X Days until 2017 Leatherneck Football

[sealhall74]

1949 marked the first year of the Vince DiFrancesca coaching era. DiFrancesca is arguably the most
successful head football coach in Leatherneck football history if you base it solely on wins and losses.
His five year record with the Necks was 38–7–1 overall and 23–3–1 in the IIAC Conference. Even Saban and Mudra never put
up those kind of numbers. What makes it doubly impressive is that he took over an average program (a couple of 4-4 records in previous years) and achieved a 9-1 record in his very first year. No program rebuilding going on there, just getting it done from the very get-go. BTW, the Leatherneck roundballers were also faring well during this 5 year period and even beyond posting an overall 78-43 W-L record including a trip to the NAIA National Championship game. IMHO, the 50s period is the "Golden Era" of Leatherneck Athletics. Just my thoughts, now on to the Throwback Thursday Trivia question:

What past Leatherneck ILLINOIS college football opponent was the "oldest kid on the block" and could also boast of
having the "tallest kid in the stands", assuming he showed up to the game of course.

Hint: From Macomb, the drive to the game would be about (2*49)+33 miles.

Shurtleff College, founded in 1827 in Alton, IL, is from what I can gather, the earliest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois. McKendree College is a close second, being founded in 1828. Western played against Shurtleff numerous times over the years, including the year 1949, and has an overall record against them of 10-2-1. Robert Wadlow, the Guiness record holder as the tallest human on record at 8'11", was a student at Shurtleff in 1938 for a semester before moving into the business world of selling shoes (he wore a size 37). Shurtleff shut down in 1957. Since then, the campus and facilities have been used by SIU-Edwardsville and currently the SIU School of Dental Medicine resides there.

I guess I need to make next weeks trivia question "open book".

[ST_Lawson]

Shurtleff College, founded in 1827 in Alton, IL, is from what I can gather, the earliest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois. McKendree College is a close second, being founded in 1828. Western played against Shurtleff numerous times over the years, including the year 1949, and has an overall record against them of 10-2-1. Robert Wadlow, the Guiness record holder as the tallest human on record at 8'11", was a student at Shurtleff in 1938 for a semester before moving into the business world of selling shoes (he wore a size 37). Shurtleff shut down in 1957. Since then, the campus and facilities have been used by SIU-Edwardsville and currently the SIU School of Dental Medicine resides there.

I guess I need to make next weeks trivia question "open book".

Wasn't till I was out on my run this evening that I realized I should have just checked the records book for who we played that year. I ran a map range finder to give me approximate locations...had it narrowed down to places like Cedar Rapids (Coe College?), Decatur (Milliken?), St. Louis area (lots of schools).

[sealhall74]

Shurtleff College, founded in 1827 in Alton, IL, is from what I can gather, the earliest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois. McKendree College is a close second, being founded in 1828. Western played against Shurtleff numerous times over the years, including the year 1949, and has an overall record against them of 10-2-1. Robert Wadlow, the Guiness record holder as the tallest human on record at 8'11", was a student at Shurtleff in 1938 for a semester before moving into the business world of selling shoes (he wore a size 37). Shurtleff shut down in 1957. Since then, the campus and facilities have been used by SIU-Edwardsville and currently the SIU School of Dental Medicine resides there.

I guess I need to make next weeks trivia question "open book".

Wasn't till I was out on my run this evening that I realized I should have just checked the records book for who we played that year. I ran a map range finder to give me approximate locations...had it narrowed down to places like Cedar Rapids (Coe College?), Decatur (Milliken?), St. Louis area (lots of schools).

Correction. We were 10-0-1. Best Google query to do would have been "tallest kid in Illinois" to answer this one.

[ST_Lawson]

Correction. We were 10-0-1. Best Google query to do would have been "tallest kid in Illinois" to answer this one.

I'm actually pretty disappointed I didn't think of this right off the top of my head. When I was a kid I loved reading and re-reading the Guiness Book of World Records...I know all about Robert Wadlow...nearly 9 feet tall, from Alton (he was the closest "record" to Macomb that I could find in the book). In fact, about three years ago, we were on our way down to Georgia for a vacation and actually stopped for lunch in Alton and made a point to stop by and visit Wadlow's statue and the bronze replica of his custom-made chair...on the campus of the old Shurtleff College...



