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All-In [27446]
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Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 19, 2022, 6:58 PM
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When I was a student at dear ole Clemson U we had a football coach named Frank Howard. You probably remember him. Coach Howard used to address the students (cadets) at the beginning of the season in the amphitheater and introduce the players. During that time, in the early to mid sixties, coach Howard was really excited about a running back he had recruited that knew would be a great players for his Tigers. Unfortunately this players wasn’t admitted to Clemson and he ended up at Syracuse. He became a rather good footballer up there. I think this was Larry Czonka. Anyone remember that far back???
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All-In [27446]
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Re: Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 19, 2022, 7:04 PM
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LBB I know you were around then. You surely recall those days.
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All-TigerNet [10800]
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Re: Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 19, 2022, 11:23 PM
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i was there '64-'68.sort of knew the csonka story first hand,because one of larry's good high school buddies was a roomate of one of my CU friends.larry's friend's name was gary pontius,a CU fb player.gary said that csonka told frank howard that he would come to CU,if frank would also give his buddy a scolarship as well.frank did and pontius came to CU,but larry reneged for whatever reason($$$ ?) and wound up at syracuse.now you know the rest of the story.
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CU Guru [1760]
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Back during the 800 rule days
Oct 19, 2022, 7:07 PM
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There were quite a few players that went on to stellar careers that wanted to play for Frank but couldn't make 800 on the SAT. The UGA teams back then had a lot of those players. The Czonka story was one that was told and verified quite a few times.
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All-In [27446]
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Re: Back during the 800 rule days
Oct 19, 2022, 7:13 PM
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What you have described is very truthful. Coach Howard mentioned it often. Clemson wasn’t really that hard to get into in those days. Couldn’t have been because I made it!!! Getting out was very easy. I know a lot of guys who never became sophomores,
Different place today. If Clemson had been Co-Ed in those days and the girls dress as they do today, ole foresttiger would be ronnymcdonald Tiger.
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Varsity [211]
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Re: Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 19, 2022, 7:08 PM
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Forest, yes your are 100% correct. Larry Czonka was coming( I guess committed) to Clemson. I am not sure of that I remember why he didn’t come and ended up at Syracuse.
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All-TigerNet [10926]
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A small correction...his name was spelled Csonka...
Oct 19, 2022, 7:14 PM
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and at 6'3", was extremely tall for a back, in those days!
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Orange Blooded [4320]
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Re: Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 19, 2022, 8:37 PM
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There were a few of those back then with the entrance requirements. A QB from Beaver Falls Pennsylvania was wanting to go to Maryland but instead ended up at Alabama. Joe “Willie White Shoes” Namath.
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Orange Blooded [2371]
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Re: Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 19, 2022, 8:56 PM
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Yes sir, that's a fact. The story was, Zonk couldn't get into Clemson. I've been following (attending) Clemson football since 1954, and I remember my Dad talking about "this great running back that will make people forget Fred Cone..." Back in the day, different conferences had different entrance requirements. Frank Howard used to call the SEC "The Knucklehead League."
Czonka was a great one... remember him playing with the Dolphins in their undefeated season alongside Mercury Morris.
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All-Pro [687]
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Re: I was at Clemson from 1960-1964
Oct 19, 2022, 10:40 PM
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I don't remember hearing Frank talk about Csonka but have heard that story. I remember the sessions with Coach Howard in the amphitheater. The running back with great potential who was talked about a lot in those days was a big guy named Bill McGuirt. Of course 1960-1964 were the years of Franks son Jimmy Howard and Dean Cox's son Walter Cox who were highly recruited guys. When they were high school seniors (1960) they went to Boy's State in Columbia. I also went to Boy's State that year and heard stories that King Dixon and Alex Hawkins (both great running backs at S.C.) tried to recruit them to the Coots. They said,"we would like you to come to USC." The story was that Jimmy and Walter told them, "we will do that; we'll come down to beat your a-- over the next four years."
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All-Conference [445]
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Re: I was at Clemson from 1960-1964
Oct 20, 2022, 11:01 AM
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That Bill McQuirt was William McQuirt from Lancaster, S.C. My home town, and he was a great running back that got (as I heard it) side tracked by all the pretty girls at Tigertown! He made the freshman all-american team at Clemson. Just wish he had keep his mind on football because he was a great back.
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MVP [510]
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Re: Help me remember —— ole timers
Oct 20, 2022, 6:48 AM
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My dad, class of 55, said it was no great loss. He said that Frank Howard would’ve turned him into a guard anyway.
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110%er [7160]
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It was Csonka***
Oct 20, 2022, 7:36 AM
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Replies: 12
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