it,
7:19
got it, threw two passes, and kicked a
7:21
field goal with 20 seconds left to beat
7:23
us. And the we were we were nine and
7:26
three. The other two losses we had, we
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got beat by Nebraska, bad, but and they
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were ranked one or two in the nation. We
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got beat by Georgia and they were one or
7:36
two in the nation. They were undefeated.
7:38
It was Hersel's last year
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>> and we had we were um we were winning
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the game 14 to 12 in the fourth quarter
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and Hersel ran a long touchdown like 57
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yards. But when the game was over, we
7:50
had the ball inside their 10 yard line
7:52
and couldn't score. But that's how I
7:54
mean we only got beat bad by one team
7:56
and the other two were you know a
7:58
five-point loss to a top five team and a
8:00
two-point loss to Florida in Gaines. So
8:03
we were we were really good in 82 but
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you're right that Alabama win and then
8:10
the win against Boston College in the
8:12
Tangerine Bowl really gave us that extra
8:14
bit of confidence going into the 83
8:16
season. We had a great we had a great
8:18
senior class in 82. a lot of uh
8:20
leadership,
8:21
>> right?
8:22
>> And we also had a great, you know, class
8:24
in ' 83. A lot of leadership. And
8:26
interestingly, all of all of us were
8:28
recruited co by coach Barfield, but we
8:30
all thrived under coach Dye.
8:33
>> Well, sometimes a little different
8:34
style, a little bit different. A lot of
8:36
story a lot of people don't know. When
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coach Dy came in, they had offered my
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father the football job, but he had just
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gone he had just been undefeated 79 and
8:44
80 at Florida State and he just felt
8:47
like that was he had a chance to build a
8:49
program there. But he said, "Go get that
8:50
guy, that die guy from Alabama. He'll
8:53
know how to beat Alabama. Go get
8:54
somebody that knows how to beat
8:56
Alabama." And sure enough, they found a
8:58
guy that knew how. And I always thought
9:00
that was important that coach D although
9:02
he played at Georgia, he understood the
9:05
insides of Alabama, how they thought,
9:07
how they recruited, how they did, and he
9:09
knew what he had to do in his building
9:12
his team and building an SEC tough team.
9:15
Uh, and recruiting that you had to do to
9:17
beat Alabama.
9:18
>> He did. He He really did. He uh and he
9:21
found out that first winter and spring
9:23
who wanted to be a part of that.
9:26
>> My bad. There were 30 or 40 people that
9:29
decided no.
9:30
>> Well, you know, it's funny you say that
9:32
because uh when I got there as a head
9:34
coach, I still had Wayne Hall who played
9:35
for coach uh uh Bryant but coached with
9:38
coach D. Rodney Garner who played for
9:40
coach D. And in our first spring and I
9:43
watched my first practice, I about had
9:46
to close my eyes. I said, "Guy," because
9:47
I had come from Sanford, you know, I'd
9:49
been I had been around I had been around
9:51
division one football, but I had been at
9:52
Sanford six years and I said, "Dang,
9:55
it's I forgot how tough it is. I didn't
9:57
think our guys would stay out there." We
9:59
had enough of the old school people like
10:01
you did
10:02
>> uh that there was a way that football
10:04
was I'm not sure we'd all be in jail
10:06
today if we coached like we did back
10:08
then.
10:09
>> Yeah. Well, I I've got to tell you a
10:10
quick story. You know, I don't know if
10:12
you remember this, but I was on the 92
10:13
staff at Auburn.
10:15
>> Yeah. Oh, Jimbo. Jimbo Fisher took place
10:18
coaching.
10:18
>> I had to bring him. Had to bring him.
10:20
>> Oh, I know you did. I know you did. And
10:22
um but uh after you got there, I mean,
10:25
like this was in January,
10:28
>> right?
10:28
>> And so me and my wife and our nose guard
10:33
that played back then, D Alman, and his
10:35
wife Brenda.
10:36
>> I know. D I know him. Yeah.
10:38
>> And Tom Haley.
10:39
>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. and and his wife at the
10:41
time, the six of us decided, let's go to
10:43
the supper club one more time before we
10:46
all get out of town, you know. So, we
10:48
went in there early, like nine o'clock.
10:50
So, there's nobody in there. We're just
10:51
going to have a couple of beers.
10:53
>> Yeah.
10:53
>> When we were in there, we started
10:55
talking about what would happen the next
10:57
year in 93, your first year.
10:59
>> Yeah. And you know, and Tom will get mad
11:02
for me saying this since y'all are good
11:03
friends now, but he, you know, he said
11:05
something like, you know, five and six
11:07
and D said like five and six. And I told
11:10
him, I said, nine and two. And they
11:12
looked at me and they said, nine and
11:14
two? Are you crazy? I said, look guys, I
11:16
said we were five and one and we should
11:18
have been nine and two. There's a lot of
11:20
really good football players on this.
11:22
>> There were there were.
11:23
>> Yeah. Y'all did y'all did a great job. I
11:26
loved I loved seeing Stan White have a
11:28
great senior year
11:30
>> and also I also I just loved you know
11:33
the the offense that y'all ran and
11:36
keeping people off balance with
11:38
misdirection all the bootlegs and things
11:40
like that. I just I loved watching it.
11:42
It was it was fantastic. Y'all did such
11:44
a great job.
11:45
>> Well, you know the and it's a little bit
11:47
like the wishbone and you and let me say
11:48
this. You mentioned the split back beer.
11:51
My dad went down when he was the head
11:52
coach at West Virginia went down to
11:54
Houston, visited with a guy named Bill
11:55
Yman's and and and put it in put in the
11:58
split back beer. So that's all I ever
12:00
ran in college. Uh and what what my
12:02
father ran the first year at Florida
12:04
State was the split back beer, which a
12:06
lot of people don't realize that's a a
12:07
right halfback and a left halfback, but
12:09
it's the exact but it's a triple option
12:11
without a lead blocker. It's a triple
12:12
option just like the uh the uh the
12:15
wishbone, but it just comes out of a
12:17
different formation. But it was also
12:19
very big. And my brother Tommy was on
12:21
that staff with Barfield as well. I'm
12:23
pretty sure he co he he coached running
12:25
backs on that group. Uh and uh uh and he
12:28
was there with that group now. And
12:30
you're right, what what outstanding
12:31
athletes. But but I want to go back and
12:33
just let me go back because again uh
12:36
because I've got to ask you, you ended
12:37
up being you beating Alabama 23 to 20 in
12:40
in 11 SEC champions first time since
12:43
1957, Sugar Bowl champions against
12:46
Michigan.
12:48
uh ended up being number three in AP in
12:50
the UPI, but you were named national
12:52
champion by Billingsley, New York Times,
12:54
and others.
12:55
>> Yep.
