Today is Jason Johnson’s birthday. HBD Jason.
Most of y’all know Jason as the guy who has scored more touchdowns than any other Roo in history. Jason found the end zone 32 times during his career. In 1990, Johnson scored 15 times in just 11 games. The 1990 Kangaroos are this year’s Roo Season in Review; that story kicks off tomorrow.
Yeah, but Jason has a little secret that only a few know. Jason’s a tennis player from a tennis playing family. One family member won a HS state title in his native Oklahoma. Another family member coached Sooner tennis at OU. Many in the family play, and many are good. Jason included.
I call Jason an AC Bo Jackson. You know Bo, right? The Auburn baseball player who made it to the MLB All-Star game as a Kansas City Royal? Bo had a “hobby” in the off-season too. As Bo mentioned in a 1987 interview, his hobby was an NFL career. Like some folks do fishing, or hunting, or AC football.
Jason is on a tennis team with my brother and me down here in Austin. I’m sometimes asked if I am better than Jason. My answer is always the same: “Yes. But I was line #1 for AC tennis. And it is still a FAIR question! Which tells you all you need to know about the athlete that is Jason Johnson.”
The 1990 Kangaroo story kicks off tomorrow. Jason’s a big part of the story, because he was a big part of that NAIA playoff season. I was in Spain on a study abroad, so I didn’t see the 1990 Roos do their thing 33 years ago. But I’ve finished all 10 chapters for this Roo Tale, so I’m finally caught up. Chapter #1 tomorrow.
And if it’s Jason’s birthday today, that must mean it’s also Lisa Lindsay Johnson‘s birthday. HBD Lisa.
1990 was a special year for Austin College Kangaroo football. The 1990 Roos dominated TIAA competition, earning a Top 20 national ranking and advancing to the NAIA D2 playoffs on the back of an 8-win regular season. 13 Roos were placed on TIAA All-Conference teams by season’s end. 4 of those 13 earned NAIA All-American.
1990 was a special year for the world. Walls crumbled in Berlin, relations warmed with the Soviets, and the entire continent of Europe was suddenly open for students to see. I was one of those students in 1990, studying abroad in Madrid and traveling far and wide from Morocco to Moscow.
Because of that year abroad, I missed the entire 1990 season in Sherman. And I mean that literally. Before our 21st century communications revolution, to study abroad meant complete isolation. I did not learn about the 1990 Roo football season until my return to Texas one year later.
And so, I missed the undefeated 1990 campaign at home, a place where AC rarely lost during my years in Sherman. I missed the titanic battle at Tarleton for the conference crown, where the Roos just barely missed pulling off the upset. And I missed the Homecoming crushing of McMurry, which secured an NAIA playoff berth for the second time in three years.
The 1990 Roo offense was stacked with All-Conference award winners. Quarterback Dale Trompler directed a passing attack with targets in wide receiver Kyle Deatherage and tight end Tommy Savage. Running back Jason Johnson had an exceptional season running the ball. When drives stalled, kicker Kyle Matlock could be counted upon from nearly any distance. The offensive line was anchored by veterans Keith Willeford and Brien Sanders. All were TIAA All-Conference by the end of 1990.
The 1990 Roo defense was also full of TIAA All-Conference designees. Lineman Nader Dabboussi anchored a defensive line that was backed up by linebacker David Ucherek. The air game offered little relief for opponents with Walker Fenci and Jeff Cordell in the secondary. Dabboussi, Ucherek, Fenci, & Cordell earned All-Conference status; Cordell would finish the 1990 season as TIAA defensive player of the year.
Turns out, you can go home again. That same 21st century communications revolution means that I can experience that 1990 season for the first time, by reliving the past and telling the story of this winning Kangaroo team. 24 of the 64 1990 roster members are online, will be tagged in each chapter, and are encouraged to add color commentary to the play by play.
It’s a tradition now: relive a past season of AC football. And we do it every year.
2016: 1981 season
2017: 1988 season
2018: 1968 season
2019: 2000 season
2020: 1920 season
2021: 1935 season
2022: 1979 season
2023: 1990 season
The story of the 1990 Roo football team will be told in 10 chapters throughout the month of December in the “Go Roos” FB group. I’ve also uploaded the entire 1990 season video to youtube and will be using to tell the story; see the video in the comments. Hope y’all enjoy this season of Austin College football as much as I enjoyed my AC study abroad back in 1990.
Friday, December 1st. Chapter 1: @ Hardin-Simmons / Spain
Monday, December 4th. Chapter 2: vs. Lindenwood / Portugal
Friday, December 8th. Chapter 3: @ McMurry / Morocco
Monday, December 11th. Chapter 4: @ Tarleton & @ HPU / France
Friday, December 15th. Chapter 5: vs. Hardin-Simmons / Germany
Monday, December 18th. Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Damion Roberts, Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
At the Alcazar de Toledo, Spain
Chapter 1: @ Hardin-Simmons / Spain
Slingin’ Sammy Baugh was a TCU freshman when his Horned Frogs arrived in 1932 to face Austin College in Sherman. TCU won easily, and Baugh was on his way to national fame in the NFL. After retirement, Baugh returned to Texas to coach. In 1955, Sammy Baugh was named Head Coach of the Hardin-Simmons Cowboys.