So yea...I have no excuse.

[ST_Lawson]

Today is #48, who is...
Sophomore Tight End Jackson Riley


Jackson is a LEJA major from Cottage Grove, WI. He played in seven games last season as a redshirt freshman, catching 1 pass for 28 yards against Northern Iowa.

Other #48's in Leatherneck History include:
Gary Spangenberg.................1962-64
Sam Hardimon.......................1975-77
Erskin Bassette........................... 1979
Jeff Meyer.................................... 1981
Marcus Ballard............................ 1983
Mike Ursini..............................1985-86
Bryan Cox...............................1987-90
Don Spencer..........................1991-94
Jason Stam................................. 1995
Markus Pryor..........................1997-99
Mike Tetzel................................... 2002
Tim Martz................................2003-04
Matt Moore.............................2007-08
Rick Richardson..................... 2009-11

Marcus Ballard was a second-team all-conference DB in 1984 and 1985, then first-team all-conference and AP Honorable Mention All-American in 1986. He's currently tied at #6 on the list for most career interceptions in Leatherneck history with 10. He was the team leader in kickoff returns in 1983 as a freshman, and punt return leader in '85 and '86.

Bryan Cox was one of the most highly decorated defensive players in Leatherneck History. He was an all-conference second team DL in 1987, first team DB in 1989 and 1990 as well as receiving All-American awards from Sports Network (first team), FB Gazette (first team) and AP (second team). Leatherneck awards and records include:

• team's tackle leader in 1990 with 118 tackles
• team's interceptions leader in 1990 with 4
• 2nd (tied) in returns of any type for a TD with 3
• 1st (tied) for blocked kicks in a game with 2 (against Montana State in 1990)
• 1st for blocked kicks in a season with 5 in 1990
• 2nd (tied) for blocked kicks in a season with 3 in 1988
• 1st (tied) for safeties in a season with 2 in 1990
• 6th (tied) for forced fumbles in a season with 4 in 1988
• 6th for defensive scoring with 10 points (1 TD, 2 safeties) in 1990
• 9th for career solo tackles with 166
• 8th (tied) for career assisted tackles with 157
• 8th for career total tackles with 323 (he'll drop to 9th this season once Brett Taylor hits 17 tackles this year)
• 4th for career passes broken up with 27
• 1st in career blocked kicks with 10 (also the MVFC record)
• 1st in career safeties with 2
• 4th in career forced fumbles with 9
• 2nd (tied) in career fumble recoveries with 7
• 3rd (tied) in career defensive scoring with 2 TDs and 2 safeties

Cox was drafted in the 1991 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins in the 5th round. He would end up playing for 12 years for the Dolphins, Bears, Jets, Patriots, and Saints, playing in a total of 165 games. He was a 3 time Pro-Bowler (92, 94, 95) and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. After finishing his playing career, he has spent time as an assistant coach with the Jets, Browns, Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Falcons. He was inducted into the Leatherneck Hall of Fame in 2008. From his bio: "With all of the success on the field, Cox has always found time to give back to Western, as well as the community he grew up in. He has been a major donor to the Leatherneck football program, including a lead gift for the locker room/weight room complex. Cox also hosts charity golf tournaments and softball games with proceeds going to The Boys and Girls Club of East St. Louis."

Tim Martz, son of former NFL head coach Mike Martz, played for Western in 2003 and was an assistant LBs coach for us in 2011.

Rick Richardson was an academic all-conference honorable mention FB in 2009 and received the conference's President's Academic Excellence Award in 2011.

[ST_Lawson]

#47 is Junior Linebacker Michael Bishoff



Bishoff is a Supply Chain Management major from Elk Grove Village, IL. He played in all 13 games his redshirt-freshman year, racking up 47 total tackles with 1 for loss. Last season, as a sophomore, he had a foot injury during fall camp and was only able to play in the final 4 games of the season where he had 7 total tackles.