12:56
>> And yet, like my 93 team, nationally
12:59
didn't get recognized as the champion.
13:02
I thought it was so good for the players
13:04
that that your team and our team at
13:06
least by Auburn were recognized as
13:09
national champions. And Alabama has
13:11
about six or seven of those bad boys
13:13
that I don't know who the name of that
13:14
company is that named them, but so it
13:17
really was no different than it had been
13:19
done for a long time, but that I look at
13:21
the teams you beat uh and and I'm going
13:23
to say this as as you finished up uh and
13:25
went to play Michigan, a lot of people
13:27
wonder why you didn't go play Nebraska
13:29
in the sugar in the Orange Bowl. They
13:31
were number one, Miami was number five,
13:34
and y'all were number three. back then
13:37
the conferences were tied to bowl games.
13:39
>> That's right.
13:40
>> And and and Auburn uh had to go to the
13:43
Sugar Bowl because that's where the SEC
13:44
went and uh or I know Auburn would have
13:47
played Nebraska would have been happy to
13:49
have played Nebraska under that
13:50
circumstances. But did you think when
13:52
you won that game and Nebraska got beat
13:55
that uh that y'all were deserving or
13:57
that there how did that evening go in
13:59
that next day? Must have been a
14:00
difficult devastation.
14:02
>> When the game was when our game was over
14:04
and we heard we already knew Texas lost
14:06
to Georgia and they were number two, so
14:08
they were out,
14:08
>> right?
14:09
>> I mean, when we heard Miami upset uh
14:12
Nebraska, I mean, we partied on Bourbon
14:14
Street knowing that we were the national
14:16
champions. Yeah.
14:17
>> There was no question about it because
14:19
and now we didn't really know this at
14:21
the time, but we had just played the
14:24
fifth hardest schedule ever played in
14:26
college football. That's right.
14:26
>> In the history of college football at
14:28
the time. Now, since then, the SEC's
14:31
gotten so good that a lot of SEC teams
14:34
or a lot Auburn teams have probably had
14:35
harder schedules because Alabama and
14:36
Georgia have been so good for the last
14:39
15 years. But, but you know, we beat all
14:42
these teams ranked in the top 10 and all
14:44
these bowl teams. And back then there
14:46
were only like 16 bowl games,
14:48
>> right? And I mean we had we had three
14:51
common opponents with Miami and one of
14:53
them was Florida who we beat 28-21 and
14:56
they lost to Florida 24-3.
14:58
And u you know this is not great to say
15:02
but I I got an award by the uh uh Monday
15:06
morning the Birmingham Monday morning
15:08
quarterback club and I went there to
15:11
receive the award and the and this was
15:13
like in January or February after that
15:16
season and the guest speaker or the
15:18
keynote speaker was Howard
15:20
Schnellenberger and I had to sit there
15:22
and listen to him tell all these people
15:25
from Alabama how great their team was
15:27
and how They, you know, they they beat
15:30
uh, you know, they beat Purdue and they
15:32
beat, you know, Virginia Tech and they
15:34
beat Mississippi State and and I'm
15:36
sitting there about to throw up because
15:37
they were
15:39
It was awful.
15:41
>> They didn't know.
15:42
>> I'm very glad I'm very glad that Auburn
15:44
has has uh has done this. I appreciate
15:47
it very much for all of our, you know,
15:49
all my teammates. I mean, we're very
15:51
grateful for it.
15:53
>> For that for a long time, Randy, and I
15:55
am, too. It's it's uh it's about time.
15:57
It's been a while. It's been
15:58
>> Well, and yeah, I mean, I think about
16:00
and look at that team and again I I
16:02
think I want to reiterate toughest
16:04
schedule in FBS. Nine bowl teams beaten,
16:07
eight top 20 teams, five top 10 teams.
16:11
It wasn't even close when it came to who
16:13
you played. I I sometime I think that
16:15
was the Miami Nebraska game where where
16:17
Osborne went for two.
16:18
>> It is. And so it caught a lot of
16:21
attention, but it still was one that uh
16:24
I mean Miami I mean be only one because
16:26
the coach went didn't I mean Nebraska
16:28
probably felt like if they would have
16:29
gotten a tie maybe they win the
16:31
championship with a tie. I don't know.
16:32
>> They should they would they would have
16:34
been 110 and one and they still I have
16:37
no idea. I don't know why he did that.
16:39
If they wins the whole thing
16:42
>> yeah that a lot a lot of us don't don't
16:44
know that why. But let's go back to that
16:45
season because I don't want to talk
16:46
about the opening win over Southern
16:48
Miss. I think you got I mean it's funny
16:50
I opened with uh I always opened with
16:52
Old Miss and I'd always have Southern
16:53
Miss on my schedule but but I always
16:55
felt that a that most championship years
16:58
you don't get to go undefeated. You lose
17:01
a game.
17:01
>> Yeah.
17:02
>> And so your whole success depends on how
17:03
you respond to a loss
17:05
>> and y'all had a loss in your second game
17:07
that you had to respond to. Uh, and how
17:10
did that go through your head and how
17:12
did that hand you lost to Texas in is it
17:14
game number two 20-7 and that's kind of
17:16
one of those points where a team can go
17:18
either way when that happens.
17:19
>> Yeah, it it does and I mean it very it
17:22
could have. We had a very mature team. I
17:24
think we had a lot of seniors um and um
17:29
I just think that you know coach Dy did
17:32
a great job with us. He he said he kept
17:35
telling us he said look he said this one
17:37
game
17:38
has nothing to do with the SEC
17:40
championship and actually we can still
17:43
win the national championship and he
17:45
just he just got us really focused and
17:47
you know we had to go to Knoxville that
17:49
next week and play Tennessee up there
17:52
and um and we just we went up there with
17:55
a lot of confidence and got down to
17:57
business and you know every practice we
17:59
had people were super tuned in there
18:02
were there was No, you know, you didn't,
18:04
as a coach, I don't think back then you
18:06
had to worry about anybody, you know,
18:09
loafing or doing anything out on our
18:10
team. I mean, we were there for a
18:12
purpose. And um and I think that, you
18:15
know, the Texas game, it just it was one
18:18
of those games where they had a great
18:20
defense and we we had a really tough
18:22
time moving the ball on them. But really
18:24
the the game was decided in some of the
18:26
kicking game uh things. They had a punt
18:29
return inside our 20 and um and well
18:33
they threw a deep ball and our corner
18:35
tripped and fell down and it was like a
18:37
80 yard play. You know, there's a couple
18:39
of little it wasn't like they you know
18:42
outmatched us so much. It's just we had
18:44
a hard time scoring and they got a
18:46
couple of easy ones uh that they
18:48
shouldn't have gotten. But uh no, it I
18:51
mean we had some goals and we just we
18:54
were a very close team. really loved
18:57
each other, cared about each other, had
18:58
great chemistry,
18:59
>> right,
19:00
>> both sides of the ball, and had great
19:02
leadership.
