1966-69 Team Reflects On Seasons

[MeanGreen61]

1966-69 team reflects on seasons

Miguel Artiga and Abel Prado

Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: NEWS

With a 30-8-1 record from 1966-1969, the North Texas State University football team had two conference championships to match.

In 1967, under first year head coach Rod Rust, it finished 7-1-1 and placed 10 players on the offensive and defensive teams of the Missouri Valley Conference. Rust won the MVC coach of the year award and had the best record of any new major college coach.

"We had talent, I can assure you of that," said ex-offensive line coach Bob Way. From 1966-1969, there were 12 Mean Green football players drafted by NFL teams. In the next two years, 11 followed. From 2000-2006, only eight were drafted.

Highlighting this group of players was Charles Edward Joseph Greene, or better known as "Mean" Joe Greene, who was drafted No.1 over all by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969 and anchored the "Steel Curtain" defense that won four Super Bowl titles.

The nickname did not surface until the Steelers drafted him, since NTSU was always known as the Mean Green.

"Mean Green was always about the Mean Green Eagles," Greene said. "It started on the defense and then spread throughout the whole team."

While the word "mean" might indicate a personality trait, that was not the case with Joe, said ex-assistant coach Ken Bahnsen.

"Joe wasn't mean, he's never mean." Bahnsen said. "He was a hell of a player, but he's not what you would call mean."

On the field, he led a defense that had 12 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries through the first three games of the 1967 season.

"We had a very aggressive defense," Way said.

The '67 defense that swarmed opponents with its tough front seven also included Henry Holland, Ed Brantley, Bob Tucker, James Ivy and Johnny Mata.

Defensively, the 1966 Eagles held opponents to 219 passing yards per game along with 51 yards rushing. In Greene's 29 games at defensive tackle, NTSU held opponents to 2, 507 yards gained on 1,276 rushes.

"We were becoming proud of the Mean Green defense," Greene said.

The Mean Green offense averaged 259 yards passing per game and 49 on the ground, a direct contrast to the Darrel Dickey-led offenses, which were more run-oriented, featuring back-to-back NCAA rushing champions Patrick Cobbs and Jamario Thomas.

Quarterback Steve Ramsey led the nation in total passing yardage and touchdowns thrown in '67, while wide receiver Ron Shanklin led the nation in touchdown receptions that same year.

The offenses from 1966-1969 scored 30 or more points in 22 out of 30 games.

"They knew they could move the ball on down the field," Way said. "The one thing that was very instrumental with that team was that they knew that at any given time, they could take the ball and go to one end of the field to the other."

Greene said there's one thing that still doesn't sit well in his stomach.

"As a team, we had a great deal of confidence," Greene said. "But my biggest disappointment was not going to a bowl game."

NT has played in 11 bowl games in its 90-year history, winning only two. The Mean Green won four straight conference championships under Dickey, compiling a 25-1 conference record from 2001-2004.

Edited June 10, 2021 by Coach Andy Mac

[Charlie NT 73]

Great Story! Brought back alot of memories! As a freshman in 1967, I got to meet

many of these players, see some great games. It is odd- all of the players drafted

by the NFL, and could not get a bowl game! After all the talent left these great

teams, Rod Rust never could put together too much.

Back then, NT also had a junior varsity, that played 6-7 games a year-

I am trying to remember the coach-great guy, went out to Univ New Mex

later in his career, crap cannot remeber his name- I will remeber his

name afer I post this.

[Charlie NT 73]

Now I remeber his name- Coach Ness! He was our head JV football coach.

[drex]

A really nice trip down memory lane. Back then, there was very little promotion for the games and the attendance was not what it should have been. Since the fan base was low, there were very little bowls interested in us. One debate that will never be settled is the attendance for the '67 championship game vs. Tulsa. I was there and I thought it was a sellout. The athletic department did not agree and listed the attendance in the 18,000 range. The North Texas community was spoiled rotten by these magnificent athletes and many never came to realize the level of athletes that it had the opportunity to come watch. Back then many campus organizations had spirit signs located across from the administration building for each home game and there were a lot of pep rallies.

