Elmo is on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame. You’d have thought he made it before now.
With all due respect to others, he is still the receiver at U of H by which all others are measured.
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The College Football Hall of Fame sure did not rush to nominate him. A player has to be elected within 50 years of his last year of college ball and this is Elmo’s 49 year. Good luck to Elmo, he deserves the honor.
The timing is way too late. He held the college record for TD catches (34) in a career from 1970 until 1982, when Anthony Carter of Michigan beat his record. Elmo is still 37th on the all time list despite the proliferation of passing offenses in the last 20 years.
Wow I did not know he wasn’t in. I was 8,9 and 10 at this time and I still remember his running in place after a score. As I became an adult I didn’t keep up as closely as I did as a kid or like I began again in my late 20’s. He should have been in the first ballot. But being a Coog it doesn’t surprise me. But how can you ignore a average of what 56 yards a TD!!!
Not only passing offenses, but number of games played. Freshmen couldn’t play. Only 9,10,11 game seasons. Bowl stats didn’t count. Wright played in 31 games. A player can literally play almost twice as many games with CCGs and almost every team making a bowl.
Hmmmmmmm…just like with Guy Lewis … had Elmo put up the same numbers at Gaggie or Whorn, he would have already been in 20 years ago.
After some research here are some players he is tied with for number of TD catches in a career-- David Boston (ND), Josh Doctson (TCU), Larry Fitzgerald (Pitt), Jeff Fuller (A&M), and Emmanuel Sanders (SMU).
Here are some notable receivers he has more TD catches than-- Jordan Shipley (UT), Steve largent (Tulsa), Howard Twilley (Tulsa), Mark Clayton (OU), Torry Holt (NCSt), Hart Lee Dyles (lil OSU), Will Fuller (ND), Mike Williams (USC), Kendall Wright (Bay), Dez Bryant (lil OSU), Ike Hilliard (FL), Calvin Johnson (GaTech), Chris Carter (OSU), Jabar Gaffney (FL), Manny Hazard (UH), Johnny Rogers (Neb), Sammy Watkins (Clem), Vincent Marshall (UH), Antonio Bryant (Pitt), and Golden Tate (ND).
This absolutely amazed me today. Figured he would have been in a long time ago.
Elmo was an Honorable Mention All-American as a sophomore, a 2nd Team All-American as a junior, and a Consensus 1st Team All-American as a senior. He’s one of only 7 players in UH history that has been a Consensus All-American.
He was also the 1st UH player drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft, going 16th to Kansas City.
Wright, who was a second-team All-American in 1969 and an honorable mention All-American in 1968, still holds two NCAA records from his 1968 season - most TD receptions of 50 yards or more in a season with eight and highest average per touchdown catch in a season with an average of 56.1 yards per score.
It is absolutely outrageous that he is still waiting for this recognition! Not only did he set all those records, he also changed the game - forever - with his end zone antics after scoring; he was the first to do a little dance or to spike the ball after a score.
Well, look how long it took Guy V. If Elmo had played at UT, he would have been in 44 years ago.
Fun fact. My dad, who was a HS offensive lineman in the early 70s, got to catch a TD pass in a blowout game once. He did the Elmo Wright end zone dance, for which he received some hard core punishment at the next practice at the hands of some rural HS football coaches who didn’t believe there was any room for showboating in football. Since that day, my dad’s nickname has been Elmo. The only 2 people on the planet who call him by his real name (Lawrence) are his mother and mother-in-law, both of whom have since passed away.
That story alone should get the real Elmo into the HOF!
Elmo’s on the ballot again this year
https://twitter.com/BMiddletonUH/status/1135604711707615233
https://twitter.com/CoachMarshall/status/1135643025588314112
The fact that he has not been recognized before this - LONG BEFORE - says a lot more about the organization than about Elmo. He was simply the best receiver we have ever had - that’s all!
Not only that, but he also changed the game forever by starting the end zone celebrations after a score!
Every time I hear the name of Elmo Wright, I think of a little dog I used to have, who loved to play with a little round ball. Then I got a small football and began to throw that for her. It took her a little time - but not that much really; she got to the point where she could catch even that one if I would throw it right - make it spin in the air. I used to throw it for her, and tell her to “catch it like Elmo.” And, she DID exactly that!
Gosh, I would have never imagined that he wasn’t ALREADY in the College Football HOF.
Let’s hope that justice is done and that he gets in this year!
Elmo was not only a great player, but he is also a great human being. I had the privilege of interviewing Mo several times while at UH, and he was never anything short of being courteous and humble.
He once was not allowed to play football because of his mom back in Sweeny, so instead he played in the band. He later traded his musical life and led Sweeny to a state football title his senior year.
IMO, he was the best wide receiver UH ever had, and that includes some great ones.
His pro career was cut short with knee problems he got while playing for the Coogs.
Even though Elmo played on a team that ran first with the veer offense, he still managed to break records at UH and helped introduce dancing after touchdowns…much to coach Yeoman’s chagrin LOL.
Also don’t forget that Wright played on the same team with the greatest tight end we ever had in Riley Odoms…who was backed by another future pro tight end in Earl Thomas. He also never played on a Coog team that had a pro style quarterback…but somehow guys like Ken Bailey and Moon Mullins looked like Johnny U at times because Elmo could get behind the enemy lines.
Yep, we had some major talent back in those days…
It feels a lot like Guy V Lewis. Don’t get me started.
I read an article a few years back about EW, according to the article he had not been keeping up with developments at UofH or really following the program (you guys correct me if you know differently). So if the article was accurate, I suspect EW may not really care one way or the other about the HOF.
Another interesting tidbit that I recall about him is that he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and worked for the city of Houston after his FB career ended (another factoid I may be mis-remembering).
Glad Guy V witnessed Hakeem and Clyde win the 1995 NBA Finals!
Yes sir!! Too bad they didn’t grab a couple more. I think if they had of done some of those trades differently or not done some of those trades they could have won one more.
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