BROOKS
Continued from Page 2
doing it to please somebody
else or not
ODE is there any kind of
frustration that you've been
here tliis long and haven't been
able to reach the Rose Bowl
vet ' You've come close a num
ber of times
Brooks Yes, there is definite
frustration i hate to lose. I've
never grown accustomed to it
even though I've lost a lot of
games here. And it's even more
frustrating the last couple of
years where we've had a bettor
i banco and better teams.
Three years ago when we
wore ti l and Bill (Musgrave)
broke his collarbone after boat
ing Washington and USC back
to back, and we ended up los
ing to Arizona State in a very
close game after Bill broke his
collarbone, I thought we had a
great chance that year of going
to the Rose Bowl We didn't
make it and that was very frus
trating
ODE: What kind of things do
you think you could improve
in as far as coaching goes?
Brooks I try to evaluate that
every year and change things
from time to time. 1 try to be
come aware of changes in atti
tudes of players because
they've changed a great deal
over the years—how best to
motivate them and get the most
effort out of them.
ODE: Do you think that as far
as athletes in general go today
that they have developed a god
like attitude over the last 10
years'
Brooks I don't think that's a
problem at this level 1 think
most players at this level may
be have a dream of playing pro
fessional football, but many of
them realize that this is going
to be their last football expert
ence.
I do have a few who think
that they are going to lie pro
players and that’s the only
thing on their mind, and I try to
convince them that edui ation
is pretty important, regardless
of whether they play pro foot
ball or not.
ODE Who are some ol the
best players you have ever
coached?
Brooks: Oh, I've been around
a lot of great players In the
days at Oregon State with I’ete
I’jfer, who was (list inducted
into the Oregon Hall ol l ame,
and playing with a guy like
Terry Baker, who won the Hois
man Trophy I coached Jess
Lewis and John Sandstrom,
who both made all-American at
Oregon State they were both
defensive lineman that I
coached. Then at UCLA, there
was Jerry Robinson, who is still
with the Raiders, and Wendell
Tyler
Then at the Rams and the
4tiers, I coached a lot ol great
players Jimmy Johnson, Ralph
McGill, Merlin Olsen, Deacon
Jones
I've had a lot of great players
here Gary Zimmerman, Bryan
Hinkle, Steve Brown, Chris
Miller, Bill Musgrave. Low
Barnes, Tony Cherry, Vince
Goldsmith, one of the great
ones ... 1 mean, 1 could go on
and on and on
ODE: Do you keep in touch
with a lot of your former play
ers?
Brooks Yeah, I do.
ODE Even the ones from
way back? The Merlin Olsens
and all those guys?
Brooks Yeah, in fact, I tried
to recruit his son this year He
went to Stanford on me
Rich Brooks
PERSONAL: Born Richard L Brooks on August 20 1941 in
Forest, California Family Wife Karen, daughter Kasey
Holwerda, daughter Kerri and son Brady
EDUCATION: Earned 8.S regor
State University in 1963 and master n education in 1964
at Oregon State
COACHING CAREER Berlin i hmg areor m 1963 at
Oregon State as assistant freshman coach Taught general
science it Las Palmas Junior High and was assistant
coach at Norte Del Rio High S( hoot in 1966 He then
served assistant coaching stmts at Oregon State (1966 69)
UCLA (1970), Los Angeles Rams (1971 72), Oregon Stale
(1973), San Francisco 49ers (1974 75i and UCLA (1976) he
fore being named Oregon's head coach on December 17
1976
PLAYING EXPERIENCE Playt j tailbacl
freshman team at Oregon State in 1969 Played as bai k up
defensive back and part time starter as sophomore Took
over as regular in three deep secondary and played back
up quarterback in 1961
ODE Now, jus! about college
footbu11 in general There was a
lot of talk ami hopes last season
that soon they would come up
with a playoff system rather
than a howl system What do
you think alxnit that'
I 'm supposed to win
all of my games, I'm
supposed to
graduate every one
of my players ... I 'm
supposed to have
this wonderful
environment that
everybody 's going to
be successful in. ’
— Rich Brooks
Brooks 1 don't think there is
any way th.it you can come up
with a fair and equitable play
off system Tilt) polls are Hawed
I don’t think they are accu
rate bv any stretch of the imagi
nation. but most of the plans
for a national playoff would
come hy choosing the top four
teams in the polls, and then
play off after howl games
You're going to continue to
take students out of class it you
do that.
Some of tho reasons to do it
nri! fin.mi i.il, which 1 think is
thn wrong message again
1 think that the controversy
between tile DIM poll, which Is
now going to he the 1 S.\ Today
with the I oat lies’ poll, and the
A1’ poll is good You know
dial keeps interest lip 111 College
football Last year we had two
different champions In (Georgia
Tech and Colorado 1 person
alls voted lor Ceorgin lech on
the coaches' poll.
The system isn't perfect, hut
it's better than the alternative of
trying to have more games
ODE There's also lieen a lot
of talk about student-athlete
graduation rates, blai k athlete
graduation rates How mm h do
you tell your players to get up
in the morning to go to class'
brooks 1 think we do what
we can to ent ourage our play
ers to graduate
I'm a little bored or angered
with all the rhetorit about boss
college athletics uses athletes 1
feel used a lot by sortie of mV
players, academically because
they're here just to play loot
ball, and I keep trying to get
them to go to ( lass, but some of
them aren't yery interested in
Turn to BROOKS. Page 7
is open seven days a
week serving delicious
NEW YORK PIZZA by
the SLICE or by the
WHOLE PIZZA PIE.
Choice of regular crust
or deep-dish Sicilian.
Eat here or take out.
Open 11:30 am-Midnight Mon.-Sat.
3:30 pm-Midnight Sun.
SY’s
NEW YORK PIZZA
1211 Alder on Campus * 686 9598
r1^ ^
y^fi-c-CL Salon
The Best in
Cuts and Color
All major products
always at a discount
to U of ()
1 ‘1 n n
11 Mir,
TT v\ V Kt'l H I S
>\\w
1II I
25% off First Visit
%
V-'
services
Ask how you can attain
t ree servicing
342-1751 1611 Oak St
St'rvini; the l <>f ().\i/wc
INTERNATIONALLY CERTIFIED COLOR SPECIALISTS
Welcome
to
Eugene
from the store with the finest
sportswear and equipment
tor all four seasons.
-□
i u
BE CERTAIN TO CHECK OUR
GREAT IN STORE SPECIALS'
— OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK —
AU MAJOB CPEDIT CABDS ACCfPItU
94 we ST BPOADWAY
DOWNTOWN MALI
EUGENf OREGON 97401
343-1288
Ki*c\ i*lt* this p;iper.