Mike Favor to College Football Hall of Fame

[roadwarrior]

Great honor for Mike!

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/320962/group/homepage/

[KilldeerBison]

He is deserving of this, seems like he gave all he had every play. He was a good role model, good leader.

[TheBisonator]

HELL OF A GUY. He was my HS football coach when I was a freshman and my HS dean later on. I liked him a lot at the time probably more because he was lenient on my constant tardiness to school (LOL) No one greater than him (as a person) in my opinion (just my opinion) who ever put on a Bison uniform. And an awesome achievement as well.

Congratulations Mike!!!

[BISONBRI53]

Great guy! I remember him while I was growing up as being a fun lovin guy! Awesome on the football field! He and Snuffy Byers were our lunch room monitor's while I went to Agassiz. Both fun to watch on the field.

[CaBisonFan]

One of the great Bison players/men of all time. Congratulations to Mike.

[bisoningrandforks]

Congrats to Mike......One of the best lineman in bison history!

[NDSU_grad]

Go back and watch some CaBison's old videos from the 80's and focus on the center. It is absolutely ridiculous how much better Favor was than any d-lineman out there. He's usually about 5-7 yards downfield on every option play leveling some linebacker after he's already taken care of a d-lineman. One of the best Bison ever.

[sambini]

Congrats Mike aka Spank

[BadlandsBison]

One of the great Bison players/men of all time. Congratulations to Mike.

He looked darn good in your videos, CA. Always working for a block, what a player.

[tony]

Great player and a very nice guy.

[CAS4127]

Great player and a very nice guy.

Tru dat^. Mike (Spanky) and I were co-captains of the 88 National Championship team. We are better friends now then we were then, as both of us were "protective" of our side of the ball, so to speak.

Great player, great guy, excellent leader, and fun to be around.

Well deserved recognition.

[CaBisonFan]

Tru dat^. Mike (Spanky) and I were co-captains of the 88 National Championship team. We are better friends now then we were then, as both of us were "protective" of our side of the ball, so to speak.

Great player, great guy, excellent leader, and fun to be around.

Well deserved recognition.

And you CAS...would land in a similar category of great Bison players. You guys are legendary...deservedly.

How in the hell did you all put together a team concept that created such incredible confidence?

[CAS4127]

And you CAS...would land in a similar category of great Bison players. You guys are legendary...deservedly.

How in the hell did you all put together a team concept that created such incredible confidence?

We started out on the scout teams together and were consistently complimented by then coach Morton about how well we played against what would end up being the 1984 NC runner up. The offensive players moved the ball against the No.1 D, and the defensive players oftentimes shut down the No.1 O, all by just using flashcards of plays/defensive schemes of the opponent. Plus, our class was full of very self-confident people who, despite that, respected the abilities and personalities of each other. I'll give kudos to Gus Bradley for keeping everything friendly (well almost everything) and injecting just the right sense of humor at the right time.

Thanks for the comliment btw.

[siouxdgj]

Great player and a very nice guy.

Glad to hear. Quite a signal honor for a tremendous and most deserving player.

[CaBisonFan]

We started out on the scout teams together and were consistently complimented by then coach Morton about how well we played against what would end up being the 1984 NC runner up. The offensive players moved the ball against the No.1 D, and the defensive players oftentimes shut down the No.1 O, all by just using flashcards of plays/defensive schemes of the opponent. Plus, our class was full of very self-confident people who, despite that, respected the abilities and personalities of each other. I'll give kudos to Gus Bradley for keeping everything friendly (well almost everything) and injecting just the right sense of humor at the right time.

Thanks for the comliment btw.

Yir welcome.

Interesting. Don Morton was an excellent coach from what I've heard. Don't really know first-hand.

Do you think that the '84 team would have won the title if Bentrim hadn't been hurt in the NC game?

[CAS4127]

Yir welcome.

Interesting. Don Morton was an excellent coach from what I've heard. Don't really know first-hand.

Do you think that the '84 team would have won the title if Bentrim hadn't been hurt in the NC game?

Yes, or by simply giving the ball to Stark 2-3 times at the goal line. :banghead: :banghead: Not tryin to sound selfish, but that would have given me 4 NC rings, as Matt Tracy and I were selected to join the traveling team for that game. Thank God neither of us had to play, or we would have lost our redshirt for that year and only had 3 years of eligibility left.

But, back to Mike. Thought the film on him on sports last night was awesome, and really brought back memories. The thing about him and the o-line he led, was they were also trying to get to the second and third level, and you would oftentimes see them 30-35 yards downfield looking for someone to block.