[Mean Green 93-98]

The North Texas community was spoiled rotten by these magnificent athletes and many never came to realize the level of athletes that it had the opportunity to come watch. Back then many campus organizations had spirit signs located across from the administration building for each home game and there were a lot of pep rallies.

Makes you wonder if anything, including winning, can ever change people's perception of North Texas football.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Great Story! Brought back alot of memories! As a freshman in 1967, I got to meet

many of these players, see some great games. It is odd- all of the players drafted

by the NFL, and could not get a bowl game! After all the talent left these great

teams, Rod Rust never could put together too much.

Back then, NT also had a junior varsity, that played 6-7 games a year-

I am trying to remember the coach-great guy, went out to Univ New Mex

later in his career, crap cannot remeber his name- I will remember his

name afer I post this.

---Not really odd if you lived throught it.. Football in Texas was all about the SWC then...and North Texas was not in it and was pretty ignored by Texas media and fans.

---Part II. There were are lot less Bowl games then, plus not as much money available either from TV (years before ESPN and large national cable channels) so the Bowl locations wanted colleges that would bring large crowds* in order to be profitable.

---*We even then had attendence problems then compared to most universities thus we were not considered despite our talent and record.

[DeepGreen]

If my memory is correct, wasn't Ed Brantley an offensive tackle? That article really brings back fond memories of North Texas football. I was there.

Edited April 20, 2007 by DeepGreen

[MeanGreen61]

If my memory is correct, wasn't Ed Brantley an offensive tackle? That article really brings back fond memories of North Texas football. I was there.

Ed Brantley 1965-1967.

[DeepGreen]

Ed Brantley 1965-1967.

"The '67 defense that swarmed opponents with its tough front seven also included Henry Holland, Ed Brantley, Bob Tucker, James Ivy and Johnny Mata."

The article sates he was on defense; I remember him being an offensive tackle.

[Varsity]

For a measuring stick on just how good those NT teams were, the 1968 squad came very close to upsetting Arkansas in Fayetteville, losing by 17-15. Very controvercial call in that contest and a fumbled pitch on a two-point try and we would have tied the Razorbacks who went on to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and post a 10-1-0 season.

THAT is a Mean Green team that should have gone to some bowl, fer sure.

[MeanGreen61]

For a measuring stick on just how good those NT teams were, the 1968 squad came very close to upsetting Arkansas in Fayetteville, losing by 17-15. Very controvercial call in that contest and a fumbled pitch on a two-point try and we would have tied the Razorbacks who went on to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and post a 10-1-0 season.

THAT is a Mean Green team that should have gone to some bowl, fer sure.

??? I remember it as inside the 10 with a first & goal. Fumble & Hogs recover.

[DeepGreen]

For a measuring stick on just how good those NT teams were, the 1968 squad came very close to upsetting Arkansas in Fayetteville, losing by 17-15. Very controvercial call in that contest and a fumbled pitch on a two-point try and we would have tied the Razorbacks who went on to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and post a 10-1-0 season.

THAT is a Mean Green team that should have gone to some bowl, fer sure.

Greatest road trip I ever made. Here is a picture from that very game.

Edited April 21, 2007 by DeepGreen

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

"The '67 defense that swarmed opponents with its tough front seven also included Henry Holland, Ed Brantley, Bob Tucker, James Ivy and Johnny Mata."

The article sates he was on defense; I remember him being an offensive tackle.

I, too, remember Ed Brantley as an offensive lineman. Further, he played on Odus Mitchell's last team but not for Rod. Now Holland, Tucker, Mata, and Ivy played for both Mitchell and Rust. I believe that 1967 was the last season for all but Ivy (of that group).

Our best team personnel wise, to me, was 1968. Great DBs like Beatty, Barbour, and Little. It was Joe Greene's last year and the great Cedric Hardman came in at defensive end. Barry Moore came in to join Shank that year and it seemed like the two of them had a hundred receptions apiece. But, when the talent ran out, Rod couldn't replace them.