Hardin-Simmons dropped its football program in 1961, soon after Baugh’s departure. But the school brought the football program back in 1990 as a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA). The first football opponent for Hardin-Simmons since the days of Sammy Baugh was the 1990 AC Kangaroos.
The 1990 Roos were hungry to compete for an NAIA playoff berth once again. AC had captured that berth in 1988, but a frustrating 6-4 season in 1989 left the team short of the mark. A much-improved offense combined with a dominant Red Shirt Pride (RSP) defense in 1990 would see that Roo goal achieved. Hardin-Simmons would endure the brunt in week #1.
At Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium, Roo defensive back Walker Fenci was the star. His four interceptions against HSU set a new TIAA record. Fenci added six unassisted tackles to boot, as the Roos rolled to a 38-19 victory. The Roo defense, led by lineman Nader Dabboussi, linebacker David Ucherek, and a secondary anchored by Jeff Cordell and Fenci, did not allow a score the entire game. All 19 Cowboys points came from the HSU defense and special teams. Hardin-Simmons was limited to just 156 yards of total offense as the RSP defense welcomed back the Cowboys to small college Texas football.
Dale Trompler led the Roo offense by going 9-of-14 for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tommy Savage hauled in two of those TDs as his teammate Kyle Deatherage caught the third. Behind a solid offensive line led by Brien Sanders, Keith Willeford, Damion Roberts, and Lance Haynes, Jason Johnson rushed for 70 yards and scored another touchdown; Johnson’s teammate Kelly Mulhollan finished the scoring with a 4th quarter TD.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the HSU game. I spent the year in Madrid, Spain, during a time when the country was transitioning from Generalissimo Franco, joining the European Union, and anticipating the arrival of the USA’s “Dream Team” basketball squad at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Despite years of Spanish classes in Texas, I arrived in Madrid barely understanding a word. I left Spain, however, with professional fluency.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the HSU game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in Spain and the 1990 HSU game video at the (00:26-06:50) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Monday, December 4th. Chapter 2: vs. Lindenwood / Portugal
Friday, December 8th. Chapter 3: @ McMurry / Morocco
Monday, December 11th. Chapter 4: @ Tarleton & @ HPU / France
Friday, December 15th. Chapter 5: vs. Hardin-Simmons / Germany
Monday, December 18th. Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Sagrada Familia. Begun in 1882. Still in progress in 1990. To be completed 2026.
With Roos & non-Roos in Andalucia, Spain
Chapter 2: vs. Lindenwood / Portugal
AC Coach Mel Tjeerdsma, the winningest coach in Austin College history, was well on his way in 1990 to his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. That induction was solidified in the state of Missouri, where Tjeerdsma guided the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats to three NCAA D2 national titles after his time in Sherman.
But before Coach T headed for Northwest Missouri, he and the 1990 Roos were competing against Missouri schools. In fact, the 1990 AC campaign included three opponents from the Show Me State. Two of those games took place in the state of Missouri; one was played in the friendly confines of Louis Calder (now Jerry Apple) Stadium. In week #2, AC hosted Lindenwood University, located just outside of St. Louis, MO.
The Lindenwood Lions fought to the end, but the difference was a 44-yard 4th quarter field goal by Roo kicker Kyle Matlock. Nearly 3,000 in Sherman saw AC move to 2-0 on the season after the 17-14 win. Tommy Savage hauled in a first quarter score from Dale Trompler. Running back Bart Tatum, who would later assist Tjeerdsma at Northwest Missouri, punched it in from 10 yards for a score. From Coach T: “I was very pleased with our running game despite the mistakes. Tatum and Jason Johnson both ran really hard, and Kelly Mulhollan came in and played really well for us.”
As usual, the Roo defense was solid. Lindenwood was only able to amass 171 total yards and one offensive score. The Sherman Democrat agreed, running a story headlined “Roos put faith in strong defense.” From Coach T: “I was pleased with the play of our defense. [DT] Patrick Russell had a great game. [LB] Carlisle Mabrey and [LB] Jason Armstrong did a great job containing their running backs on the corners.” Two picks by Jeff Cordell and Walker Fenci helped the cause.
Coach T and the Roos would win two of three against Missouri schools in 1990. Four years later, Tjeerdsma would be on his way to the state of Missouri for good. At Northwestern Missouri State, he’d notch 183 wins (against just 43 losses) between 1994 and 2010. That, alongside his tenure at AC, would earn him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Tjeerdsma was inducted in 2018 alongside D1 coaching legends Mack Brown and Frank Beamer. See the comments for Coach Mel Tjeerdsma’s induction ceremony video, which includes the following: “Beginning his Head Coaching career at Austin College, Tjeerdsma won a school record 59 games and three conference titles, along with two trips to the playoffs.” This 1990 Roo Tale is one of those two trips.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the Lindenwood game. I spent part of the year in Portugal, during a time when the country was transitioning from to democratic rule, undoing the sins of colonial rule in Africa, and celebrating its navigational past. I visited the Pena Palace at Sintra and took in the view of the Atlantic from the Belem Tower. I thought if I squinted hard enough in that Tower used by the descendants of Prince Henry the Navigator, I could maybe just make out the Roo victory over Lindenwood nearly 5,000 miles away.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Lindenwood game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review on VHS. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in Portugal and the 1990 Lindenwood game video at the (06:50-09:27) mark.
