Football Trivia, Football Reflections

Many true football fans will enjoy the coming weeks with great interest, whether it involves high school teams on Friday nights, college campuses on Saturday, or the professional ranks on Sunday.

In light of that, a few football reflections are in order, but before that, here are some football trivia questions to get your mind humming:

1. What NFL team has had seven Super Bowl Most Valuable Players but only five Super Bowl Wins?

2. Who did Arkansas defeat on Jan. 1, 1965, in the Cotton Bowl to complete an undefeated 1964 season?

3. Who caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to give Dallas a 10-0 lead over Miami in Super Bowl VI?

4. Why was Arkansas football featured on the front of the Sept. 11, 1978, Sports Illustrated?

5. According to the Sports Illustrated college football preview, what are the top ranked college football teams going into this season?

If you are stumped on any of those, we will get to the answers shortly.

But first, I think all football fans agree there is something that is just plain excit- ing about the game and that different levels have different nuances that make the competition special.

High school football has much to do with community pride and school spirit, and it includes a lot of family support in the stands.

College teams hit the field with a lot of energy that can only come from campus enthusiasm, and it shows. NFL games on Sunday have their own brand of excitement, but after watching college games, the professional contests look more like everyone is going to work.

That is not to diminish the feel of pro football because it definitely has its own thrilling atmosphere, especially as the teams approach the playoffs.

And in the purest sense of the word, the game is still a game at all levels, and teams compete to win games and strive for championships.

Please note that I wrote “in the purest sense of the word.” In reality, we know football is much more than the game on the field.

College football is increasingly more about money for universities, even though it involves student-athletes that are classified as amateurs. Pro football is also about the money, but it is an entertainment industry as well.

High school football is taken very seriously in some regions, with states like Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma leading the way. But Arkansas takes its high school football seriously as well, with Friday night gridiron gatherings being extremely important in most Arkansas communities.

I absolutely loved playing football in Arkansas during my own high school days, and I’ll always contend that it is a great experience for the student-athletes and is good for student morale. At the same time, however, it is unfortunate in those instances when the athletic program becomes the tail that wags the dog of the entire school.

There should be a healthy balance though, one in which the athletic program enriches and supports the overall academic effort and one in which young men learn some things on the football field that they may not learn in a classroom.

When high schools strike that balance, it is a very good thing.

And finally, the trivia answers:

1. Dallas Cowboys. They were aided in this feat when linebacker Chuck Howley was given the MVP for Dallas in their 16-13 loss to Baltimore in Super Bowl V and when Harvey Martin and Randy White were given co-MVP honors in their 27-10 Super Bowl XII win over Denver. 2. Nebraska 10-7. 3. Former Arkansas All-American Lance Alworth. The Cowboys went on to win Super Bowl VI 24-3.

4. The magazine had the Razorbacks as a pre- season number one pick. The cover featured quarterback Ron Calcagni, running back Ben Cowins, and Coach Lou Holtz.

5. From 1-5, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, and LSU.