Eighth of a series.
ESPN is naming its "Mount Rushmore" for sports in each of the 50 states. We liked the idea, so we're taking a smaller slice. Today, the Mount Rushmore of Appalachian State athletics.
Jerry Moore, football: The Southern Conference's all-time winningest coach, Moore (above) put Appalachian State on national stage with three NCAA titles and a stunning upset at Michigan. He's coached the Mountaineers for two decades.
Armanti Edwards, football: The Walter Payton Award winner, Edwards (above) will end his career next season as arguably the school's greatest player, and certainly the flashiest. Bigger schools didn't think he could play QB, so he went to Boone and proved them wrong.
Bobby Cremins, basketball: Cremins (above) revived basketball on a football-crazed campus, leading ASU to its first Southern Conference title and first of the school's two NCAA tournament appearances in his 1975-81 tenure.
Thompson Usiyan, soccer: A three-time Southern Conference Player of the Year and still Division I soccer's all-time leading scorer with 109 goals, Usiyan (left) played at the school from 1977 through 1980.--Harry Pickett
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Disagree? Think we left someone out? Tell us in the comments below who you'd add, and which of our picks yours should replace.
Posts
57 comments:
Bobby Cremmins? Seriously? Don't let your ACC bias taint our school. While winning a conference championship in basketball at Appalachian State is quite a feat, you seem to be including his move to GA Tech. If thats the criteria, you should put Mack Brown on the list. How about Alvin Gentry?
Jerry Moore = no brainer.
I'd combine the faces of Armanti Edwards, Richie Williams, Trey Elder, and Scott Satterfield for the 2nd face.
Usiyan makes sense. Obviously soccer isn't very popular, but you can'r argue with record holders. App was quite the soccer school at one time.
In place of Cremins, I put Dexter Coakley. All-American, Buck Buchanan, and pro bowler.
Cremins can go on Ga. Tech's Rushmore; Dexter is a no brainer,
Richie Williams for sure. He started the Three-peat.
Also their Chancellor Peacock. I am sure current students would agree.
For anyone at ASU or following ASU during Cremins tenure would certainly rank him among the elite at Appalachian. If only we could return to the excitement that his teams generated in those days.
you people are wasting a lot of time with these insignificant schools that don't matter.
give us the only schools that matter - Duke and UNC.
Does the Observer really think fans of Davidson, App St and UNCC really exist? Nobody likes those schools
John Settle? firts undrafted NFL free-agent selected to the Pro Bowl his rookie season.....Dexter Coakley? only 2-time Buck Buchanan award winner....Alvin Gentry....Dino Hackett
I think when it comes to football players, you have to put Dino Hackett and John Settle in the mix. Especially ahead of Satterfield.
Dr. Peacock would certainly have to be at the top of any list. He has had a positive impact not just on football but has lead ASU to advancements all over the university and throughout the region.
Harold Alexander was the man!!!!
"Yosef" represents everyone who gave their all for Appalachian State. That would be my #1 seletion to go on the Mount Rushmore for ASU.
The people who have made the impacts during their careers are humble people, not boastful, and I feel certain they would agree YOSEF would represent them just fine.
Bobby Cremmins over Dexter Coakley? I dont think so. Cremmins belongs at GA Tech. Coakley is by far the best football player to ever player at App before 2005.
Anonymous said...
you people are wasting a lot of time with these insignificant schools that don't matter.
give us the only schools that matter - Duke and UNC.
Does the Observer really think fans of Davidson, App St and UNCC really exist? Nobody likes those schools
From another App St fan...BITE ME
Seriously... LET"S GO! OK, I'll have to give out the UNC one I guess....
DEAN SMITH
MICHAEL JORDAN
CHARLIE JUSTICE
LAWRENCE TAYLOR
ROY WILLIAMS
MIA HAMM
JAMES WORTHY
TYLER HANSBROUGH
JULIUS PEPPERS
DAVIS LOVE III
JAMES WORTHY
SAM PERKINS
We're gonna need a bigger mountain!
Who will the Observer do next... Western Carolina?
The Dukies and Tarhicks are jealous. They'd kill for our football program.
While I'm at at, Larry Hand '61-'65 was an All-American at Appalachhian and a 13 year NFL vet with the Detroit Lions...team MVP and all-pro.
Also must not forget ASU's mid-80s running back John Settle. He still owns many ASU all-time rushing records and was a fine NFL back until injuries ended his career.
