ALLEN, Elway head enshrinees for college football Hall of Fame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ If not for a few injuries at Southern Cal in 1978, Marcus Allen&#39;s only runs with the football might have come on interceptions and fumble recoveries. <br><br>The first college

Friday, August 10th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6


SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ If not for a few injuries at Southern Cal in 1978, Marcus Allen's only runs with the football might have come on interceptions and fumble recoveries.

The first college player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season wasn't recruited by the Trojans as a running back. Allen went to Southern Cal as a defensive back.

And he wasn't moved to offense because of his elusive running ability or his pass-catching ability. He was switched to fullback so he could block for Charles White.

``Who knows what would have happened if I'd have stayed a defensive back?'' Allen said.

He's happy, though, with the way things turned out. He'll be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, along with former Stanford quarterback John Elway, Nebraska wingback Johnny Rodgers and 22 other players and coaches.

Among the coaches are Terry Donahue of UCLA and Forest Evashevski of Hamilton, Washington State and Iowa.

Most of the group already was officially inducted into the hall in December 2000 during a banquet in New York. Dick Duden, an end for Navy, and the late John Outland, a tackle at Kansas and Penn, were inducted earlier this year.

The news about being elected to the hall came as a surprise to Allen. It's not that he doesn't feel he's deserving. After all, he set 14 NCAA records and tied two others.

It's just that he assumed he already was in.

``College just seems so long ago,'' he said. ``I've gotten so many awards and things that I just kind of forgot that I wasn't already in the college hall of fame.''

Allen had an outstanding pro career with the Raiders and Chiefs. The Super Bowl MVP in 1984, he was the first NFL back to gain both 10,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards receiving, retiring in 1997 with 12,243 yards on the ground.

He still remembers the college game fondly, though.

``It was still a game then. When you turn pro, it all changes. It becomes a business,'' he said. ``College football is business, too, but to the players it's still a game.''

The game Allen best remembers is his final regular-season game against UCLA. Allen carried the ball 40 times for 219 yards, but fumbled three times before scoring the go-ahead touchdown. The Trojans won 21-20 when nose guard George Achica blocked a 46-yard field-goal attempt with 4 seconds left to knock the Bruins out of the Rose Bowl.

``I went from being the goat to being the hero just like that,'' Allen said.

Others who will be enshrined Saturday are offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf (Michigan, 1968-70); center-linebacker Kurt Burris (Oklahoma, 1951-54); end Bob Dove (Notre Dame, 1940-42); defensive back Michael Haynes (Arizona State, 1972-75); defensive back Terry Hoage (Georgia, 1980-83); tackle Stan Jones (Maryland, 1951-53); halfback Johnny Musso (Alabama, 1969-71); linebacker-fullback Joe Schmidt (Pittsburgh, 1950-52); guard Harley Sewell (Texas, 1950-52); defensive end Billy Ray Smith (Arkansas, 1979-82); and tailback Ernie Talboom (Wyoming, 1948-50).

Among the players from smaller schools to be enshrined are quarterback Doug Williams (Grambling, 1974-77); defensive end Jim Haslett, who now coaches the New Orleans Saints (Indiana of Pennsylvania, 1975-78); defensive back-halfback Gordie Lockbaum (Holy Cross, 1984-87); quarterback-defensive back Bill Redell (Occidental, 1962-63); wide receiver Freddie Scott (Amherst, 1971-73); and coaches Joseph Fusco of Westminster College and Ace Mumford of Jarvis Christian College, Bishop College, Texas College and Southern University.
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