Other #47's in our history include:
Greg Carson................................ 1969
Steve Mertens........................1971-73
Jim Bavirsha...........................1975-78
John Tuckier................................ 1980
Pablo Luis...............................1988-89
Matt Schoneman....................1990-92
Jason Isom.................................. 2000
Jason Hayth................................ 2005
Teague Dentino........................... 2008

Steve Mertens is listed in the Leatherneck record books as having the 7th best performance for total tackles in a season (162 in 1973), 7th best for career solo tackles (177) and 10th best for total tackles (311, although Brett Taylor will bump him down to 11th once he reaches 5 tackles this season).

Pablo Luis received a conference player of the week award in September 23, 1989

Jasen Isom played for a year at Cincinnati before transferring to Western. After graduating, he went on to play in 6 games for the San Francisco 49ers between 2003 and 2004 as a RB. However, he only had one carry for 0 yardage and 1 reception for 1 yard. He currently runs Camp 41 Elite Training Institute Inc. in Deer Park, NY.

Teague Dentino was a D-Lineman named to the conference All-Newcomer team in 2008.

The 1947 Football Season
I thought maybe it'd be interesting to start doing this too...
1947 was a fairly mediocre season for the Leathernecks, going 4-4-1 overall and 0-4 in the Little 19 conference. We started with a blowout 40-0 win at Illinois College, then headed home and tied 13-13 with Carthage. We won at Quincy, 21-6 and then went back home and lost 7-0 to SIU for Homecoming. Heading down to the Alton area, we played Shurtleff, winning 7-0, then up to Dekalb the next week for a 33-0 loss to NIU. Back home again for a 27-13 victory over Millikin, but then a 26-0 loss at home to Illinois State and 19-0 loss at EIU.

1947 was the last season of head coach Wix Garner (who, I believe, had been an assistant under Coach Hanson).

[ST_Lawson]

Sunday was 46 days and #46 currently is:
Redshirt Freshman Punter/Kicker Kyle Coale



Kyle is Business Management major from Palos Verdes, CA

Other #46's in Leatherneck history include:
Dennis Skaggs.......................1967-68
Daniel Klinginsmith.................1971-72
Charles Hubbard....................1973-74
Bill Barrows............................1975-77
Joe Peters..............................1982-86
Thad Trump............................1987-90
Matt Pleviak............................1994-95
Josh Kaburick.........................1998-99
Drew Kocsis...........................2002-04
Luke Venegoni........................ 2011-14

Thad Trump was a conference player of the week at LB in late October of 1990 (and as far as I know, is not related to our current president). His son Jacob is also a LB (and also wears #46) and is currently a Junior on the Mizzou football team.

Matt Pleviak was an academic all-conference honorable mention NB in 1995.

Luke Venegoni was (tied for) the team's interceptions leader in 2014 with 2.

[ST_Lawson]

Monday was 45 days left...

#45 is currently Junior Tight End Tyler Slamans



Tyler is an Exercise Science major from Sugar Grove, IL. He played in all 11 games last season, catching 2 passes for a total of 13 yards.

Other #45's in Leatherneck History include:
Charles Trumpinski.................1961-62
Ron Wrather................................ 1966
Ric Schimanski.......................1970-71
Bob Hardig.............................1973-75
Regis Dansdill........................1978-81
Earl Thompson.......................1982-84
Jay Wade................................1987-88
Milo Miller...............................1989-90
Lamonta Nicholson.................1992-96
Ben Hilgart..............................1997-98
Leon Simmons............................ 1999
Michael O’Brien......................2000-03
John Wise.................................... 2004
John Arient.................................. 2006
Kevin Palermo........................ 2008-11

Bob Hardig holds the #5 spot for kick return yards in a season, picking up 576 yards in 1974.

Regis Dansdill was an AP All-American honorable mention and second team all-conference DL in 1981. He is #2 (tied) on the list for most sacks in a game, with 4 in a game in '81. He's also at 2nd (tied with former NFL LB David Bowens) for most sacks in a season with 15 that same year. Those 15 sacks also put him at #10 (tied) for career sacks in Leatherneck History.

Earl Thompson was a AP Third Team All-American and Second Team All-Conference DB in 1983, then AP Honorable Mention and First Team All-Conference in 1984. He was the team's interception leader in 1983 with 6 (including 1 TD) and is tied at #6 for blocked kicks in a season with 2.

Jay Wade was a Second Team All-Conference DB in 1987, and then First Team All-Conference and AP Honorable Mention in 1988.

