European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse In like Kharlamov. Fetisow and Kurtov who played f they had magnets attached to the Blades of their is. L o face them America had assembled a fresh faced cd of College kids. The oldest players on the team a a couple of 25-year-Olds Buzz Schneider and e Eruzione each of whom had played two minor be seasons As amateurs because the pros had not sred to draft them. Y memory of that team was How close we were How ried off each other and what a great work ethic we a Eruzione said. And obviously we were a lot better to people lie Odyssey began in less than sensational fashion shot by Sweden 36-29 in its first game the United ies needed a goal by defens Eman Bill Baker with 27 ends to play to Salvage a 2-2 tie. The deadlock was 1 in the crazy quilt round Robin olympic format where Nile loss can doom a team s Chance to Advance to the dal round. It was the last time however that the Young Sertean skaters would stumble. That Wai the biggest goal of the olympics Zione said. Because of the excitement and emotion. Were Young. The enthusiasm the intensity was against Czechoslovakia Schneider scored twice in a 7 Victory. Eruzione had the first . Goal in that game and tin two Days later when the americans came from Lind for the third time in the olympics to beat Norway Schneider had two More goals in a 7-2 Victory Over Nania. Then third period goals by Rob Mcclanahan i Phil Verchota sealed a 4-2 Victory Over West Many. That sent the americans 4-0-1 into the medal round Ere tour teams would play for three medals. Next were i soviets perfect at 5-0 and winners of five of the last olympic hockey tournaments. The Only miss was $0, the year they lost to an american team whose last was Herb Brooks. Two decades later Brooks was aching the United states and watching a red White and 10 Miracle unfold. Before the first medal round game he offered his Ivers some simple philosophy. You were born to be a Iyer Brooks told them. You were meant to be Here. The . Olympic hockey team and the nation erupted insulation after the 1980 Lake Placid Victory. So much is made of confrontations Eruzione said. As players we had no concept of that. We were so focused it was As if we were playing with blinders on. Herb had us geared to play a hockey game and he kept the outside stuff out of it. We were where we wanted to be in position for a the americans skated furiously against the soviets like a team of Davids swarming around Goliath. Twice they fell behind first when Valery Kurtov deflected a shot past goalie Jim Craig then when Sergei Makarov scored. But in the last second of the first period. Mark Johnson put a rebound past Tretiak and the two teams went to the dressing room tied 2-2. Aleksandr Maltsev had the Only goal of the second period and with 20 minutes to play the soviets led 3-2. Johnson s second goal of the game tied it for the americans and then Halfway through the final period Eruzione drilled a screened shot Home and they led for the first time. Now it became a game of beat the clock. The seconds ticked off for what seemed an eternity As Craig held off the frantic soviets. It Eruzione said the longest 10 minutes of my finally the game reached the last minute the last 30 seconds the last 10 seconds. Then As it became obvious that the soviets would not score again and that the americans would play for the Gold medal against Finland two Days later Abc sportscaster Al Michaels summed it All up Over the Roar of the crowd with a simple haunting question do you believe in miracles yes Vas the first of Many successful runs for College tall s Best player of the 1980s. At the University of Georgia Walker rushed for 5,259 ads most Ever in three years by a major College Iyer and led the bulldogs to three Southeastern inference championships and the school s first National be along the Way he set 11 Mcaa 16 Sec and 41 Viool records won the 1982 Heisman trophy and came a Southern Folk hero. Blessed with the strength of a weightlifter and Speed of sprinter the 6-foot-1,220-Pound Walker could bowl Over b largest linemen and race by the quickest cornerback. Herschel is just the biggest fastest football player 10 Ever lived said Bill Curry whose Georgia tech ams were 0-3 against Georgia in the Walker Era. Tennessee s Johnny majors who coached Tony sett at Pittsburgh also was awed by Walker. A hat More going for him than any player who s or played the game majors said. He is something of puts on this Earth every several decades or after winning the Heisman. Walker skipped his final year of allege to join the new Jersey generals of the fledgling listed states football league. For three seasons he was league s brightest Star. Then the Usel folded and Walker bar 30,1989 went to the Dallas cowboys where he played three years before being traded to Minnesota last month in one of the biggest deals in nil history. In the minds of Many however Walker s pro career will never top his amazing exploits at Georgia. As a freshman the quiet kid from Wrightsville a. Rushed for 1,616 Yards breaking Dorsett s first year record and led Georgia to a 12-0 record. With Walker gaining 150 Yards and scoring twice the bulldogs beat notre Dame 17-10 in the 1981 sugar bowl to capture the National championship. That was the highlight of my College career Walker said. Everybody thought we were going to lose but we proved them Walker Hurt his left shoulder on Georgia s first play of the game but came Back to win map honors. His mental toughness was incredible Vince Dooley his College coach said recently. I be never known anyone with such self discipline. He was a coach s dream in every sense of the Georgia did t win the National championship in Walker s final two years but he and the team remained in the National spotlight going to two More sugar bowls while losing a total of Only three games. After finishing third in the Heisman voting As a freshman and second As a Sophomore Walker became Only the seventh Junior to win the award beating out a Strong Field that included John Elway. Eric Drakerson Anthony Carter and Dan Marino it was a great Honor Walker said but just having an Opportunity to go to College was an Honor top. My whole time at Georgia was like a dream come unlike Many athletes Walker s dreams were not limited to sports he studied criminology at Georgia and thought of becoming an Fri agent. He likes to dance write poetry and ride horses and rarely sleeps More than four hours a night so he can pursue his Many interests. I m an Active person he once said. I can t sit Down i have to be doing something. Before a game i la be dancing or clowning around and other people Don t think i m concentrating. I even dance putting my uniform on. Despite his Fame and Fortune Walker has remained As Humble As his Small town roots. He still Calls interviewers sir and credits his Success to family friends and a has t changed at Dooley said. He is a genuinely Humble person and he never forgets his for example Walker gave Georgia $100,000 to help pay for a new state of the Art athletic building. That s just the Way he is Dooley said. He s a great football player and a great the stars and stripes Page 15