19:02
>> You know, I' I've often wondered too as
19:04
I as I I've kind of been a student of
19:06
the game and and of course I'm like I
19:09
say, I turned 70 this year, so I kind of
19:10
grew up watching the Wishbone and the
19:12
Beer. But the Wishbone again was
19:14
designed by Emry Bard at Texas and I
19:17
think 667. They won a couple of national
19:20
championships and and and and they I
19:23
guess they knew the wishbone about as
19:25
good as anybody
19:27
as far as was what they knew how to
19:29
handle because those coaches had seen it
19:31
year in year out. Although I will say
19:33
this, most teams I think were running
19:34
the wishbone by that time. That's 10
19:37
years after or 10 or 15 years after it
19:39
kind of got in. Kind of like the no the
19:42
the the no huddle fast break stuff now.
19:44
that was kind of it went around and kind
19:46
of it's kind of being changed now u in
19:49
that game. But you know the team that
19:51
you mentioned I looked at the roster
19:52
it's been it's uh I mean Bo Jackson,
19:55
Lionel James, uh uh Donnie Humphrey,
19:58
Steve Wallace, Doug Gre, I mean there
20:00
were some great talent, but I look at
20:03
some other guys that I know personally.
20:04
a lot of character on that team too cuz
20:06
I I think you know leadership I think if
20:09
you you got to have talent but great
20:11
leadership and again you were the
20:12
captain of that team but a lot of
20:14
character a lot of players with great
20:16
character uh on that football team as
20:19
well.
20:19
>> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And we're
20:23
>> we're a very close group. I mean we
20:24
still you know we get together every two
20:26
or three years in Auburn for a game and
20:28
and when we have some kind of reunion
20:30
like that it's it's well attended.
20:33
>> Talk about your backfield. I mean, if I
20:34
remember right, you had Lionel James and
20:36
Bo Jackson and what Tommy
20:37
>> Yeah, we had Lionel and Bo and you know,
20:40
we had Greg Pratt.
20:40
>> Tommy Tommy Agy, I think.
20:42
>> Tommy Ag in 83, Greg Prattton 82.
20:45
>> And uh I mean, heck, Fulwood was a
20:47
backup, you know.
20:50
>> Hey, Tim Jesse was a backup. He's got a
20:52
Super Bowl ring with the Redskins.
20:55
>> I think Kus Campbell was our other our
20:57
other backup. But we had we had some
20:59
great great running backs. And uh heck,
21:02
all we had three tight ends that all
21:03
played in the NFL.
21:04
>> I thought y'all did.
21:05
>> Yeah. Ed West, Jeff Parks, and Ron
21:07
Middleton. All three played in the NFL.
21:09
>> And uh Tamberillo offensive line, Steve
21:12
Wallace, offensive line.
21:14
>> Um
21:16
>> David Jordan played for the Giants
21:17
offensive line. And then I think I think
21:20
two deep on our defensive front seven,
21:23
which would be 14 guys. I think now some
21:25
of those were underassman, but I think
21:28
11 of the 14 of those guys played in the
21:30
NFL.
21:31
>> So we, you know, it's funny
21:34
>> a lot I've read some things I'd read
21:35
some on on your uh your website
21:38
sometimes. Uh, you know, Philip will be
21:40
talking about how many guys have gone to
21:42
the pros from some of these different
21:44
teams and that when we played Florida in
21:48
83,
21:49
I I heard a couple years later that
21:52
there were 53 or 54 players on those two
21:56
rosters that played in the NFL at least
21:58
one year.
21:58
>> Wow.
21:59
>> That's amazing.
22:01
>> Yeah. And it now
22:04
well the talent level was so good and
22:06
and and uh again in the SEC it's always
22:09
been been that way uh been that good.
22:12
But let let me go back. I'm trying to
22:14
think now your was your you were there
22:16
in Bear Bryant's last days too, weren't
22:18
you? Uh um
22:20
>> and he was still an icon, I guess. Uh
22:23
and now but but I don't want to talk
22:25
about him as much as I do coach Jordan
22:27
because you you knew Coach J. He wasn't
22:29
coaching when you were there, but he was
22:31
still around. I believe he passed away
22:32
in uh 80 what?
22:34
>> Yeah, I met him in 79 when I was a
22:36
freshman. I met him in the athletic
22:38
department and uh and he still had an
22:41
office in there, I believe, and and was
22:42
up there,
22:43
>> you know, quite often, but I didn't
22:45
really get to know him well, but I've
22:47
got, you know, uh like Rusty Dean was
22:51
our Rusty and Sally lived in S Hall
22:53
there.
22:54
>> They were there when I was there. Uhuh.
22:55
>> Yeah. he played for coach Jordan and
22:57
then so many other, you know, coach Dave
22:59
Beck and Roger Mitchell and Randy Walls
23:02
and all these guys I've gotten to know
23:04
so well through our letters club that
23:06
played for coach Jordan. So I feel like
23:08
I knew him, you know, he was a great
23:10
man.
23:11
>> Yeah. Dave Beck and uh and Johnny
23:13
Simmons from Childersburg, they're the
23:15
ones that kind of introduced me to uh
23:17
Auburn. The punt down a punt game was
23:19
while I was in high school. Okay. Uh and
23:22
I was looking for a college to go to and
23:24
I I I bought into that. Look at all the
23:25
walk-ons that are making it. But that
23:28
was that was that was 10 years before
23:29
the 80s. I don't there weren't a whole
23:31
lot of walk-ons starting at Auburn. I
23:32
don't think when you played there might
23:34
have been one or two, but that was a
23:36
those were loaded teams by that point in
23:37
time. Coach Todd, I figured he figured
23:39
out beating Alabama, you better have
23:41
people that can line up and play against
23:42
Alabama. And you had a pretty good
23:44
backup, Pat Washington, a good backup
23:45
behind you at quarterback that came
23:47
along later on and been a pretty good
23:48
quarterback.
23:49
>> Pat started most of the next two years
23:51
after that. And um you know and our the
23:54
three of us that dressed out every game
23:56
for 82 and 83. Mike man was the other
23:59
one. Mike Mike was the backup when Pat
24:02
was a freshman and then the next year
24:03
they they swapped. But I remember I
24:06
think it was 84 um Georgia Tech came to
24:09
Auburn and Pat was hurt and couldn't
24:11
play. So Mike started the game and at
24:13
halftime I think we were winning 42 to
24:15
nothing and the end the end of the game
24:18
it was like 42 to you know 30 something
24:20
or whatever. We didn't score again, but
24:22
I watched him play the first half of
24:24
that game and I said, man, I said, I'm
24:25
I'm glad he didn't play that good when I
24:27
was playing. I might have been sitting
24:28
on the bench. He had such a great game.
