Old school Coogs, I gotta question. These two guys grew up near UH and starred at Worthing and Yates respectively. Did UH recruit them? I know not everybody wants to stay home but Ive been wondering about this.
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Everybody in the country wanted Singletary, he was a big time recruit…we just lost out to Grant Teaff and Baylor. What i remember about Manley is he had MAJOR academic issues, so that was going to affect his recruiting …
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As far as Manley (And, yes, I know this is the infamous Okie State article that has some factual errors, but the Manley bit is true):
https://www.si.com/college-football/2013/09/11/oklahoma-state-part-2-academics
Four players and two former assistants told SI that they had teammates who they believed were functionally illiterate even after attending the school for multiple years. That is an especially disheartening revelation given Oklahoma State’s history. In 1989, Dexter Manley, then an NFL defensive end, disclosed that he had not been able to read above a second-grade level for most of his life, although he had played four seasons for the Cowboys. His confession stirred a national discussion about how schools keep athletes eligible. It also dishonored the university, even if John Campbell, the school’s president at the time of the revelation, wasn’t chastened. “There would be those who would argue that Dexter Manley got exactly what he wanted out of OSU,” Campbell said. “He was able to develop his athletic skills and ability, he was noticed by the pros, he got a pro contract. So maybe we did him a favor by letting him go through the program.”
It was a known fact that Manley had severe classroom problems. I know coach Yeoman used to talk about what a great athlete he was but that he would have to go to junior college like Lloyd Archie did.
Singletary, if I remember correctly, actually committed to UH but decided to go to Baylor when we got the state’s No. 1 recruit, Brazoswood’s David Hodge to commit.
Hodge was a middle linebacker also but to this day I wonder with Singletary in the middle and Hodge at one outside linebacker, how great those UH defenses would have been. Hodge led us to three SWC titles, so I doubt there are any regrets for him coming here…
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Manley couldn’t get in UH and Singletary wanted a lot of “inducements”
Both guys were not in our budget. OSU was the biggest spender along with SMU
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So true, Yeoman told me that Baylor and LSU were the worst in terms of $$$. Bill said Baylor was one of the worst in the country… and LSU was not far behind.
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Not sure that is true about Singletary…he was a good kid and wanted to come to UH and committed, but changed to Baylor after we got Hodge. What would make you think Singletary would want any more “inducements” that the state’s No. 1 recruit would?
I’m sure he drove a nice green and gold Buick while on campus.
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Not surprising…Hodge drove a nice car also…so what is your point? It all goes back to those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks…want to talk about Rob Williams or Hosea Taylor or Darrell Shepard?
I don’t think there is any doubt most schools cheat in one way or another. Baylor had its heyday with Grant Teaff, but the Aggies and Longhorns have always been in a class of their own due to alum “support.” SMU was up there for a while, but suffered the rath of UT being jealous of Eric Dickerson going there. And by the way, that neat car that Dickerson drove up to Dallas was furnished with Aggie money LOL…
All I’m saying Baylor had more to spend than we did.
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Not uncommon back in those days Coach…Angleton lineman James Rowell, who narrowed his choices to UH and Baylor, finally landed with the Bears. A week later he had nice new vehicle sitting in his parents driveway…and who will ever forget about the “Teaffco” banking account in Waco where players frequented often to receive cash. A close friend of mind just happened to be a teller at that bank…
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Actually, James decided between Arky and Baylor. The Baylor coach came down and asked James what he needed to sign with Baylor. He said a new car. The coach said after you sign, you’ll go to a certain dealership in Houston and pick it up. It was a Buick
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Think Arkansas may have been in the mix, but at one time he told me he wanted to go to Houston. Regardless, he never really played much at Baylor and I stay in touch through Facebook. He was a good kid. You may be thinking of Tommy Woods from Angleton because he loved the Coogs but ended up signing with Arkansas and then was back home a year later in the real estate business with his brother. He was a silk smooth running back with speed who simply burned out on playing football…
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I saw Woods play against Dobie at Rice Stadium in a bi-district playoff game. He was an amazing player, kind of a Gale Sayers type. He would have been tops in the state if not for a certain senior RB from Tyler. IIRC Woods returned an interception some 80+ yards for a TD against Dobie, and hardly a Longhorn could put a hand on him. I think Angleton had an OL that year, maybe Andy something, who signed with UH.
It was discovered during Manley’s NFL career that he somehow graduated from Yates then Oklahoma State while not being able to read.
It’s funny because I worked part time writing for the Angleton Times during Woods’ senior year. The Wildcats got clobbered out of the gate by Brazoswood and Conroe. PS, Conroe had the best high school defense I ever saw…
But Angleton turned things around and shocked the world by going all the way to the state semi’s that year, losing to Austin Reagan, 21-19. Reagan lost to Tyler and Earl in the finals.
Not sure who the offensive lineman that signed with UH…the only Andy I remember of the OL was the Hazelwood kid, who I think went to Baylor. Woods was the stud on that team while Rowell was a sophomore…
No. I know James pretty well. We spent plenty of nights camping when our sons were in Scouts together. His eldest and my son got their Eagles together. His info is first hand. He never mentioned UH to me.
Sorry about that Coach…you are absolutely right. Rowell was a sophomore on the team that made it to the semi finals and I had moved away from Brazoria County when he was a senior. The only thing I know about him was that he got the new car because a good friend of mine showed it to me at his house on Cemetery Road.
I had him mixed up with Brazoswood’s Victor Sobotik, who went down to UH and Baylor, opting at the last minute for Baylor. I was working at the Facts at the time and I remember him calling me to report he was going to be a Baylor Bear. Somehow, he knew I would have preferred him to be a Cougar.
Sobotik was a stud defensive lineman who had the misfortune of breaking the same arm twice at Baylor, which finished his career.
Sorry about the mental lapse, but those things happen when you reach my age.