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Friday, December 8th. Chapter 3: @ McMurry / Morocco
Monday, December 11th. Chapter 4: @ Tarleton & @ HPU / France
Friday, December 15th. Chapter 5: vs. Hardin-Simmons / Germany
Monday, December 18th. Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Pena Palace at Sintra
Belem Tower in Lisbon
Coach Mel Tjeerdsma College Football Hall of Fame induction
Chapter 3: @ McMurry / Morocco
AC’s hot start in 1990 was rewarded by NAIA pollsters after two weeks. Austin College began the season with a national ranking of #25 and reached #19 before a week #3 road contest at McMurry. After taking care of business in Abilene, that ranking would move up even higher.
Eight members of the Abilene Reporter News Staff picked that week’s slate of college football games. The staff was divided 4-4 over whether the Texas Longhorns would upset eventual 1990 NCAA champion Colorado in Austin (they did not). But the 8 were nearly unanimous about the AC-McMurry game. The day would belong to the Kangaroos.
“They whipped our old tail pretty good,” said McMurry Coach Mark Cox after the 49-12 loss. “Any time you let people jump out on you like that, you know that’s going to be tough. I don’t know if we weren’t ready to play, or what. You’ve got to give them credit.”
Again, it was the defense. “’Our defense has played extremely well,’ [Coach Mel] Tjeerdsma said. ‘We feel strong about our people in the secondary. Part of that is because we’re putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback.’” The Abilene newspaper mentioned that linebacker David Ucherek led the Austin College defense in tackles with 10 per game. LBs Chris Smith & John Womack helped out as well; Ucherek, Smith, & Womack would combine for 161 tackles by season’s end.
But the AC offense was shining just as bright. Austin College came into the game averaging 494 yards per game in total offense, fourth best in the nation. The Roo offensive line, led by Brien Sanders, Keith Willeford, Damion Roberts, and Lance Haynes, created holes for RB Jason Johnson. Johnson scored three touchdowns against McMurry while notching 135 yards; those numbers vaulted him up near the top of the TIAA conference in rushing yardage. But wide receiver Bryant Vaughn was the player of the game, reeling in five catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. For his efforts, Vaughn was named TIAA player of the week.
The McMurry win moved the Kangaroos up in the national polls to 13th and set the stage for a heavy weight fight in Stephenville against Tarleton State in week #4. AC had defeated the Texans in 1988 on the way to a TIAA title; Tarleton had returned the favor in 1989 on their own way to the TIAA crown. Now, the two elite schools of the TIAA would meet at the summit of their programs for the 1990 championship. The game would not disappoint; one might even consider the game the highwater mark of the TIAA conference.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the McMurry game. I spent part of the year in Morocco, during a time when the country (a Major Non-NATO ally with the longest friendship treaty in force with the U.S.) was balancing its western orientation with an eastern concern about a looming Persian Gulf War. I visited Morocco in December 1990 and witnessed Berber (not Arab!) demonstrations for a negotiated settlement. That settlement never arrived; one month later in January, American bombers were leaving American bases near Madrid, flying over my Madrid apartment, and heading to the Arabian Peninsula.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the McMurry game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review on VHS. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in Morocco and the 1990 McMurry game video at the (09:27-12:50) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Monday, December 11th. Chapter 4: @ Tarleton & @ HPU / France
Friday, December 15th. Chapter 5: vs. Hardin-Simmons / Germany
Monday, December 18th. Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
This Morocco tour guide studied in Texas and was an Akeem Olajuwon fan.
Malcolm Forbes house in Tangiers. Forbes bought it and turned it into a military museum.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2013/11/21/why-morocco-matters-to-the-u-s/?sh=124d40314f75
US-Morocco history & relations in, ironically, Forbes.
Chapter 4: @ Tarleton & @ HPU / France
“When Austin College and the Tarleton State Texans battle each other, you can always expect to get your money’s worth. Saturday night’s game was no exception.” – AC Observer, 1990
It was the game between two heavyweights in the TIAA. It was for all of the marbles in the TIAA, and it would not disappoint.
AC struck early in Stephenville, taking a 14-0 lead on two Jason Johnson touchdowns. After a second half Tarleton comeback, a 50-yard, six-minute AC drive late ended with a Kyle Matlock field goal and a 17-13 lead with just 1:27 left in the game. On the ensuing possession, Tarleton QB Eric Lugo threw three straight incompletions. Fourth down. One more play, and the Roos would be headed home with a huge upset victory on the road.
But Lugo connected on that fourth down, and then proceeded to drive the Texans into the red zone. With 10 seconds left, Lugo tossed a game winning 16-yard TD to earn Tarleton a 20-17 victory and send the home crowd into euphoria. AC returned to Sherman on the short end of one of the most dramatic Roo-Texan games in TIAA history.