24:31
>> You know, the um the wishbone that you
24:33
What's that?
24:34
>> Jeff Burger came in when I was
24:36
>> Oh, yeah.
24:36
>> He was a freshman when I was a senior
24:39
and I think he was really happy that we
24:41
got out of the wishbone. I think he, you
24:42
know, Pat Sullivan pitched him and he
24:44
got to throw it more and out of the eye
24:46
and all that. He he loved it. Yeah, my
24:48
dad I think my dad took the the split
24:51
back beer which you said you were in
24:52
high school. My dad was able to
24:54
incorporate that into a a a more of a
24:57
passing attack by by uh having the port
25:00
the the backs get into routes, you know,
25:01
and the tight end and the and the
25:03
flanker and the and the and the split
25:05
end. And the wishbone doesn't doesn't
25:07
relate to this passing game quite as
25:09
much as the uh the split back beer could
25:11
develop into the passing game uh as well
25:15
there. Um but you know the um the the
25:18
thing that uh there was an old saying I
25:20
know when I got or or maybe I I might
25:23
have invented it for my own fear is that
25:25
you can be nine and0 at Auburn and have
25:28
saved your career but you ain't saved
25:30
your job yet because you hadn't play
25:32
because you ain't played Georgia or
25:33
Alabama
25:35
and and y'all had to finish up those
25:37
years like I did
25:39
>> with with Auburn with with Georgia and
25:41
Alabama and those they I'm gonna say
25:44
your last three games it was like six
25:47
points, three points, and two points.
25:49
Um, the defense was maybe one of the
25:52
best defenses we ever had, but that
25:54
little run right there, I guess you
25:56
learn to play a game that was, you know,
25:58
nowadays if the people that are good
26:00
aren't winning by three touchdowns, they
26:01
don't know how to play,
26:02
>> right? Right. Yeah, we had a lot of
26:04
close games, you know, back then and a
26:06
lot, you know, lowscoring games compared
26:09
to today's, you know, standards pretty
26:11
much. But it just seemed it seemed like
26:13
that year if if our opponent scored, you
26:17
know, 25, we'd find a way to score 28.
26:20
>> Yeah.
26:21
>> And if and if we could only score 13,
26:23
then our defense would hold them to
26:24
seven. You know, it was just one of
26:25
those deals that um it just kind of
26:28
always
26:29
>> worked out, you know, except for the one
26:31
game.
26:32
>> Yeah. And I and I think I think Alabama
26:35
game went that way. They came back and
26:36
scored at the end and just kind of
26:39
flipped it around and y'all responded
26:42
almost immediately. Of course, there was
26:43
a pretty good guy that helped you
26:44
respond.
26:45
>> Yeah. Yeah. He had a great game.
26:48
I don't remember if it was 250 or 260
26:51
something yards in that game. Bo Coach
26:56
>> Coach D always said, you know, the the
26:58
great players play their best in the
26:59
biggest games and Oh, yeah. Bo
27:01
definitely did that.
27:02
>> Yeah. He had 256, a 71yd touchdown run,
27:06
and a 69yd touchdown run. I went and
27:09
looked at looked at his NFL career. He
27:11
still had the record for two touchdowns
27:13
in the NFL over 90 yards. But, uh,
27:16
amazing amazing talent, which I guess I
27:19
should ask you, I'm sure you get asked
27:20
so many times, when you first saw him
27:23
come in, how qu how soon did you know he
27:25
was going to be a great one? Was it the
27:27
in practice? Could you see that? Well, I
27:30
knew he was different the first day
27:31
because the very first day he was there,
27:33
they put him at fullback because he so
27:35
big.
27:36
>> Yeah.
27:36
>> You know, he was 61, 225 or 30 pounds as
27:39
a freshman
27:41
>> and they put him at fullback and I
27:42
remember,
27:43
>> you know, we were we were going to just
27:45
run like our basic triple option to the
27:48
right and we're just wearing shorts and
27:49
headgear and I got the snap from the
27:52
center. no lineman except the center and
27:54
I put the ball out for Bo and I kind of
27:57
put it in his ribs on the side and I
27:59
turned around and looked at Bud Casey,
28:01
our running back coach. I said, "I know
28:02
Bud."
28:03
>> Yeah. I mean, I'm I've been there four
28:04
years even, you know, it's it's my first
28:06
year to be a starter, but I've still
28:08
been there four years. I'm one of the
28:09
older guys, you know, and Bo's been
28:12
there 10 minutes. And uh I said,
28:13
"Coach," I said, "You need to back him
28:15
up a little bit. You know, he's he's
28:16
lined up too close." And Coach Casey
28:18
said, "I got it. I got it." So he got
28:20
him lined up. We ran the same play again
28:22
and I think I put it even further back
28:24
here the second time and I looked at
28:26
coach Casey and he said you got to speed
28:28
up son
28:30
that guy I mean he had he got to the he
28:33
from where he lined up into the line of
28:35
scrimmage was so fast I couldn't get the
28:37
snap and get the ball to him and the
28:38
very next day he was at right halfback.
28:41
So I think coach D saw saw something and
28:44
said we can't he would he would have
28:46
been the greatest fullback that ever
28:47
played at Auburn but we couldn't waste
28:49
him there. We had to have him back.
28:51
>> I tell you, he what what kind of eye
28:52
formation tail back he had been because
28:54
I I came up during the eye, you know, I
28:56
came up as a coach for the first 13
28:58
years. I I ran nothing but 11 personnel
29:01
>> in eye formation counting the Sam
29:03
Sanford and Salem and Auburn. We ran the
29:06
old eye, but he would have been a great
29:08
eyeback as well uh as as a wishbone. In
29:12
the in the 82 Alabama game, we ran the
29:14
eye for about probably three series with
29:17
Bo at fullback and Lionel at tailback.
29:20
>> How about that?
29:21
>> Yeah. And we ran a triple option out of
29:22
the eye. And I mean, it was like you
29:24
didn't even have to read the tackle
29:25
because Bo got there so fast, you just
29:27
handed it to him every time.
29:29
>> Randy, talk about that 82 game. What
29:31
after after nine years, what did that
29:33
what did that mean? And what did die
29:36
what did it mean to die? I mean, because
29:38
having been on the other side during
29:39
part of that. Yeah, I I just, you know,
29:43
we we had been close a lot of times
29:45
before. I had seen and I had read about
29:48
too and heard about, but it just seemed
29:50
like we couldn't finish the game against
29:51
them. And it
29:52
>> Yeah.
