Post by Coach Campbell on Dec 6, 2011 15:58:48 GMT
The inventor of the wishbone, Emory Bellard, died on Feb. 10 in Georgetown, Texas, at the age of 83. He played a not-small part in the Oklahoma football dynasty.
The wishbone, you know all about, how the Sooners in desperation shifted to the 'bone in mid-season 1970 and a year later began terrorizing college football with Bellard's invention.
But Bellard did more than just invent the offense. He helped Barry Switzer perfect it.
More on that later. Bellard's invention came in 1968. OU adopted the wishbone two years later, during a bye week before the Sooners played Texas. The Longhorns won 41-9 in a rout, then according to the book, UT coach Darrell Royal paid Bellard, his offensive coordinator, a visit.
"Emory, Chuck Fairbanks is gonna lose his job up there if they don't do something about their offense, so I want to help him out," Royal said. "Barry Switzer is gonna be calling, and I want you to tell him whatever they need to know to put in the wishbone."
Bellard was incredulous. "Darrell, you gotta be joking."
Said Royal, "Nope, I'm just as dead serious as I can be."
So, according to the book, Switzer called and kept calling in the ensuing months. "Anytime he had a question about what to do in a certain situation or against some defense, he would just call me right up," Bellard said. "We gave the whole thing to 'em."
Later in the book, Switzer downplayed the story. "Aw sure, they helped us a little bit," Switzer said. "But Emory had a bunch of lectures, and we had all the Texas film, so it's not like there were a lot of secrets. By the time the 1971 season came around, our offense had it rolling, and we just about changed college football for the next 20 years or so."
Either way, amazing story. Can you imagine such cooperation between the staffs of Bob Stoops and Mack Brown? Different times, I guess. I highly recommend the book for any football fan. Great book. You'll learn a lot. Including this. Twenty years later, Royal and Bellard were chatting, and Royal told Bellard about the cooperation with Switzer: "Emory, if I had it to do all over again, I probably wouldn't have been so benevolent."
Bellard was pure Texan. Born in Luling. Raised in Port Aransas, down near Corpus Christi. Went to Texas, got hurt and transferred to Southwest Texas State.
Bellard entered coaching and spent 17 years coaching high school. In December 1966, Bellard's San Angelo Central team beat Houston Spring Branch 21-14 for the Class 4A state title, and Royal took notice. Bellard was hired to the UT staff and a year later was promoted to offensive coordinator.
The 'Horns were in a down cycle, coming off seasons of 6-4, 7-4, 6-4. Bellard began tinkering with a new offense, incorporating elements of Don Faurot's old Split-T, which Bud Wilkinson had used to great success at Oklahoma, and Bill Yeoman's Houston veer.
Bellard came up with the wishbone, a triple-option offense with a fullhouse backfield, only the fullback up a few steps from the halfbacks.
Switzer told Tim Layden that elements of the wishbone came from Spud Cason, a 1950s junior high coach in Fort Worth.
But Bellard clearly is recognized as the father of the wishbone. Layden's book points out that Bellard's innovations were three-fold: 1. the three running backs; 2. the two reads — giving the ball to the fullback or the quarterback keeping the ball, based on what the defensive tackles does, and the quarterback keeping or pitching the ball to a trailing halfback, depending on the defensive end; 3. blocking — allowing the defensive tackle and defensive end to go unblocked, and the lead halfback blocking in front of the pitch man.
Bellard said that in spring 1970, after UT's national championship season of 1969, coaches from other staffs descended on Austin to learn the offense. "Around our offices during spring training, you couldn't swing a stick without hitting half a dozen coaches," Bellard said. "It was just unreal."
After the 1970 Bluebonnet Bowl, in which Oklahoma and Alabama tied 24-24, Bama coach Bear Bryant was so enthralled with the wishbone, he decided to implement the offense himself. Royal and Bellard spent four days in Tuscaloosa, Ala., helping the Crimson Tide adopt the offense.
Arkansas coaching legend Frank Broyles, on an espn.com podcast this week, said Bellard's invention combined a power running game with the option. Broyles said the old Split-T had lost its ability to run powerfully up the middle.
Broyles said the wishbone kept defenders pinned inside. "Emory came in ... where you had to respect the fullback, then he made the quarterback a runner."
Broyles said it was like playing 12 on 11.
Broyles said the wishbone would work today, it's just that with all the speed being recruited, too many quality receivers are around to not run a spread passing game. Broyles said integration — which came to Texas and Arkansas circa 1970 — helped speed the wishbone's demise.
"It wasn't as glamorous," Broyles said. "You weren't being able to use the integrated speed."
Broyles said Bellard made defenses cover the width of the field as well as the length. Sort of an early-day spread offense, only using the option instead actual formation.
Broyles himself went to the wishbone in the early 1970s.
"It was an eye 0pener," Broyles said. "It was something special. You didn't have to line up and double team and trap out and lead with the fullback. They had to defend the area of the offensive formation, and it forced everybody else to stay at home. When you ran the ball up the middle, the defensive end and tackles couldn't revert back to make the play."
By 1972, Bellard was head coach at Texas A&M. In seven seasons, Bellard went 48-27. His 1975 team started 10-0 and was ranked No. 2 in America. He also coached seven seasons at Mississippi State; in 14 seasons as a major college coach, Bellard's overall record was 85-69.
But his greatest accomplishment was inventing the offense that ruled college football for all of the 1970s and much of the 1980s.