Two weeks later, the Roos traveled to Brownwood to face nationally ranked Howard Payne. AC wins in Brownwood were historically hard to come by, and this proved to be the case again in 1990. Like Stephenville, the Yellow Jackets secured a 28-24 upset on yet another 16-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter.
The losses to Tarleton and HPU negated fine performances by Jason Johnson, who rushed for 222 yards and five touchdowns in the two contests. Combined with Dale Trompler’s 325 yards in the air, wins in both games seemed likely until the very end. The narrow defeats at the buzzer to Tarleton and HPU on the road would be the only two losses in the 1990 regular season for Austin College.
Despite the defeats, the Roo defense was still showing its mettle. AC owned the #1 ranked defense in the TIAA, and a secondary led by Jeff Cordell and Walker Fenci was 7th in the nation in fewest passing yards allowed. AC’s secondary was giving up a mere 93 yards a game through the air. Cordell & Fenci would combine for an astonishing 17 interceptions in 1990.
Tarleton State today is the second largest school in the Texas A&M University System, after the flagship school in my hometown of College Station. The Texans compete in Division 1 and will face the Aggies at Kyle Field in 2025. Today, the Tarleton Texans have big dreams in the big world of collegiate athletics.
But there was a time when Tarleton State would rather do anything other than face the Austin College Kangaroos in TIAA competition. During the life of that conference, AC owned an 18-11 overall record against Tarleton. During my years in Sherman, AC split the Tarleton series 3-3 and owned a 3-1 record at home.
And after the painful 1990 loss in Stephenville, Tarleton traveled to Sherman for one last meeting in 1991. With 1990 backup QB John Talley now starting at QB for the Roos in 1991, Austin College defeated Tarleton in the final matchup ever between the schools. I see John regularly alongside a group of Roos; whenever Roo football comes up and the conversation turns to John & football, we usually wrap up the talk with the same words: “hey, you beat Tarleton.”
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the Tarleton & HPU games. I spent part of the year in France, during a time when President Francois Mitterrand was working closely with the U.S. to reunify Germany under a NATO umbrella, pacify Soviet angst about reunification, and usher in a new Europe no longer divided by the Cold War. 1990 was also the year France & the UK finally established a land border; on December 1st, French & British Chunnel workers met under the English Channel and shook hands.
In 1990, Eurail passes allowed students to live on trains for free. Nearly all trains from Madrid to Europe ran through Paris, France; I must have passed through the City of Lights 10-15 times. Paris for me in 1990 was just the first or last town at the start or end of a trip, something similar to Gunter, TX for your average Roo student. Good luck to the Gunter Tigers and the family of Roo Bill Magers in Thursday’s state title game.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Tarleton & HPU games all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in France and the 1990 Tarleton & HPU game videos at the (12:50-16:00) mark and (19:34-20:58) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Friday, December 15th. Chapter 5: vs. Hardin-Simmons / Germany Monday, December 18th. Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Arc D’Troimphe
Eiffel Tower
Chapter 5: vs. Hardin-Simmons / Germany
Hardin-Simmons traveled to Sherman looking for revenge in week #5, but returned to Abilene with its second loss of the season to AC. Jason Johnson scored two touchdowns on the ground and hauled in a third on a 23-yard throw from Dale Trompler. Kyle Deatherage and Bryant Vaughn tallied 82 and 57 yards receiving, respectively. An AC offensive line anchored Brien Sanders, Keith Willeford, Damion Roberts, and Lance Haynes helped the Roo offense tally 367 yards of total offense. Austin College won, 23-12.
The defense was outstanding as usual, as Nader Dabboussi, David Ucherek, and the rest of the D-line and linebackers limited Hardin-Simmons to just 79 yards on the ground. Bobby Hardin and Chris Smith each recovered fumbles to set up a score. On the Cowboys last possession, the game was iced with an interception by AC Hall of Honor inductee (and my Rho Lambda Theta fraternity brother) Jimmy Baird.
Roo football historically has been the province of the Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity, a family to which Jason Johnson belongs. Johnson’s 1990 season was probably his best, as the Roo running back logged nearly 1,000 yards rushing and scored an incredible 15 touchdowns. By the end of his time at AC, Johnson would own the Roo record for career touchdowns. Yet another success story for an athlete from Phi Sigma Alpha.
But while the Sigs are tops, other Greek groups have made contributions from time to time. During the years before and after 1990, my Rho Lambda Theta fraternity was often football heavy. In fact, 9 Rho Lambs could be found on the squad that year: Carlos Longoria (GA), Doug Overstreet, John Talley, Kelly Mulhollan, Cliff Brooks, Michael Dickens, Rob Herchert, Todd Treible, and Jimmy Baird.