Kevin Palermo was a LB on the conference All-Newcomer team in 2008 and Second Team All-Conference in 2011, as well as being the team's tackle leader that season with 105. He was also First Team Academic All-Conference in 2011, receiving the conference's President's Academic Excellence Award and was named to the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team.

[ST_Lawson]

Today, we are 44 days out.

#44 is Senior Linebacker Brett Taylor



Brett already received his Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration (RPTA) bachelor's degree and is currently working on a master's degree in Sport Management. He is from Macomb, IL.

I won't get too much into detail on all of Brett's awards (I'm sure much more will be said throughout the season), but he's one of the better LBs in Western history (in a long line of very good LB's). Here's just a few from his player bio from last season: First Team All-America (STATS)... Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Team... First Team All-America (College Sports Madness)... Second Team All-America (Associated Press)... Finished 7th in the Buck Buchanan Award voting (National Defensive Player of the Year)... First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference...Led the nation in solo tackles per game. In addition to his on-the-field accomplishments, he was also First Team Academic All-MVFC, and received the President's Council Academic Excellence Award (GPA above 3.5).

Other #44's in Western history include:
Jerry Wamsley............................. 1966
Greg Outlaw...........................1969-71
Glenn Johnson............................ 1973
Donnie Snyder............................. 1975
Willie Jordan................................ 1977
Bill Barrows................................. 1978
Mike Hembrough....................1979-82
Dean Dalton................................ 1983
Camillo Valle...........................1984-85
Victor Perrin................................. 1986
Marty Lomelino............................ 1987
Jimmy Lewis...........................1988-89
Kevin Hanson.............................. 1990
Tim Crotty...............................1991-92
Jason Vasconez.....................1993-94
Bobby Rucka..........................1996-99
Jason Riddle...........................2000-04
Josh Hollie..............................2005-06
Sam Power.................................. 2010
Alie Walker............................. 2011-12

Jerry Wamsley holds the record for most interception return yards in a game, with 118 against Indiana State in 1967. That game, Wamsley had 3 interceptions which makes him tied for first for interceptions in a game.

Marty Lomelino was a LB named to the All-Italian American Team in 1985, and in 1987 was First Team All-Conference, twice received the conference player of the week award, and was an AP Honorable Mention. He's in the record books for the 7th longest interception return (77 yards against SIU in '86), #4 (tied) for total tackles in a game with 24 against EIU in '87, and was the team's tackle leader in '87 with 142 total tackles.

Jason Vasconez was a First Team All-Conference LB in 1994. He received both FB Gazette and Sports Network honorable mention awards that year as well, and was also a Sports Network honorable mention in 1995. He was the team's tackles leader in 1994 with 126 total tackles, is #10 (tied) on the list for assisted tackles in a season (81), is #1 (tied) for fumble recoveries in a season (4), and is #5 (tied) for career fumble recoveries with 5 (although him and Pat Bayers will drop to #6 if Brett Taylor picks up a fumble recovery this season).

[sealhall74]

The years of 1942 through 1944 were a challenge for college football teams around the country as many potential recruits became recruits of a different nature. These young men and women were a hardy lot, living through the depression times of the 1930s and later leading the way to war victories on two fronts. No surprise they would later become known as "The Greatest Generation" but I digress. Back to college football at this time. Some colleges would forego fielding a team for one or more of these years (e.g. Michigan State in 1943). Those that did play were typically using players with military medical exemptions and deferments. Player eligibility rules became very flexible out of necessity. One year you are playing for College Team X. The next year you might be in military training somewhere and if that school was lucky enough to have a football squad, you might be playing against your old Team X. The military service academy teams flourished during this period. Other military service teams also fared well, even when matched up against typical college powerhouses like Notre Dame and Michigan. In fact, some of these military service teams were located in the midwest not too far from Macomb. And that takes us to this week's Throwback Thursday Trivia question.

Which of the following midwest military installations did NOT sponsor a football team during the war years of 1942 through 1944?

Iowa Pre-Flight School (US Navy @ Iowa City, IA)
Camp Grant (US Army @ Rockford, IL)
Naval Station Great Lakes (US Navy @ Chicago, IL)
Camp Ellis (US Army @ Bernadotte, Ipava, and Table Grove in IL)