[HerdBot]

We started out on the scout teams together and were consistently complimented by then coach Morton about how well we played against what would end up being the 1984 NC runner up. The offensive players moved the ball against the No.1 D, and the defensive players oftentimes shut down the No.1 O, all by just using flashcards of plays/defensive schemes of the opponent. Plus, our class was full of very self-confident people who, despite that, respected the abilities and personalities of each other. I'll give kudos to Gus Bradley for keeping everything friendly (well almost everything) and injecting just the right sense of humor at the right time.

Thanks for the comliment btw.

Thanks! That was some really cool insight!

[BisonNeil]

God I love watching him play! This is a great honor for Mike, and NDSU.

[Bison Dan]

I remember Mike leading the runnng back into the end zone (on long runs)many times throughout his playing days. I always thought to myself - how does he do that? Great player!

[Castor Troy]

Was he undersized for a center or did he just not want to pursue the NFL?

[westnodak93bison]

Was he undersized for a center or did he just not want to pursue the NFL?

I was wondering that myself. What was his playing weight and height? How does he compare to other Bison centers?

[Notorious]

Was he undersized for a center or did he just not want to pursue the NFL?

I think he had a tryout with Miami...too short was the word on the street...was in the 6 - 6"1' range...

[CAS4127]

I think he had a tryout with Miami...too short was the word on the street...was in the 6 - 6"1' range...

Yep, and the fact that we were a running team, so his pass blocking skills were not where they needed to be coming out of college. Not that he couldn't have learned and done it well, it's just that NFL's teams didn't want to take the chance on development. Same was true for Daryl I. and Matt T. BTW, Mike's playing weight was in the 280's-290's as I recall. He was very athletic and had very good feet, and long arms for his height. Daryl and Matt were in the 300 range.

[99Bison]

Was he undersized for a center or did he just not want to pursue the NFL?

Mike not getting a legit chance is a "travesty of the NFL" according to mr. Stark.

[bri-dog]

I was just sitting at Chili's having a beer (the only place within walking distance of the tire store) while waiting to have my tires rotated and I happened to see this in today's USA today...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2011-07-14-cunningham-college-football-hall-of-fame_n.htm

Other inductees:

•Dennis Byrd, North Carolina State, defensive tackle: Byrd, who passed away at 63 last July after suffering a heart-attack, was one of the most dominant defensive lineman in Atlantic Coast Conference history. He was the first two-time All-American at North Carolina State and was first-team All-ACC in each of his three varsity seasons. Byrd - the only Wolfpack football player to have his jersey retired - helped lead NC State to a share of the 1965 ACC title.

•Ronnie Caveness, Arkansas, center/linebacker: Caveness, one of the last players at Arkansas to start on both sides of the ball, was a linebacker and center. He helped lead the Razorbacks to the 1964 national championship and holds school records for most tackles made in consecutive seasons at 309 as well as the most tackles in a game with 29.

•Ray Childress, Texas A & M, defensive tackle:

Childress, a two time All-American, left Texas A & M as one of the top defensive players in school history. As a junior, he had 15 sacks and 117 tackles. He followed that with a senior campaign with 124 tackles and 10 sacks for the No. 5 pass defense in the country. At the time, his 25 career sacks was a school record for a non-linebacker.

•Dexter Coakley, Appalachian State, linebacker:

Coakley finished his career at Appalachian State as one of the greatest defensive players in Division I-AA history. He was named All-American and Southern Conference defensive player of the year as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was a main contributor to a Mountaineer team in 1995 that finished unbeaten. Coakley is the school's all-time school leader in solo tackles and sacks.

•Randy Cross, UCLA, offensive guard:

Cross, who played both guard and center his senior year, helped the Bruins win the 1976 Rose Bowl championship against top-ranked Ohio State. He started 28 of 34 career games for UCLA, including the final 23, and was a first-team All-American in 1975.

•Mike Favor, North Dakota State, offensive lineman:

Favor, who started all four seasons for the Bison (including 51 consecutive games), played in three national championship wins in 1985, 1986 and 1988. He was the North Central Conference's most valuable offensive lineman as a senior. Favor was a two-time first-team All-American and was named to the NCAA Division II team of the quarter century in 1997.

•Charles Haley, James Madison, defensive end:

Haley, James Madison's first player drafted into the NFL, was the team's defensive MVP from 1983 to 1985. He was also the program's first first-team All-American. Haley finished with more than 100 tackles during his final three seasons.

•Mark Herrmann, Purdue, quarterback:

Herrmann, a first-team All-American and Big Ten most valuable player in 1980, helped lead Purdue to three bowl victories. His 9,949 career passing yards was, at the time, the most in NCAA history. Herrmann finished his four-year career with 23 Purdue, six conference and nine NCAA passing records.