AC Greek groups are family, and Roos respect family. But AC itself is an extended family, so at Austin College there is often a good amount of Greek crossover. It was an honor for me, a Rho Lamb, to nominate Sig Jason Johnson for the AC Hall of Honor. It was a thrill to see him get in and listen to his moving induction speech. And I treasure a picture from that Legends evening, showing Jason with Coach T, his Sig family, and a good number of Jason’s friends (including me) from Rho Lambda Theta.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the HSU game. I spent that year watching the reunification of Germany in October of 1990, and a half century of two Berlins suddenly became just one. I traveled to Berlin four months later, and in a Truman Show-like afternoon took a subway west to the last station. I then walked west until I came upon a wall where West Berlin abruptly ended and East German countryside began. There, I took out a can of spray paint and painted Rho Lambda Theta on the Berlin Wall.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Hardin-Simmons game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review on VHS. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc at the Berlin Wall and the 1990 Hardin-Simmons game video at the (16:00-19:34) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Monday, December 18th. Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Brandenburg Gate – Berlin
Rho Lambda Theta on the Berlin Wall
Sigs, Rho Lambs, teammates, Coach T, and Jason
Chapter 6: vs. Midwestern / Netherlands
The NAIA respected AC’s two nail biting losses on the road against nationally ranked Tarleton & HPU. So much so that AC still owned a #23 national ranking heading into week #7. In fact, AC was the highest ranked 2-loss team in the nation; it would stay that way the rest of the season. The Roos prepared to host Midwestern in Sherman.
Midwestern had a strong defense of their own, and Coach T knew what to expect. “Tjeerdsma said the Kangaroos are going to have a tough time moving the ball. ‘They’re so aggressive,’ he said. ‘They swarm all over the field and put pressure on you everywhere.’” Coach T’s insight proved correct, as Midwestern limited AC to only 189 yards of total offense and zero touchdowns.
But kicking and the Red Shirt Pride (RSP) defense came through again. AC Hall of Honor inductee Kyle Matlock’s booted three field goals, including a mammoth shot from 54 yards. Nader Dabboussi, David Ucherek, John Womack, Jeff Cordell, Walker Fenci, and the rest of the defense held Midwestern to just 196 total yards and one touchdown. The Roos escaped with a 9-7 win. For his efforts on the defensive side of the ball, Dabboussi was named TIAA defensive player of the week.
“’I was really proud of the way our defense played today,’ Austin College head coach Mel Tjeerdsma said. ‘They did a great job containing their running game. Thank goodness for Kyle Matlock. He has done a good job for us all year. Jeff Cordell and Nader Dabboussi did a great job for us on defense today.’ Dabboussi collected 11 tackles and 1 quarterback sack, while John Womack also had 11 tackles.”
John Womack once mentioned to me that the 1991 Red Shirt Pride (RSP) defense would be a good story. And he’s right, as AC led the nation in many defensive categories during my senior year of 1991. But 1991 is just another chapter in the four-year dominance of the AC defense during my time as a student in Sherman. During those years, the Roo offense might fluctuate between good and great. But the defense was always as solid as a rock. In week #7 they got AC the “W” without a single offensive touchdown.
The moniker Red Shirt Pride (RSP) is in part a legacy of 1990 Coach Vance Morris, whose playing days took place in the state the 1990 team would come to know well: Missouri. Morris was a teammate of K-State Coach Bill Snyder at William Jewell (Liberty, MO); he successfully recruited Snyder in the 1970s to AC before Snyder’s trip to the top of the college football world. During his two decades at Austin College, a smothering RSP defense was a staple of every AC football team.
Morris, Snyder and William Jewell football played at Greene Stadium in 1960; the field is still used today. In 1960, Morris was a Tri-Captain who helped the Cardinals earn a conference co-championship. The team photo shows Morris, Snyder, and teammates in the middle of Greene Stadium. 30 years later, Morris would briefly be back home. The 1990 Roos would earn an NAIA playoff bid and face William Jewell in the same stadium of Vance Morris’s playing days. That story still to come in Chapter #10; see the comments for photos of Morris as a Cardinal in 1960 and a Roo in 1990.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the Midwestern game. I spent part of the year in the Netherlands, navigating the windmills & canals, and getting robbed in the Red-Light district. While it is no fun getting robbed, crime is still not very common in the Netherlands compared to my own country.
That can be explained in part by de-criminalization. There is much less violent crime because activities associated with violent crime in the U.S. are themselves not a crime in the Netherlands. The Dutch know that societal ills often come from the overbearing hand of the state. The country is socially freer, scoring an impressive 97 of 100 on the U.S.-funded Freedom House index (the U.S. comes in at 76).
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Midwestern game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in the Netherlands, photos of Coach Morris at William Jewell & Austin College, and the 1990 McMurry game video at the (20:58-23:13) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Friday, December 22nd. Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Chapter 7: @ Sul Ross / Austria
Tarleton was on their way to the 1990 TIAA Crown. But the pollsters still respected AC’s strong season. The NAIA had expanded the NAIA D2 playoffs from 8 to 16 teams in 1990; AC’s national ranking of #22 meant that the post season was still in play. Win out, and the Roos might qualify for an at-large bid in the NAIA playoffs.
The first step in that goal was a 12-hour trip to Alpine to face Sul Ross at their own homecoming.
The offense found their footing again, as Dale Trompler threw for 175 yards and a TD to Kyle Deatherage. The always reliable Jason Johnson added 87 yards on the ground and a score, as the Roo offensive line of Brien Sanders, Keith Willeford, Damion Roberts, and Lance Haynes created lanes for Johnson to break free. Kyle Matlock booted two field goals to help AC pull away and win 30-15.