"Emory was reserved," Broyles said. "He was a perfect leader for our profession. He came up with this innovation that revolutionized college football. He was a heck of a coach
The wishbone, you know all about, how the Sooners in desperation shifted to the 'bone in mid-season 1970 and a year later began terrorizing college football with Bellard's invention.
But Bellard did more than just invent the offense. He helped Barry Switzer perfect it.
More on that later. Bellard's invention came in 1968. OU adopted the wishbone two years later, during a bye week before the Sooners played Texas. The Longhorns won 41-9 in a rout, then according to the book, UT coach Darrell Royal paid Bellard, his offensive coordinator, a visit.
"Emory, Chuck Fairbanks is gonna lose his job up there if they don't do something about their offense, so I want to help him out," Royal said. "Barry Switzer is gonna be calling, and I want you to tell him whatever they need to know to put in the wishbone."
Bellard was incredulous. "Darrell, you gotta be joking."
Said Royal, "Nope, I'm just as dead serious as I can be."
So, according to the book, Switzer called and kept calling in the ensuing months. "Anytime he had a question about what to do in a certain situation or against some defense, he would just call me right up," Bellard said. "We gave the whole thing to 'em."
Later in the book, Switzer downplayed the story. "Aw sure, they helped us a little bit," Switzer said. "But Emory had a bunch of lectures, and we had all the Texas film, so it's not like there were a lot of secrets. By the time the 1971 season came around, our offense had it rolling, and we just about changed college football for the next 20 years or so."
Either way, amazing story. Can you imagine such cooperation between the staffs of Bob Stoops and Mack Brown? Different times, I guess. I highly recommend the book for any football fan. Great book. You'll learn a lot. Including this. Twenty years later, Royal and Bellard were chatting, and Royal told Bellard about the cooperation with Switzer: "Emory, if I had it to do all over again, I probably wouldn't have been so benevolent."
Bellard was pure Texan. Born in Luling. Raised in Port Aransas, down near Corpus Christi. Went to Texas, got hurt and transferred to Southwest Texas State.
Bellard entered coaching and spent 17 years coaching high school. In December 1966, Bellard's San Angelo Central team beat Houston Spring Branch 21-14 for the Class 4A state title, and Royal took notice. Bellard was hired to the UT staff and a year later was promoted to offensive coordinator.
The 'Horns were in a down cycle, coming off seasons of 6-4, 7-4, 6-4. Bellard began tinkering with a new offense, incorporating elements of Don Faurot's old Split-T, which Bud Wilkinson had used to great success at Oklahoma, and Bill Yeoman's Houston veer.
Bellard came up with the wishbone, a triple-option offense with a fullhouse backfield, only the fullback up a few steps from the halfbacks.
Switzer told Tim Layden that elements of the wishbone came from Spud Cason, a 1950s junior high coach in Fort Worth.
But Bellard clearly is recognized as the father of the wishbone. Layden's book points out that Bellard's innovations were three-fold: 1. the three running backs; 2. the two reads — giving the ball to the fullback or the quarterback keeping the ball, based on what the defensive tackles does, and the quarterback keeping or pitching the ball to a trailing halfback, depending on the defensive end; 3. blocking — allowing the defensive tackle and defensive end to go unblocked, and the lead halfback blocking in front of the pitch man.
Bellard said that in spring 1970, after UT's national championship season of 1969, coaches from other staffs descended on Austin to learn the offense. "Around our offices during spring training, you couldn't swing a stick without hitting half a dozen coaches," Bellard said. "It was just unreal."
After the 1970 Bluebonnet Bowl, in which Oklahoma and Alabama tied 24-24, Bama coach Bear Bryant was so enthralled with the wishbone, he decided to implement the offense himself. Royal and Bellard spent four days in Tuscaloosa, Ala., helping the Crimson Tide adopt the offense.
Arkansas coaching legend Frank Broyles, on an espn.com podcast this week, said Bellard's invention combined a power running game with the option. Broyles said the old Split-T had lost its ability to run powerfully up the middle.
Broyles said the wishbone kept defenders pinned inside. "Emory came in ... where you had to respect the fullback, then he made the quarterback a runner."
Broyles said it was like playing 12 on 11.
Broyles said the wishbone would work today, it's just that with all the speed being recruited, too many quality receivers are around to not run a spread passing game. Broyles said integration — which came to Texas and Arkansas circa 1970 — helped speed the wishbone's demise.
"It wasn't as glamorous," Broyles said. "You weren't being able to use the integrated speed."
Broyles said Bellard made defenses cover the width of the field as well as the length. Sort of an early-day spread offense, only using the option instead actual formation.
Broyles himself went to the wishbone in the early 1970s.
"It was an eye 0pener," Broyles said. "It was something special. You didn't have to line up and double team and trap out and lead with the fullback. They had to defend the area of the offensive formation, and it forced everybody else to stay at home. When you ran the ball up the middle, the defensive end and tackles couldn't revert back to make the play."
By 1972, Bellard was head coach at Texas A&M. In seven seasons, Bellard went 48-27. His 1975 team started 10-0 and was ranked No. 2 in America. He also coached seven seasons at Mississippi State; in 14 seasons as a major college coach, Bellard's overall record was 85-69.
But his greatest accomplishment was inventing the offense that ruled college football for all of the 1970s and much of the 1980s.
"Emory was reserved," Broyles said. "He was a perfect leader for our profession. He came up with this innovation that revolutionized college football. He was a heck of a coach