Football Daily

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Born May 19, 1967, in Missoula, Montana, was John Friesz the signal caller of the University of Idaho from 1986 through the 1989. The National Football Foundation shares that John in the summer before his senior season he attended the Idaho Vandal football camp and was noticed by then head coach Dennis Erickson.  “Erickson saw some potential in me,” said Friesz. “He was willing to take a chance on me.” The 6ft-4in, 214 QB never got the chance to play for the future national championship coach at Erickson, as the coach left after John’s red shirt freshman season for the Miami Hurricanes vacated position. John became the starter as a sophomore leading the Vandals to the first of three consecutive Big Sky conference titles. was named a Division I-AA second team All-America as he threw 28 touchdown passes. The following year he became a consensus first team choice as Idaho reached the I-AA semi-finals. In his senior year John became the first quarterback to win the Walter Payton Award as the outstanding player in I-AA football. That season he threw for 4,041 yards and 31 touchdowns. He averaged an outstanding 367.4 yards per game and broke the 300-yard barrier in ten consecutive games.  The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of John Friesz into their legendary museum in 2006. Friesz was taken in the sixth round of the 1990 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers and passed for 8,633 yards and 45 touchdowns in his eight-year NFL career.

Born May 14, 1907, in Salem, Ohio, was Carnegie Mellon’s quarterback from 1926 through the 1928 season, Howard Harpster. The National Football Foundation in their bio on this great player shares about what a brilliant on field tactician he was. Carnegie Tech, as it was called back then, had q QB in Harpster that was such a good strategist that he could pull off the unexpected in the heat of the moment. The trait brought him acclaim as one of the great Eastern quarterbacks of the late 1920's. He was one of the first to challenge enemy defenses by passing from his own end zone, making it a successful maneuver. During a 1928 game against Notre Dame, Howard called for a quarterback sneak on a third-down-and-15 play, turning the surprise call into a 35-yard gain. His game-situation reactions prompted many to say he had the mind of a coach. The 1928 season was a great one for Howard as he earned All-American honors leading Carnegie Tech to a 7-1 record with barely an interception. He was a great defender too as proven by in his three seasons, Tech's goal was crossed only three times, once on a fumble recovered by Notre Dame in the end zone. Howard did all of his team's kicking and punting and was noted for consistently booting within the 60 to 65 yard range. Howard Harpster received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956. After graduation in 1933, at the youthful age of 25, Harpster became Carnegie Tech's head coach. He had four seasons at the helm, against a major-college schedule and his squad took home a 12-20-3 record. There were some big victories posted there though as they got the “W’s” against competition by the likes of Notre Dame, Temple, and Purdue and tied Pitt and Michigan State.

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Born May 6, 1957 - Fairview Park, Ohio - Tom Cousineau the Ohio State Buckeye linebacker from 1975 to 1978 was born into the world. The NFF says that Tom was credited with 569 career tackles which are second all-time in Ohio State history. He still holds six school records, setting marks for single-season tackles and solo tackles during his senior campaign. When Cousineau left Ohio State he was the school’s leader in nearly every tackling category! His coach was the legendary Woody Hayes who saw his stud linebacker become a two-time consensus First Team All-American for the Buckeyes. Tom Cousineau received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Cousineau was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, but he chose to play for Montreal of the Canadian Football League from 1979-82, earning the league’s Grey Cup MVP honor in 1979. He would later return to the NFL, playing for the Cleveland Browns from 1982-85 and the San Francisco 49ers from 1986-87. NCAAF Jersey 36

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Born May 4, 1938, Hampton, Arkansas, was Wayne Harris who played center for Arkansas from 1958 to 1960. The NFF states that Wayne was  an excellent blocker on offense and a fierce tackler on defense keeping his on the field most of the game as a two-way player. A First Team All-America selection, Harris set an Arkansas single-season record for tackles with 174 in 1960. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection, he was named Southwest Conference Player of the Year in 1960.  Harris was nicknamed "Thumper" for his hard hits, and the Arkansas coaches now honor the best defensive player with the Thumper Award. A true scholar-athlete, Harris was named First Team Academic All-America in 1959 and twice earned First Team Academic All-Conference honors. Wayne Harris was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 after the National Football Foundation tabulated their votes. He was further honored in 1976 when the Canadian Football Hall of Fame inducted him for his play with the Calgary Stampeders. NCAAF Jersey 55. CFL Jersey 42.

Born April, 22, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the Washington and Lee fullback from 1921 to 1924, Eddie Cameron. Cameron was the spark plug of his team. The FootballFoundation.org shares a story of the 1923 between the W&L Generals and arch rival Virginia. Eddie was not present at kick off due to attending his mother’s funeral back in Pennsylvania.  The two teams slugged it out to a halftime scoreless tie. The home crowd went wild when Cameron came racing out to the field before the second half kickoff. The guy travelled by train throughout the night and while an awaiting car sped him from the station to the field he was throwing on his football uniform in a car!. On a fourth quarter series, Cameron carried the ball on 10 of 11 General plays, bucking for short yardage which netted the only score of the game as W&L won, 7-0. General coach Jimmie DeHart called it the greatest performance by a fullback he had ever seen, and it was typical of Cameron's career. The next season in 1924 he ended up in a tie for the national scoring title. The National Football Foundation selected Eddie Cameron for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976. After school was completed Cameron became the backfield coach at Duke University.  Later on he then became the head coach of the Blue Devils and posted 25 victories in 36 games before becoming the Athletic Director at Duke University.