Even the AC defense got into the act when Jeff Cordell returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown. But the Roo D mainly did what they usually do. They shut down the Lobos completely. Nader Dabboussi, David Ucherek, John Womack, and teammates limited Sul Ross to just one score; a second Lobo touchdown came late in mop up time.
Jeff Cordell, today the Athletic Director of the Sherman Independent School District, finished the 1990 season as the TIAA Defensive Player of the Year. And appropriately so. In 1990, Cordell recorded 11 interceptions in 11 games, for an outstanding pick-per-game average of 1.0. How good is that? Well, Marc’s a researching Roo and had to look it up.
The NCAA keeps great historical statistics, including stats on interceptions. In the history of NCAA college football, only three other defensive players have pulled off an average higher than 1.0 interceptions/game in a season. The best season ever was by Louisville’s Gerod Holliman in 2014; Holliman intercepted 14 passes in 13 games (1.08). No one else hit 1.0 in the year 1990, which means that Jeff Cordell was arguably the most effective safety in the nation that year.
Thomas Newsom reported on the success of the 1990 football team in the next edition of the AC Observer:
“The Austin College Kangaroo football team has been a force in the TIAA since its founding in 1976. The Roos have won the TIAA a total of five times and remain the winning[est] team in the conference with a record of 60-39-4 since 1976. The team continues to be a force as the Roos are 6-2 this season.”
Newsom mentioned the following contributors by name: Dale Trompler, Bryant Vaughn, Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Damion Roberts, Brien Sanders, Lance Hayes, Roy Perez, Keith Willeford, Jason Johnson, Tommy Savage, Bart Tatum, Jeff Cordell, Walker Fenci, Nader Dabboussi, Bobby Hardin, Patrick Russell, Carlisle Mabrey, David Ucherek, Jimmy Baird, and Chris Smith, among others.
Win out, win out impressively, and earn a playoff bid. That was the new goal of the 1990 Roos as they prepared for their final two regular season games. In week #9, AC would face Central Methodist (MO), their second of three Missouri opponents that year. The Roos prepared to travel to the Show Me State for the first time (but not the last time) in 1990.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the Sul Ross game in Alpine. I had my own Alpine trip (h/t Martha Kate McCord
). I spent part of the year in Austria, watching the Sound of Music in a Salzburg hostel before touring all the Salzburg sites from the Sound of Music movie. Now THAT is the kind of Nerd Traveler geeking out that someone like Audra Morris could get into.
Then I visited Vienna, Austria with Kristiann Erbe Monti and Roo Anna Slaughter Pruitt. We took a picture on the banks of the Danube river. Hey wait! Roo Audra Morris is doing a Vienna Danube River Christmas trip right now. And I said I’d write about it! Look Audra, I worked Vienna & the Danube into a Roo Tale.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Sul Ross game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in Austria and the 1990 Sul Ross game video at the (23:13-25:43) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Monday, December 25th. Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Two Roos in Austria
Marc photo on the left, Sound of Music on the right
Look Audra, it’s Marc in Vienna on the Danube! Have fun on your Danube trip.
Chapter 8: @ Central Methodist / Italy
It’s Christmas Day! I don’t recall what I was doing on Christmas Day during my European study abroad year of 1990. But I know where I was on Easter Sunday that year. I was at the Vatican in Italy, listening to Pope John Paul II deliver his Sunday service from St. Peter’s Cathedral. The Vatican is of course, one heck of a Catholic institution.
David Norman is an Austin College institution. Over a 30+ year career, Norman has coached multiple Roo sports and has presided over Austin College as its Athletic Director. Norman is also a Roo graduate and member of the 1981 AC National Championship team. But between those playing and coaching/AD days was a gap. He left AC with diploma in hand in the early 1980s but returned to Sherman during my study abroad year of 1990.
In 1990, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram knew about the NAIA playoff changes and their implications for the TIAA conference:
“The TIAA has a chance to send two teams to the playoffs for the first time. Tarleton, 8-0 and ranked third in the nation, is a virtual shoe-in. Austin College (6-2) could get there by winning the rest of its games. The Kangaroos are ranked 18th[in the nation], leaving open the possibility for one of the four at-large bids.”
To help secure that bid, AC would need a dominant performance against yet another Missouri opponent. The Roos traveled to Fayette, MO in the heart of the Show Me State to face Central Methodist University. Defense had defined AC for much of the season. This game, it was the Roo offense’s time to shine.
AC rolled, 30-0, on the strength of 462 yards of total offense. Kyle Matlock booted three field goals. As usual, Jason Johnson found the end zone. Brien Sanders, Keith Willeford, Damion Roberts, and Lance Haynes provided excellent pass protection for Dale Trompler. It was perhaps Trompler’s finest game as a Roo QB, going 23-for-28 for 280 yards and a touchdown to Kyle Deatherage. Deatherage had a monster game, catching 10 Trompler throws for 128 yards.