29:52
>> And u when coach Dy got there, he he
29:55
basically, you know, changed our mindset
29:58
and worked us hard enough to give us the
30:00
confidence that we could finish a game
30:02
and win in the fourth quarter. That's
30:04
what he talked about it all the time.
30:06
>> Yeah. when we're doing conditioning and
30:07
strength strength training and and also
30:10
not beating ourselves, you know, with
30:12
fumbles and stupid penalties and things
30:14
like that. Those are all the things he
30:15
he preached all the time. And I just I
30:19
think that that game was it was so huge
30:21
as far as the uh emotional part of it
30:25
for our fans and our team and our you
30:27
know coaches, but also just that hey we
30:31
broke the streak
30:33
>> and and that's that that shit's over
30:37
>> and then we beat him again the next year
30:38
and and actually Auburn should have beat
30:40
him in 84 and 85 and we you know one of
30:43
those was the play that went the wrong
30:46
way. I think we lost by two and then the
30:48
next year Van Tiffen kicked a you know a
30:51
moonshot field goal to beat us at the
30:52
end.
30:53
>> But um but I don't know it just I think
30:55
I think coach D wasn't he uh was he six
30:58
and six in 12 years? Is that what his
31:00
record was against Alabama?
31:01
>> Yeah. See he was he was six and six. He
31:03
sure was.
31:03
>> Yeah. And
31:05
>> but I I think you know one when we won
31:08
that one game it changed everything
31:11
>> for a long long time. Yeah, it it it did
31:14
ch it did change change things and make
31:17
make it so much so much different uh the
31:20
way they played uh in those football
31:22
games. Now, you played in the old Iron
31:23
Bowl, too. I mean, when the Iron Bowl
31:25
was in Birmingham, uh very important
31:27
that we brought that. I think one of the
31:29
things that probably endeared coach D as
31:31
long as as well as beating Alabama
31:34
again, being part of the being and not
31:36
having to go through those losses,
31:38
bringing that game back to to Auburn,
31:41
probably as as big a move at Auburn as
31:43
any move that's been done.
31:45
>> Yeah. Yeah. I I mean, we I loved going
31:48
there just because I love the fans being
31:50
5050 and the right panning back and
31:52
forth and all that. Um,
31:56
you know, I kind of wish I wish there
31:57
was a stadium that would be proper to
32:00
have I I wish there was a way that they
32:02
could do home and home and then a 50-50
32:06
game like every three years.
32:07
>> Every third year. Yeah.
32:08
>> Every third year and do that. But I
32:10
don't want it really to be a Legion
32:11
Field. I don't know, you know, if we had
32:13
But I don't want to go to Atlanta to
32:14
watch the game. So, I don't I don't
32:16
think it'll ever happen. But
32:17
>> not not anymore. Legion Field. I, you
32:19
know, again, I coached in the last two B
32:21
uh Iron Bowls that were at Legion Field,
32:23
but you know, it got dilapid. I won't
32:25
say dilapidated, it got run down and the
32:28
the neighborhoods, you know, it got
32:29
difficult to have a game. It just it it
32:31
it's a shame because you're right, if
32:33
you could have a 50/50 and a lot of
32:35
people don't remembered, uh Mississippi,
32:37
Mississippi State, you played a lot of
32:38
times in Jackson, Mississippi, that's
32:40
where they played their their big games.
32:42
And uh Arkansas played their big games
32:45
in Little Rock quite a bit. Um uh I I
32:48
coached one year in Little Rock War was
32:50
that what's it War Memorial Stadium? I
32:52
think that's what uh but I guess the fan
32:55
season tickets and things like that
32:57
changed you. You couldn't couldn't be
32:59
consistent to your season ticket holders
33:01
and things like that and the and the
33:03
seats that that they had and all that
33:06
stuff. But but let's go let's go on to
33:09
and talk a little bit before I let you
33:10
go because that the uh the the season
33:12
and the game. Well, let's go back to
33:14
Michigan game. Um, talk about the
33:16
Michigan Bowl game, what they had in
33:18
that game. Nine, that that was a a huge
33:21
win, too. Uh, in the Michigan game as
33:23
well, because uh, in y'all's mind, like
33:26
I said, when you went to bed that night
33:27
before the game, it's hey, we win this
33:30
game, we're there. Uh, and as that game
33:32
was played, it was a tight football
33:34
game. And they were thought by many to
33:36
be one of the most talented teams in the
33:37
country.
33:38
>> Yeah, they were they were nine and two
33:39
regular season. And if I remember right,
33:41
they lost by a combined total of either
33:44
three or four points, the two losses,
33:46
both at the end of their games. I
33:48
remember the the the most interesting
33:50
thing I remember about before we ever
33:52
went to New Orleans, the first meeting
33:55
we had after the Iron Bowl to get ready
33:58
for the Sugar Bowl. Coach Crow looked at
34:01
me, he he never called me Randy, called
34:02
me Campbell. He says, "Camel," he says,
34:04
"I got to tell you something." I said,
34:06
"What's that, coach?" She said, "Every
34:08
single starter on their defense can run
34:10
faster than you."
34:13
>> And I wasn't slow. I I I I ran I think
34:16
my fastest time ever was like a 468, but
34:19
I was really a I was a mid 47, you know.
34:22
>> Yeah.
34:22
>> 475 476. That was But he said every
34:25
single player on their defense can
34:27
outrun you.
34:28
>> And I tell you what, I think after we
34:30
played him, I think he was right. But
34:32
coach Sim Beckler,
34:34
he was a very wise man. And in the press
34:37
conference before the game, the the
34:40
press asked him a question and he said,
34:43
"You know what?" He said, "Auburn may
34:45
beat us, but they won't beat us running
34:47
the football." And he said, and coach D
34:49
was sitting right beside him and I think
34:50
he baited him. We threw six. We threw
34:53
six passes the whole game. co I mean
34:56
wouldn't let and we normally threw about
34:58
10 or 12 out of the wishbone but we
35:00
threw six in that game and um I mean we
35:04
we ran it and ran it and ran it but it
35:06
was just they were really good. They put
35:07
nine people on the line of scrimmage
35:09
because they we weren't going to throw
35:10
it.
35:11
>> You know I read today that that uh DA
35:15
was the first coach in the SEC to to
35:17
mand to mandate drug testing which I
35:20
didn't realize.
35:21
>> Oh really? I didn't know. Yeah.
35:24
I didn't realize that. I guess he he he
35:26
mandated urine and um and blood tests. I
35:29
I don't maybe you don't remember that,
35:30
but I I read that earlier today. I
35:32
didn't realize that.
35:34
>> Nowadays, I would I would I would I
35:36
think I was I think I was still coaching
35:38
when we were mandated that we couldn't
35:39
do it.