About the bowl games, you've got to remember that there were only about eight or ten bowls. The four majors then were the Rose, Cotton, Sugar, and Orange. Then there was the Sun, Gator, Bluebonnet, and Tangerine. The Liberty and Peach Bowls started around that time. That was it. So, even if we could've averaged 15-20,000 we would have still had a tough time getting a bowl bid.

[Varsity]

??? I remember it as inside the 10 with a first & goal. Fumble & Hogs recover.

Yeah, Leo Taylor fumbled the ball away at the Razorback two-yard-line on the opening drive of the game.

But NT scored two TDs in the 4th quarter. Mike Gattis missed the PAT kick on the first, making it 17-9 Hogs. Two plays after the KO, Ark's QB lateraled wide and Ret Little recovered the ball for NT at the Razorback 26. From the 15 Steve Ramsey passed to Barry Moore for the TD. Down 17-15 NT went for the bonus point and missed with a bad pitch.

So there were several missed opportunities in that one.

Photos:

Looking back at the 1968 schedule, the Mean Green beat a very good Cincinnati team that had Greg Cook at Qb, Jim O'Brien and Tom Rossley at WR. Not bad.

[FirefightnRick]

Thanks for the photos and info guys.

Rick

[dentUNiTe]

It's funny how your memory can play tricks on you.....I was only about 10 at the time, but I distinctly remember listening to that 1968 Arkansas game....and what I remember most is a play where Ramsey passed to Shanklin in the end zone, and Shanklin went to his knees and made the catch for what would have been a TD....but the SWC refs called it incomplete (a trap)....and Bill Mercer went crazy on the radio about what a terrible call it was and how NT should have won the game.......does this ring a bell with anyone or am I remembering something that never happened? I hope I'm right because I've told this story many times.....

[Varsity]

It's funny how your memory can play tricks on you.....I was only about 10 at the time, but I distinctly remember listening to that 1968 Arkansas game....and what I remember most is a play where Ramsey passed to Shanklin in the end zone, and Shanklin went to his knees and made the catch for what would have been a TD....but the SWC refs called it incomplete (a trap)....and Bill Mercer went crazy on the radio about what a terrible call it was and how NT should have won the game.......does this ring a bell with anyone or am I remembering something that never happened? I hope I'm right because I've told this story many times.....

I think that happened late in the third quarter after Arkansas went up 17-0. NT drove to the Hog one but failed to score.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

1968 Season Bowls (listed as with Top 20 teams, were there other Bowls that year?):

Date Bowl Result

12/27/68 Tangerine Richmond 49, Ohio U. 42

12/28/68 Gator Missouri 35, Alabama 10

12/28/68 Sun Auburn 34, Arizona 10

12/30/68 Peach LSU 31, Florida St. 27

12/31/68 Bluebonnet SMU 28, Oklahoma 27

1/1/69 Cotton Texas 36, Tennessee 13

1/1/69 Orange Penn St. 15, Kansas 14

1/1/69 Rose Ohio St. 27, USC 16

1/1/69 Sugar Arkansas 16, Georgia 2

---No, except for a bowl that Grambling was involved in (black colleges). This is one the big reasons we did not get any bowl invitations in that era... very few bowls and secondly often the sponsors and locations of the bowls wanted teams that would bring lots of fans...(economic reasons). The top ten were pretty much guaranteed a bowl... also in that era Notre Dame did not attend Bowl games and the Pac-10 and Big Ten only sent one team each.... to the Rose Bowl. Because of the lack of BIG TV money and no national TV cable networks it was a different world in sports. Most Bowl games involved a lot of Southern Teams as the list shows. [Arizona was a WAC member at this time, not Pac-10]

Edited April 22, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[letsgiveacheer]

Yes, a much different time then for college football. I think it was ABC who would broadcast one game on Saturday and this was followed by the Prudential College Scoreboard. That was it!

[DeepGreen]

On 4/20/2007 at 1:48 PM, drex said:

Since the fan base was low, there were very little bowls interested in us.

And there were very few bowl games back then.

[drex]

No one in their right mind messed with Ed Brantley.