The Roo defense, not surprisingly, got in on the fun. Safety Jeff Cordell returned a punt for a score. And David Ucherek shut down the only Central Methodist threat of the day, stopping a fourth-and-goal run near the goal line. The Roos returned to Sherman with a 7-2 record, on the cusp of perhaps securing that NAIA playoff bid. The team began preparing for a final home game against McMurry; I’m sure first year assistant coach David Norman was excited.
I didn’t know Coach Norman back in 1990. I was a Roo tennis player studying in Europe that year. But my Rho Lambda Theta family in AC in 1990 was football and baseball heavy, both of which Norman coached. I heard David Norman stories from my fellas all the time, even when I didn’t yet even know the man. In fact, I sometimes think I was the ONLY Rho Lamb who didn’t know him.
Thankfully, Roo Tales have plugged that gap, allowing me to make up for lost time and circle back with the Roo whose life includes nearly four decades of service to Austin College. Thanks, Coach, for all you do for AC; I’ll see you at Legends 2024.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the Central Methodist game. I spent part of the year in Italy, arriving in Rome on Easter weekend. We watched Pope John Paul II do his thing on Good Friday at the Roman Coliseum’s Way of the Cross. We watched Pope John Paul II do his thing at the Saturday evening service at St. Peter’s. And we watched Pope John Paul II do his thing on Easter Sunday, delivering an outdoor morning Mass at the Vatican. Easter Weekend in Italy was a highlight of my year abroad, and a great memory for the Christmas Day chapter of this 1990 Roo Tale.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Central Methodist game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in Italy and the 1990 Central Methodist game video at the (25:43-28:32) mark.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Friday, December 29th. Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Coliseum, Easter Weekend
Vatican, Easter Weekend Mass
The 1990 Study Abroad Easter Weekend in Rome crew
Chapter 9: vs. McMurry / Greece
It’s December 29th! That must mean it’s John Talley’s birthday. JT was the backup QB of the 1990 Roos. In 1991, Talley would lead the Roos to a winning season, with victories over Tarleton & Trinity. John wrapped up his Roo football career with a season ending win against McMurry in 1991. In 1990, that’s exactly what AC needed for a playoff berth.
AC was ranked #16 in the nation headed into the regular season finale against McMurry. Tarleton had locked up the TIAA crown and an NAIA playoff berth. But a second at-large berth for the TIAA was available in the expanded 16-team playoff format in 1990. A second berth, that is, if AC played like they deserved it.
They did.
In front of a huge 1990 Homecoming crowd, AC destroyed McMurry 58-10 and sent a loud & clear message to the NAIA selection committee: We. Are. In. The NAIA agreed, awarding Austin College an invitation just hours after the victory. The selection committee sent invitations to 13 conference champions and 3 at-large recipients; AC was one of the 3.
The decisive victory was necessary. Austin College’s big win propelled the Roos to a final national ranking of #15, ahead of three other 2-loss teams who were left out of the playoff hunt: 1992 National Champion Findlay (#19), 1982 National Champion Linfield (#18), and Nebraska Wesleyan (#16). The McMurry win also allowed AC to leapfrog a higher ranked 2-loss school from the Show Me State: Missouri Valley College (#14).
AC jumped out to an early lead behind three Dale Trompler TD passes, two to Tommy Savage and one to Kyle Deatherage. Jason Johnson scored yet another touchdown on his way to owning the all-time career TD record at Austin College. After a Carlisle Mabrey safety, the Roos led 30-10 at halftime. They weren’t done yet.
Bart Tatum, Kelly Mulhollan, and Johnson added three more scores in the second half, thanks to the dominating work of offensive linemen Brien Sanders, Keith Willeford, Damion Roberts, and Lance Haynes. Five McMurry turnovers caused by the Red Shirt Pride (RSP) defense helped the AC offense find the end zone for seven of the eight Roo touchdowns.
But touchdown #8 might have been the highlight of the season. With McMurry driving in the 4th quarter, Jason Armstrong picked off a pass and rambled down the sidelines alongside a wall of Roo blockers for the score. As usual, the AC defense had done more than just shut down the opposition. They had contributed to the scoring.
In 1990, AC defeated two schools from Missouri and edged out a third for an NAIA D2 at-large playoff bid. They soon got the news about their 1990 NAIA playoff opponent. They’d be headed back to Missouri to face Heart of America Conference Champion William Jewell. AC had defeated William Jewell at home in the 1981 NAIA playoffs on a path to a national championship; the 1990 squad would attempt to do the same in the hopes of duplicating that 1981 title.
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the McMurry game. I spent part of the year in Greece, checking out sites from the Parthenon to the Temple of Poseidon. We took an overnight boat from Brindisi, Italy to Patras, Greece. I woke up before dawn to watch the sun rise over the approaching Greek Isles of Aristotle & Plato; inspiring would be an understatement. By the time I visited Greece, the clock was ticking on my study abroad of 1990.
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the Central Methodist game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for 1990 photos of Marc in Greece and the 1990 Central Methodist game video at the (28:32-32:20) mark. The Jason Armstrong interception takes place at the (31:30) mark.