35:41
It went a lot further when they said you
35:43
can't do that. It's evasive or whatever
35:45
and all those things uh u in that in
35:48
that in that in that in that part of the
35:50
uh in part of the game. But again, um,
35:53
what's that? And I don't I we're, you
35:56
know, we've got a new system where it's
35:57
it's kind of it's kind of sad that that
35:59
Auburn has got a point where it's been a
36:01
long time since they've won. I like the
36:02
new coach. He seems to have a lot of uh
36:05
uh it's going to take somebody with that
36:06
energy and toughness and because I think
36:09
the toughness part has got to has got to
36:11
be there in the SEC. I don't think
36:12
there's a there's not a there's not a
36:14
soft way you can get through the
36:16
conference. Uh but it seems like to me
36:19
uh uh if he can pull all those old in
36:22
with the new and combine that uh uh he
36:25
seems like got a good work ethic and uh
36:27
u can get this thing turned back around.
36:29
>> Yeah. You know, I hope so. I I have not
36:31
met him. I didn't know much about him
36:33
and
36:34
>> but you know, listening to some of his
36:36
interviews over the last couple years
36:38
before, you know, Auburn even needed a
36:40
coach.
36:40
>> Yeah. and uh and reading, I think it
36:43
sounds like he's probably a good
36:45
cultural fit for what we as fans, you
36:48
know, want. I mean, he he says he's
36:50
committed to running the football and I
36:52
hope we are a lot more physical up front
36:54
on the offensive on the offensive line
36:56
than we've been in a long long time.
36:58
>> Yeah.
36:59
>> You know, uh man, you you watch that
37:02
Indiana Miami game, you're talking about
37:04
that that's you see where football games
37:06
are won right there,
37:07
>> right? Miami had a great defensive line
37:09
and Indiana I can't believe they could
37:12
run the ball that good. I mean they just
37:14
I mean they I think they had two plays
37:16
where they lost yardage on running plays
37:17
and right
37:18
>> they would hand it would be third and
37:19
four and they'd gain seven. I mean just
37:21
it was unbelievable.
37:23
>> You and I love to get back to you know
37:26
being able to run the football when you
37:28
have to run it.
37:28
>> How about how about just trying to run
37:30
the football?
37:31
>> Yeah.
37:32
>> Well, you know you know there's a
37:34
there's a and I went through it. I had
37:35
to learn like a lot of people. It it
37:37
went to such a four wide out game.
37:40
>> Yeah.
37:40
>> Where uh you maybe 85 to 115 yards would
37:44
fit into that style, but it get you
37:47
didn't win games in the fourth quarter.
37:48
You have to learn, you have to work your
37:50
way through it, you know, because it's
37:52
just football is a game that if you're
37:54
not if you don't change a little bit
37:55
every 10 years and stay on front of the
37:57
curve, whether it be the eye formation,
37:59
the the eye pro or the or the wishbone
38:02
or 11 personnel as opposed to or 12, you
38:05
know, there are some things that change,
38:06
but I I I do a podcast every game for
38:10
teams all over. And I couldn't say it
38:12
enough. the team that can run the
38:15
football the the most has got the best
38:17
chance to win. I used to tell my
38:19
coaches, man, I want time spent running
38:22
your last four-minute offense because
38:24
most games, like coach D said, are one
38:26
in the last minutes of the game.
38:27
>> Yeah.
38:28
>> And the question is, can you run and not
38:30
throw it when they know you're going to
38:32
run?
38:33
>> You know, and that's what that don't
38:34
give them one more chance and we win
38:36
because you always say, well, the
38:37
defense lost the game. No offense. Run
38:40
the football when they know you're going
38:42
to run and they'll never get it back.
38:45
>> Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
38:47
>> That's
38:48
>> Go ahead. I'm
38:49
>> No, go ahead, Ron. Go. Go ahead.
38:51
>> No, I was just gonna say we were talking
38:52
about Goalish a minute ago. Did you ever
38:54
think that you would see an somebody
38:56
coaching at Auburn who was born in
38:59
Russia, raised in New York, and
39:01
graduated from Ohio State?
39:03
>> Probably not.
39:05
>> I know I didn't.
39:08
It's a different day. But I'm like you.
39:09
I think, you know, he he's he coaches
39:11
with an edge, which Auburn hasn't had in
39:13
quite a while. Um Yeah. And so I I I
39:16
think he's I think he's got a chance. I
39:17
really do. I mean, everybody keeps
39:18
talking about, you know, we talked about
39:20
this before we got on the air. Uh Auburn
39:21
hadn't won more than five games in
39:23
>> what, five years. So, uh
39:26
>> try something different. And this is
39:27
certainly different.
39:28
>> Yeah.
39:29
>> Well, I I I think you I think you coach
39:31
with confidence, but to a degree, I
39:34
think he will. You got to coach a little
39:35
bit with a chip on your shoulder. You
39:37
know, Kurt Signetti's father, Frank
39:39
Signetti, was my dad's offensive
39:40
coordinator at West Virginia. Then he
39:42
was my head coach, Tommy and I, our head
39:44
coach after my dad left. And Kirk was
39:46
about five years behind me. I've known
39:48
Kirk since he was little. His dad was
39:49
the brightest offensive coach that I've
39:51
uh uh I'd ever been around. And so Kurt
39:54
didn't just get it from uh spending some
39:56
time with Nick Sabin staff because Nick
39:58
coaches defense, but you you you've
40:00
coached and I've coached when I watch
40:02
Indiana. This is just a general
40:04
statement. I thought they were there's
40:06
not an area of football that they didn't
40:08
coach better than the teams they were
40:09
playing. Offense, defense, run, pass,
40:12
special teams, every area. Don't give up
40:15
the deep ball. Um Kurt's 64 years. He
40:18
goes back to the age where you you had
40:20
to learn how to fundamentally coach and
40:23
not just play as fast. Fast football
40:25
reminds me of a video game sometimes,
40:27
you know, and we don't we don't teach
40:29
the basics. we just see how fast we can
40:31
play. As if that's going to be the total
40:33
answer.
40:34
>> Yeah. Yeah. I was I was talking to Coach
40:35
Crow after that game who was, you know,
40:37
my coach.
40:38
>> Yeah.
40:38
>> And I told him, I said, you know,
40:40
Indiana's secondary looked like what I
40:42
used to see. They play zone almost every
40:44
play. They keep everything in front of
40:46
them and you can actually tell pre- snap
40:48
if they're in two deep or three deep. I
40:50
mean, it was like old school.