•Clarkston Hines, Duke, wide receiver:

Hines, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year in 1989, led the conference in pass receptions three consecutive years. His 38 career touchdowns remains the best in conference history, while he is third for career yardage. Hines won the ACC's McKevlin Award his senior year, representing the top overall athlete in the conference.

•Desmond Howard, Michigan, wide receiver:

Howard, winner of the 1991 Heisman Trophy, has set or tied 12 single-season records at Michigan. That year he won the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards, and was named a first-team All-American. Howard, who became the first wide receiver in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring, helped Michigan to three Big Ten titles and two Rose Bowl appearances.

•Mickey Kobrosky, Trinity, halfback:

Kobrosky, who also played on the Trinity basketball and baseball teams, helped lead the program to a 19-2 overall mark in his final three seasons. He twice earned first-team All-American honors. Kobrosky finished his career with 1,861 yards rushing and 1,000 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.

•Chet Moeller, Navy, safety:

Moeller, a first team All-American and the 1975 East Coast Athletic Conference player of the year, finished his career as one of the top defensive players in Midshipmen history. He recorded 275 tackles during his career, including 25 for a loss during his junior year.

•Jerry Stovall, Louisiana State, defensive back, running back, punter:

Stovall, who played offense, defense and special teams, will become the 12th LSU player or coach to enter the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1962, he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy behind Oregon State's Terry Baker. He finished his career with 452 rushing yards, 1,081 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over three seasons.

•Pat Tillman, Arizona State, linebacker:

Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan while serving for the U.S. Army, was the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-American in 1997. That season he helped lead Arizona State to a 9-3 record and a Sun Bowl win against Iowa while being named game MVP. Tillman's number was retired in 2004.

•Alfred Williams, Colorado, linebacker:

Williams was a key contributor to a Buffaloes team that won the 1990 national championship. He finished his career with 59 career tackles for loss along with two Big Eight defensive player of the year awards. Williams also claimed the 1990 Butkus Award and was a two-time All-American.

•Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin, head coach:

Alvarez, who in 2005 retired as Badgers head football coach to become the school's athletic director, ended his tenure on the sidelines as one of the top coaches in Big Ten history. He finished with a 118-73-4 overall record while leading Wisconsin to three conference titles. Alvarez was a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year as well as the AFCA coach of the year in 1993.

•Mike Kelly, Dayton, head coach:

Kelly, Dayton's coach for 27 years, compiled one of the best records in college football history. During his tenure, he was 246-54-1 (a .819 winning percentage), which is the fourth-best percentage among coaches with at least 25 years experience. He helped guide Dayton to three national championships in 1989, 2002 and 2007. Kelly was the Pioneer Football League's coach of the year seven of the first 15 years the league was in existence and national coach of the year seven times.

•Bill Manlove, Widener / Deleware Valley / La Salle, head coach:

Manlove, a former president of the American Football Coaches Association, led Widener University to two NCAA Division III national titles. He finished his coaching career with a 212-110-1 overall record, including 182-53-1 at Widener.

Manlove was Division III coach of the year in 1977 after he won his first national championship.

•Gene Stallings, Texas A & M / Alabama, head coach:

Stallings, a member of Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys," returned to Texas A & M as head coach in 1965 and two years later led the Aggies to a Southwest Conference title. He took over as Alabama head coach in 1990 and helped the Crimson Tide to an overall record of 70-16-1, including a national title in 1992.

[CAS4127]

Wow--Awesome!! Mike and I were co-captains in 88!! Good for him. He was witty, tough, a leader, and solid. I am partial, but the 88 team ruled!!

[CaBisonFan]

Wow--Awesome!! Mike and I were co-captains in 88!! Good for him. He was witty, tough, a leader, and solid. I am partial, but the 88 team ruled!!

What was it about '88 that made it better than the others? Not arguing...obviously. Just asking.

[westnodak93bison]

Wow--Awesome!! Mike and I were co-captains in 88!! Good for him. He was witty, tough, a leader, and solid. I am partial, but the 88 team ruled!!

The 88 team was awesome to watch. The first game against Northern Michigan was my first live Bison game. I later worked with a brother to the N. Michigan fullback Steve Avery. I loved giving him crap about the beat down that happened on 9/10/88. Avery ended up starting for the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. CAS4127 you probably knocked heads with him a few times?

[onbison09]

You can watch right here. Mike's about to come up. Of course the stream starts getting choppy when Mike comes up. It cut off about half of his highlights :facepalm: http://www.xosdigital.com/NationalFootballFoundationLiveStream.aspx?DB_OEM_I D=2400