Happy Birthday JT. My 1990 study abroad was pretty good. But also good? Returning in 1991 for one final year in Sherman, visiting in California with family in 2014, and regular trips to Dallas today. See you in 2024.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
Still to come:
Monday, January 1st. Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Chapter 10: @ William Jewell / Soviet Union
Happy New Year everybody.
Lovely Dianne surprised me in 2010 with a 40th birthday present: a trip to Spain 20 years after my study abroad in 1990. It was a blast. It was also a bit disappointing because of the changes over that 20-year period.
We never lost contact with home, as family, friends, and the news were always a text, email, or page refresh away. Although in its infancy, even Facebook existed in 2010. The trip from Texas to Spain in 2010 felt a bit like a trip from AC to Missouri in 1990. The communications revolution had made it all smaller and less isolating.
And so, I’ve come to call my 1990 the “last study abroad.” Few study abroad students since have experienced in full the wonderful and scary isolation that we had that year. It was a yearlong black hole of all things home. To this day, I’m still filling that black hole when I come across music, movies, and news that I missed the first time around. The 1990 Roo season was one of those black holes.
And that 1990 season came to a disappointing end in Missouri.
AC jumped ahead of William Jewell after a first quarter 43-yard Jason Johnson TD run and remained ahead of the Cardinals in the fourth quarter after a Trompler-to-Savage TD pass and two Kyle Matlock field goals.
But a William Jewell TD with under a minute sent the game into overtime. After a Kyle Matlock field goal in OT, William Jewell found the endzone again to send the Cardinals into a playoff quarterfinal and crush the 1990 Roo dreams of another AC national championship.
“On a cool, crisp, autumn day in Missouri, the AC football team’s chances of winning a national championship in football were spoiled by the William Jewell Cardinals. During the game, the entire team seemed to be on an emotional high with every team member exhorting the efforts of the players on the field.”
“After the game, most of the AC players sat on the bench or kneeled on the sidelines. Some cried while others reflected on the hard-fought battle. ’It was a great game and even game,’ head coach Mel Tjeerdsma reflected. ‘It was one of those games played where our effort was as good as we could give.’”
The accolades for the members of the 1990 Roo football team came soon thereafter.
NAIA All-American 1st team: Kyle Matlock, Jeff Cordell
NAIA All-American 2nd team: Nader Dabboussi, Keith Willeford
TIAA All-Conference 1st team: Jeff Cordell (TIAA Defensive Player of the Year), Nader Dabboussi (TIAA Lineman of the Year), Walker Fenci, Tommy Savage, Kyle Matlock, David Ucherek, Keith Willeford
TIAA All-Conference 2nd team: Kyle Deatherage, Jason Johnson, Carlisle Mabrey, Brien Sanders, Dale Trompler
In 15 years of TIAA conference play, Austin College football secured 14 winning seasons, won 5 conference titles, and advanced to the NAIA playoffs 4 times. This 1990 season was the fourth appearance, completing the circle; the four playoff seasons of 1979, 1981, 1988, and 1990 are now Roo Tales.
Soon after my AC graduation in 1992, the TIAA came to an end. That last season, McMurry coach Steve Keenum (father of Houston Texans QB Case Keenum) was asked about the conference coming to an end before an upcoming game against the Roos. He saluted Austin College and the past 15 years of conference play: “Austin College is the class program of our conference. They’ve been there from day one.”
1990 was my study abroad year, so I missed the William Jewell game. I spent part of the year in the Soviet Union, walking around Red Square and touring the Kremlin just 10 years after the Cold War reignited in 1980 and just 10 weeks before an attempted coup threatened the entire post-Cold War project. American music was everywhere to be found in the USSR that summer, including trains. On a train leaving Moscow heading east, I got to watch the rolling Russian countryside while the sound system blasted Billy Joel’s “Leningrad.”
1990 was a period before the 21st century communications revolution, so I had no idea how the Roo football team was doing. But I got to enjoy the William Jewell game all the same this year, by digitizing the 1990 Roo Season in Review. See the comments for photos of Marc in the Soviet Union and the 1990 William Jewell game video at the (32:40-38:39) mark.
I’m thrilled another one of my “study abroad” black holes is now filled. It’s been a fun one to write and watch. We’ll pick another Roo season next fall and do it all again.
Happy New Year everybody.
1990 Kangaroos on FB:
Barrett Jenkins, Brent Badger, Brian Coleman, Brien Sanders, Bryant Vaughn, Chris Smith, Cliff Brooks, Colin Dunnigan, Dale Trompler (h/t Kim Trompler), Damion Roberts (h/t Stacy Roberts), Danny Duffy, David Smith, David Ucherek, Jason Johnson (h/t Lisa Lindsay Johnson), Jeff Cordell, Jimmy Baird, John Talley, John Womack, Keith Willeford, Kelly Mulholland (h/t Stella Lucio Mulhollan), Kyle Deatherage, Kyle Matlock, Lance Haynes, Michael Dickens, Todd Treible, Carlos Longoria (GA), David Norman (Assistant Coach), Vance Morris (Defensive Coordinator) (h/t Paula Young Morris), Mel Tjeerdsma (Head Coach).