40:52
>> Yep. That's exact exactly right. And and
40:55
they see the ball, they can attack the
40:56
ball, and they can keep the ball inside
40:57
of them. they they they tend to not make
41:00
those big mistakes. And uh I I I I
41:02
covered so many games in the in the in
41:04
the uh country. I could not find a box
41:07
they didn't check, you know, don't give
41:09
up the big play, stop the run. Uh I
41:12
mean, the guy their quarterback threw
41:13
the ball less than any guy in the top 12
41:16
teams, but he threw 41. He threw 15 more
41:19
touchdowns than anybody, but he didn't
41:20
throw it. He they ran the ball more than
41:22
they threw it. So anyway, I I know those
41:25
are all things you you you'd have to
41:28
believe that that that uh at Auburn if
41:30
uh and and Galish has a good background.
41:32
He was at now I think he was at Toledo
41:34
or somewhere coaching when I was in when
41:36
the in the Matt conference and uh uh I
41:39
want to say coached with Todd Campbell
41:41
and some of those guys up there in those
41:42
days and uh but he's he's uh been pretty
41:45
good schooled and and I studied there
41:48
the quarterback they got I don't know if
41:49
you much about him. I watched them play
41:51
quite a bit because the quarterback was
41:53
a hot item and he's a pretty good
41:55
quarterback. So, I think he does have a
41:56
quarterback we can build around.
41:58
>> Yeah. Yeah, I think so, too.
42:01
>> You know, running the wishbone. The one
42:02
thing about you, I want to get back.
42:04
You're talking about you ran a 47. I
42:06
always tell a wishbone quarterback uh
42:08
it's smart running more than it's uh the
42:11
pure running skills or a gazelle type
42:13
runner because I guarantee that the
42:16
faking and the handoff and all those
42:17
things you're you're running smart or
42:19
decide making decisions as you go
42:22
>> right it's you know a lot of times a lot
42:24
of the runs that I made uh you know when
42:27
I would keep it were
42:29
>> runs for first downs
42:30
>> right
42:31
>> and you know I didn't run 40 yard
42:33
touchdown runs and I didn't cut back
42:34
across the grain and run, you know, I
42:36
wasn't fast enough or talented enough
42:38
for all that, but you know, when it was
42:40
third and two and we'd run the trap
42:42
option or whatever, a lot of times I
42:44
would end up keeping it because I could
42:46
see how far you had to get to get there.
42:49
But, but I mean, I I based it off
42:51
whatever I was reading. I it was real
42:53
important to me to get a good grade on
42:55
Sunday morning as far as, you know, what
42:57
I was supposed to do. And uh and so but
43:01
it was, you know, it was uh I had never
43:03
run that offense before, but I loved it.
43:05
I really did.
43:07
>> I it was it was great.
43:09
>> It's a smart
43:10
>> it's it's a smart man's offense and it's
43:12
it's no u no u it's it's understandable
43:16
why the academy still run it because
43:17
they they they want to pay 11 people
43:20
playing together knowing their
43:21
assignments and knowing exactly what to
43:23
do. And you know, uh, I I was taught
43:25
that a, you know, a good fake is better
43:27
than two good blocks. If you can make a
43:29
great fake and get two or three linemen,
43:32
defensive people to step one step the
43:34
wrong direction, that four or five
43:36
becomes a 47. And a wishbone has a lot
43:38
to do with that faking and them not
43:40
knowing where the ball is going.
43:42
>> Yeah. Yeah. Terry, I I want to share
43:44
something with you before we run out of
43:46
time. I want to make sure we have time,
43:48
but
43:48
>> so you saw our schedule in 83, right?
43:52
We played Florida State.
43:53
>> Oh yeah. 2724.
43:55
>> Yep. We were losing that game 24- 20 in
43:58
late in the fourth quarter and we had
44:01
two fourth downs on our last drive that
44:04
we converted. The first one for a first
44:06
down, the second one was for a
44:07
touchdown. And um but and and then
44:12
Florida State got the ball back and
44:13
they're driving and they're already to
44:15
midfield and they can kick a field goal
44:16
and tie the game. And Greg Carr
44:19
intercepted a pass and that was the end
44:20
of the game. basically. But the next
44:22
week, Sally Dean calls me in my room and
44:26
says, "Randy," she always put the mail
44:29
out
44:29
>> right
44:30
>> in the boxes in S Hall. So, she calls me
44:33
and she says, "Randy, you got to come up
44:34
here. You've got a letter from Coach
44:36
Bowen." And I said, "Oh my goodness."
44:38
You know, this is like Wednesday or
44:41
Thursday. So, I go up there and there's,
44:43
you know, a Florida State envelope and
44:46
it's got Coach Bobby Bowen, you know,
44:48
typed at the top. And I opened it and he
44:51
wrote me the nicest letter after that
44:53
game and it meant so much to me that I
44:55
had it framed.
44:57
>> How about that?
44:58
>> I had this in my, you know, whatever
45:01
sports room I've had for ever. And um
45:04
but the very last part of it, I don't
45:06
want to read it all to you, but the last
45:07
part, it just says, "I hated to lose to
45:10
you last week, but you and your
45:12
teammates are a class team. Very clean
45:14
and especially gutty. I'm proud of you,
45:16
Coach Bowen." And uh it always meant so
45:20
much to me. Uh that's the he's the only
45:23
coach that ever wrote me a letter or
45:24
anything like that. I mean, so you know,
45:26
your dad, he was a class individual and
45:30
uh really respect him and and um I got
45:33
to meet him. I think it was in uh the
45:36
spring of 92. Tommy took me down there
45:39
when we were both at Auburn and I guess
45:42
maybe they were having their spring
45:44
training. It was a different date than
45:45
ours,
45:46
>> right? Well, I got to I got to go in his
45:48
office with Tommy and say hello and meet
45:49
him and shake his hand. I got him I got
45:51
him to autograph a Florida State hat and
45:53
I brought it back and gave it to my
45:54
wife. So, she still got that. Anyway, I
45:57
just I wanted to I wanted to tell you
46:00
about that just because I I thought it
46:02
was a cool story and I thought you might
46:03
appreciate it.
46:04
>> Well, I I really do appreciate it. I uh
46:06
again, he we lost him about three three
46:08
or four year three years ago uh this
46:10
past summer. uh and uh the more the more
46:13
I go around the country speaking uh and
46:15
a lot of times at churches and things
46:17
like that, dad dad his his impact I
46:21
think was was off the field as much as
46:22
on with letters like that. And you know
46:25
it's almost like I say gosh I I wish I
46:28
could have been as thoughtful and I
46:29
tried to be but those are the things
46:31
that uh that he did uh that uh that I'm
46:34
finding out over and over again uh which
46:37
hopefully all of our coaches understand
46:39
as you did. um that uh down the road
46:43
these young men and and you've got and
46:44
let's finish with that some of the
46:46
players uh that you said you've got
46:48
teammates on that team that you are real
46:50
close to. Uh any any comments you might
46:53
have about players that you have a
46:55
special relationship with or or or
46:57
events or or game time things or
47:00
postgame during the game about some of
47:02
the players there because you have a
47:04
bunch of great players on that team.
