FOREVER FIVE
Phoenix Union Coyotes
This school was established in 1895, before Arizona became a state. Before they closed their doors for good in 1982, this was one of the state's greatest sports factories, turning out pros mostly in football and basketball. They were an imposing foe for so many, with their last boys basketball team, which was coached by alum Argie Rhymes, reaching the bigschools state final. There were countless great athletes, making it tough to cut it to five. Here's a look at five who stood out. 1. Fred Carr, 1964
At 6 feet, 5 inches, 235 pounds, he was a freak athlete who ran 40 yards in 4.7 seconds and dominated the football field at linebacker. He helped lead Phoenix College to a national championship in 1964, before having a standout career at Texas Western (UTEP), before being taken by the Green Bay Packers in the 1968 NFL Draft. At the time, Vince Lombardi called him the best college football player in that draft. He went on to have a nineyear career, making the Pro Bowl three times and being inducted into the Packers' Hall of Fame in 1983. He died in 2018 at the age of 71.
2. Larry Gordon, 1972
He died at 29 from heart disease, after collapsing while jogging in the Arizona desert in 1983. He was just reaching his peak in the NFL as a linebacker with the Miami Dolphins, where he played seven seasons. He was a first-round pick of the
Dolphins, after having a great career at Arizona State, part of the famed "Crunch Bunch" defense in 1975 that beat Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl, helping the Sun Devils complete an undefeated season.
After attending all-Black school Carver his freshman and sophomore year, he was part of desegregated Phoenix Union football lore, an incredibly powerful running back who finished with 63 career touchdowns. In his two years at PU, the Coyotes went 17-1-2. His career scoring record was a state record that stood for 33 years. He went on to play at Arizona State, before owning a barbershop in downtown Phoenix.