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Born May 4, 1928, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, was Michigan State’s fine tackle of 1949 to 1951, Don Coleman. According to the National Football Foundation Don Coleman helped guide MSU to a 9-0 record in 1951, winning the Spartans' first national championship on the gridiron. Coleman was MSU's first unanimous All-American and first African-American All-American as a senior in 1951 after being picked by the Associated Press, United Press, Collier's, Look, The Sporting News, New York News, Football News, Newspaper Enterprise Association, All-American Board, International News Service, Chicago Tribune Players and Central Press. During Coleman's three seasons on varsity, he helped the Spartans to a 23-4 record, including 15 of the school-record 28 straight victories. Don Coleman’s good name and collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 1975.  NCAAF Jersey 78

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Born May 22, 1907, in Chicago, Illinois, was Washington tackle of 1929 to 1931, Paul Schwegler. The FootballFoundation.org reflects on how the Washinton Huskies football program was not very good during Schwegler’s time there. In fact they won only 12 of the 27 games played. But the play of tackle "Schweg" Schwegler, a native of Raymond, Washington, helped ease the pain and reverse the trend. Despite Washington's lack of success, selectors were unable to overlook Schwegler, naming him to no less than 43 collegiate all-star teams.  In 1931 Paul was a first team All-America choice that year as well, and went on to be named the defensive standout of the West squad in the 1932 East-West Shrine game. Paul Schwegler received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

Born May 7, 1881, in Alpena, Michigan, was the big tackle from the Army teams of 1899 to 1902, Paul Bunker.  The National Football Foundation lends the thought that when you are receiving high praise from an opponent you know you truly have a great player. Navy's star back of the 1900 era, Ralph Strassburger, who also  played defense. Approached Bunker several years after when the two met up on the gridiron, this time it was in the Philippines. "Bunker," Strassburger said, "I hate you. Let's have a drink." As you can see back in 1902 Bunker had ended his playing career with that season's Army-Navy game, running wild against the Middies and leading the Cadets to a 22-8 victory. He had scored two touchdowns on offense and had spent much of the afternoon punishing Navy's star back which was Strassburger. Walter Camp described Bunker as a battering ram who outclassed all other backs and was a first class defensive tackle. Bunker is one of just a handful of athletes to win All-America mention at two different positions. He won All-America honors as a tackle in 1901 and in 1902 at both halfback and tackle. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Paul Bunker into their legendary museum in 1969.    Bunker continued to be a hero off the field as he died for his country in 1943 as a Prisoner of War.

Born May 15, 1921, in Delphos, Ohio, was the University of Wyoming halfback from 1948 to 1950, Eddie Talboom. In Eddie’s bio on the National Football Foundation’s website it says “Boom Boom” served in the military during World War II right out of high school but upon his return stateside, he enrolled at the University of Wyoming and played under head coach Bowden Wyatt. Talboom starred in the Wyoming single-wing. Offense as he ran, passed, punted, and place-kicked. Eddie became Wyoming's first All-America in 1950 as he scored 130 points in 1950, third in the nation. In his career, he scored 34 touchdowns and 99 extra points. This gave him a total of 303 points. His average, 10.2 per game, was the fifth highest on record in 2000. Talboom also passed for 21 touchdowns, returned 10 kicks, and intercepted 2 passes. Wyoming went 9-1 in 1949, 10-0 in 1950. In 1949, Talboom scored 29 points against Colorado State. Boom Boom was responsible for all of Wyoming's points in the 1950 Gator Bowl as the knocked off Washington and Lee 20-7. Eddie Talboom was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 after the National Football Foundation tallied their votes.

Born May 2, 1955, in Mineral Wells, Texas, was Richard Ritchie the Texas A&I Quarterback from 1973 to 1976. After 9 games Texas A&I had a 1-8 record going into the last game of the 1973 season. A freshman, Richard Ritchie, moved up the depth chart to get the nod as the starting quarterback position according to the NFF's Bio on Ritchie. The Javelinas won that game and that propelled Ritchie to continue as the A&I signal caller quarterback for the next three full seasons. Texas A&I, now known as Texas A&M-Kingsville, in those seasons with Ritchie under center sported records of 13-0, 12-0, 13-0 enroute to winning NAIA Division I championships those three years. He passed for 40 touchdowns and rushed for 19. For his collegiate career Ritchie passed a total of 5,131 yards and he rushed for 1492. He also kicked 137 extra points and nine field goals. The National Football Foundation selected Richard Ritchie for entrance into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Richard served as assistant football coach at Texas 1977-79, North Texas 1980, and Texas Tech 1981-84.