MONROE, La. - ULM's 1987
national championship football team will be inducted into the ULM Athletic Hall
of Fame this fall, Director of Athletics Bobby Staub announced Monday. The
induction ceremony will take place during the ULM-Florida Atlantic football
game scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 13, at Malone Stadium.
"This is a most
deserving honor, and we're extremely excited to recognize the 1987 team on the
25th anniversary of their memorable season," Staub said.
Under the direction of
head coach Pat Collins, ULM finished with a 13-2 record in 1987 and defeated
Marshall 43-42 in the title game to earn its second national championship in
school history. Quarterback Stan Humphries threw the game-winning touchdown
with 7:19 remaining against the Thundering Herd. The ULM defense stopped a pair
of Marshall drives in the final minutes to seal the victory. ULM defeated North
Texas, Eastern Kentucky and Northern Iowa in playoff games leading to the
national championship contest.
Today, 25 years after the 1987 season, ULM is still
the only university from Louisiana or the Southland Conference to ever win the
1-AA championship.
"ULM has had a long-standing
tradition of recognizing individual athletes, but recognizing an entire team
speaks volumes for the university," Collins said. "The 1987 team had
dedication, spirit and commitment on and off the field. It will forever be a
great year for ULM football."
Collins was named
Chevrolet and Football News National Coach of the Year, while also garnering
Southland and Louisiana Coach of the Year honors. Defensive tackle Claude
Brumfield and offensive tackle John Clement were consensus first team All-Americans,
while Humphries and kicker Teddy Garcia were first teamers on at least one
All-America squad. Free safety Cyril Crutchfield earned second team All-America
honors.
Humphries led a
high-powered ULM offense that averaged 414.9 yards and 30.4 points per game
that season. Humphries threw for 2,622 yards and 22 touchdowns during the
regular season. He went on to throw for 1,397 yards and 11 touchdowns in ULM's
four playoff victories. The Warhawks also boasted the Southland's top defense,
which allowed 303.8 yards and 19.9 points per game.
Three players on the
1987 team were chosen in the National Football League Draft, including
Humphries (sixth round, Washington Redskins) and Garcia (fourth round, New
England Patriots) in 1988, and tight end Jackie Harris (fourth round, Green Bay
Packers) in 1990. Humphries had the most decorated career in the NFL, playing
eight seasons for the Redskins and San Diego Chargers. Humphries started six
seasons for the Chargers and guided the franchise to its only Super Bowl
appearance in 1994, a 49-26 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
