The 30th Anniversary of the 1980 National Championship team approaches this fall. Where does the time go? It goes quickly, but that was a time that will bond this team until they lay us in the ground. It was an honor to play with those guys. And it seems almost like yesterday.
    I knew we were close to having a championship caliber team. As a high school kid, I witnessed the '76 Bulldogs win the SEC and go to the Sugar Bowl. In '78, a tie with Auburn in the year's final SEC game allowed Alabama to win it. The 1979 season was mostly a bummer, but we did kick butt in the SEC, until Auburn cut us in the SEC season finale. We were close. Willie McClendon carried the load in '78 and we missed that in 1979. We needed an outstanding running back. 
    Coach Mike Cavan delivered us Herschel Walker in the summer of 1980. And that summer night in Knoxville, we all celebrated a sweet victory, knowing our team would be tough to handle that season. Herschel was perhaps the best ever, but those title teams were full of talented, competitive guys. Practice was highly competitive and a lot of fun. Even during the season, we'd go full-speed,   1-on-1. We called it Bloody Tuesday. Bring your A-game. And we'd throw it in practice. LIndsay Scott was working on Scott Woerner. Amp Arnold on Mike Fisher. Womack on Ros and Nate Taylor. 
    Erk Russell's defense in 1980 was the best in college football. Allowed 10.8 points a game. Had 3 shutouts. Erk's defense held the oppenent to 15 of less in 8 games. The most an opponent scored was 21. They allowed 3 1st quarter points. And they led the nation in Forced Turnovers with 44. No way we could lose. That's 4 forced turnovers a game. Those guys were awesome.
    On offense, by design we were 77% run and 23% pass, but we could make plays in the passing game when we needed to. Herschel was getting it 25 times a game. And he was running it downhill, man. We had some tough, mean dudes blocking too. Harper, Morrison and Nall were nasty. Hudson was one of the best linemen in college football. Happe, Blakewood and Radloff were solid too. Our fullbacks and tight-ends were underappreciated, but spectacular...Womack and Stewert brutilized linebackers. Norris Brown and Clarence Kay dominated the edge. Lindsay was blocking his butt off downfield too. Couldn't be stopped. Check the highlight tape.
    For me, the best feeling and the time I appreciate the most...was looking around the locker room pre-game and knowing there was no way we were going to lose. The going out there and doing it was fun too. Hitting the field, even in enemy territory, behind Tim Morrison, Jeff Harper, Eddie Weaver and Jimmy Payne was a very comfortable feeling.