47:06
>> So you you said you knew Dow Alman,
47:07
right?
47:08
>> Oh yeah, D and his wife. Dao. Da was our
47:10
starting nose guard for three years, 81,
47:13
82, and 83. But he was such a character.
47:16
I mean, he was just one of a kind. But
47:18
he would come up to me in the locker
47:20
room before we would go out on the field
47:22
and look, he'd look me right in there.
47:24
He'd say, "Randy," he said, "I hope you
47:26
throw three interceptions today."
47:30
Or or, "I hope you fumble it twice
47:32
today." you know, he would just say that
47:33
to me and I don't know if he thought he
47:35
was trying to loosen me up or if he was
47:37
loosening himself up, but
47:40
that was one of the funniest things that
47:41
ever happened and he did it. He didn't
47:42
do it every game, but he did it a lot.
47:44
But, you know, that that you know, the
47:47
crew of guys, I mean, one thing about
47:49
they're all great people. They've got
47:51
great families and they've all been very
47:53
successful in,
47:54
>> you know, in what they've done. I mean,
47:55
we've got, you know, we've got
47:57
orthopedic surgeons and lawyers and
47:59
architects and insurance sales guys like
48:01
me and, you know, just every every kind
48:05
of thing you could think about. And, uh,
48:07
>> I'm just
48:08
>> I I'm surprised how we've lost so many
48:10
of them. That's what that's a little
48:12
>> Yeah, that's we we're somewhere between
48:15
15 and 20 now of teammates that we've
48:17
lost from that team. So,
48:19
>> yeah, that's always sad. and one that
48:21
that you mentioned one who coached for
48:22
me who is probably the one of the most
48:24
unique backfields the horse and pony
48:27
backfield Lionel James I hired him but
48:30
it was one of the most unique backfields
48:32
because you you one play you saw him
48:34
lead blocking for Bo and the next play
48:36
you saw Bo lead blocking for him but he
48:39
was a but but when you look at the
48:40
highlights of the season he had quite a
48:42
few big plays himself
48:44
>> oh gosh yeah he did and heck that that
48:47
82 game against Georgia the one I told
48:49
you we lost by five and had it
48:51
>> inside the 10. He had a I think it was a
48:53
86 yard touchdown run in that game.
48:58
>> He scored he scored our only touchdown
49:00
against Georgia in 83 in Athens and we
49:02
had two field goals. But Lionel was a
49:04
great player. He the second fourth down
49:07
against Florida State. It was fourth and
49:09
eight and I threw a pass in the flat. We
49:13
used to break that. We broke the
49:15
wishbone when we had to throw it and we
49:16
put trips to the field was our Yeah. So
49:18
we had one back, one receiver to the
49:21
short side and trips to the field and he
49:23
was basically the the wing right off the
49:25
tackle and he ran in the flat and nobody
49:28
covered him and I threw it to him but he
49:30
caught it and turned up field and scored
49:32
that touchdown at the end of that game.
49:34
But Lionel Lionel was a great player.
49:36
>> Yeah, great player.
49:38
>> Great person as well. Again, we we we
49:41
added him to our staff there uh in my
49:43
final years there. Uh, and um, it was
49:46
sad to lose him, like you said, so many
49:47
of the players that we that we do lose.
49:49
But, but, but Brandy, I appreciate you
49:51
being on the on the show. This has been
49:52
great. I think uh, uh, I found out a lot
49:55
of things I didn't know about the 83
49:57
team. And sometimes when you're
49:58
coaching, like I here I am my first year
50:00
as a head coach up in Salem, West
50:02
Virginia. You don't get to watch other
50:05
teams quite as much that aren't in that
50:06
area. Uh but everybody kind of know
50:09
about the 83 Auburn team, especially by
50:11
the time you got to the end of the
50:13
season into the big games with Alabama
50:15
and Michigan. But but thank you so much
50:17
for joining with us and uh I look
50:19
forward to seeing you because now
50:21
because I'm no longer coaching and
50:23
broadcast. I get to go to games actually
50:25
once in a while. So that's the Georgia
50:27
game was my first game to come back and
50:29
then I and I went we honored our 93 team
50:31
and your team in the uh Mercer game I
50:34
believe. And so that was a great day
50:36
there. So, thank you for joining us. Uh,
50:38
we appreciate you and I think all Auburn
50:40
people appreciate the great years that
50:43
uh that y'all had there and what you did
50:44
for Auburn.
50:45
>> Thank you. Thank you. I I enjoyed this.
50:47
This was a lot of fun. Appreciate it,
50:49
Randy.
50:49
>> Thank you, Randy.
50:50
>> Okay.
50:51
>> Yeah, Randy.
50:52
>> Very good. Very good, Randy. Of course,
50:54
you you said you had gotten and I didn't
50:56
mention after he coached he he was on
50:58
the broadcast team for a while and
51:00
worked with the the Letterman of the
51:02
Alumni Association for a while. He
51:04
stayed very involved and still does. uh
51:06
with Auburn now as he's down the road.
51:09
Uh and uh and still stayed very close
51:11
and uh a lot of great comments. He
51:14
mentioned this he was a quarterback
51:16
coach when I came in. Uh but I was
51:19
bringing Jimbo. It was one of those
51:20
situations where you hate you know he's
51:22
a good coach. I'd heard all about my
51:23
brother Tommy was up was so high on him.
51:25
But I said Tom the I don't bring all my
51:28
coaches but I got to bring Jimbo. You
51:29
know uh he was with me since he was
51:32
since he was a freshman in college.
51:33
Played with me and was my quarterback
51:35
coach. So, uh, but, uh, we all have a
51:38
road that looks it looks like he's not
51:40
hurting too much in the in the success
51:41
he's had after football and, uh, doing
51:45
real well.
51:46
>> Yeah, I was just thinking that those
51:47
guys started a great
51:48
>> I've lost your I've lost your uh,
51:50
Ronnie, I've lost your voice, so I may
51:52
not have it back.
51:54
>> If I don't get it back, we're about time
51:55
to close. Let me say something, too. I
51:58
want to thank you and and uh uh and and
52:01
especially Tom Haley and the Haley
52:03
Family Foundation as they sponsor our
52:05
show and we appreciate them so much. Uh
52:08
it's interesting that Randy Campbell
52:10
said Tom Haley built his house in ' 92
52:12
and built me at mine in 93. Uh and he's
52:15
still building so many things around
52:17
Auburn, but mostly we thank him for
52:19
supporting this show, for supporting
52:21
Auburn University and supporting Auburn
52:23
athletics. Thanks very much. And Dar, if
52:26
you can't hear me, uh, thanks to
52:28
everybody. Thanks to everybody for, uh,
52:30
for for listening and we'll see you.
52:32
>> All righty.