Anonymous said...
you people are wasting a lot of time with these insignificant schools that don't matter.
give us the only schools that matter - Duke and UNC.
Does the Observer really think fans of Davidson, App St and UNCC really exist? Nobody likes those schools
Umm...Yes, actually a lot of people are fans of Davidson, App St , and UNCC. Especially App St football, I mean a 3-peat is pretty impressive.
The real question is who cares about Duke football?
GO APP ST.!!
The Presbyterian school for Yankees in Durham and the Directional Hyphenated school for the Snobbish, located in Chapel Hill, are both ducking Appalachian in football. And you know it.
I would also think that an honorable mention needs to go to Mary Jane Harrelson. She was the first national champion of any kind at ASU, and she was a six-time track and field all American. She has come close to making the Olympics, and I think deserves the recognition.
App State Mt Rushmore -
Dylan,
Dylan,
Dylan,
Dylan,
&
Dylan.
that anonymous guy that says the only schools that matter are UNC-CH and duke must be angry that our undergraduate students beat out Tarhole and dukie grad students. Ohhh and yeah they won't play us in football. UNC-CH might in a few years when butch davis cheats enough to make them good, like they do in basketball.
Here's a shout out to Hank Steinbrecher and Art Rex, who coached Tommy Usiyan.
I rip when I rhyme, I rhyme when I rip!!!
You want some of dis hot fi-a mon'?
What about App State Club Soccer circa 1998-2002?? Those guys may not have won championships (or even that many games). But they managed to get kicked out of tournaments and banned from competition on at least 3 different campuses in 2 states. Thats legendary material.
Also, Dylan.
ASU Club Soccer circa 98-02 ruled with an Iron Fist.
But the real question is:
IS LAVERNUES COLES STILL AVAILABLE???
The 5:
-AppState Club Soccer team captain Josh Mayhew, a marginal soccer player with poor financial skills and a penchant for denial. Captained one of the greatest teams assembled in sports history.
-The crowd that stormed the field after ASU football beat Georgia Southern in 2000, tore down the goal post, rammed it through the window of the Ga. Southern Team Bus, then threw it in Duck Pond.
-The guy who sent cash to UNC Chapel Hill so UNCs basketball team would visit for the first home game at the new Holmes Center, where they spanked AppState by about 40 while the fans littered the new building with empty airplane bottles.
-Jerry Richardson. Could have left a long time ago, but decided to stay and continue big pimpin' in the mountains
-Junior Johnson, never went to AppState, but a local mountain boy who gave the university 2 of its greatest loves - moonshine and NASCAR
Laverneus Coles is available.
That girl that was a fan of the Pone Toneez that got a technical for running on the court and cussing out a referee during an intramural basketball game certainly deserves a mention.
Shark Assassin, out.
Edit that, Jerry Moore. Honorary PANTHERS!!
Ranacan my damies! Pone Toneez gotta be there
Hmmmmm the lovefest with Appy State continues.... I guess like 99% of the rest of the time, the "other" UNC sytem school in the mountains will be overlooked once again.
No love for the Catamounts....
Dear, "give us the only schools that matter - Duke and UNC" guy.
My guess is you graduated neither school. Walmart.
Duke and UNC can have basketball...
Otherwise, shut up and quit hatin on App State
The Triangle is leaning more and more toward App State every year, me being one durham resident who couldn't care less about duke and unc
Hey Western fan,
Don't get your panties all up in a wad. You'll get your chance to have a "Mt. Rushmore."
Oh, and the editor of this blog overlooked ASU's 2-time bronze medalist in the 100m hurdles, Melissa Morrison-Howard. Certainly that squeezes out Bobby Cremins.
A Catamount is a gay mountain lion.
Sadatay on tha runny-ca my Daimes.
Tippy-tappy.
unc-dukie
Why is it every time App State has an article written about it all you can do is whine and say but but unc and duke omg what righteous balls why wasn't this written by us, we never get any attention, we're better, it costs more here whaaaaa, daddy I want a new lease on my Acura pleeeeease
go camp out for 3 weeks or something for 1 bball game
"you people are wasting a lot of time with these insignificant schools that don't matter.
give us the only schools that matter - Duke and UNC."
Yet another UNC fan that proves my point that the vast majority of Tarhole fans are some of the most obnoxious on the planet. My guess is its a 14 year old on here. Heaven forbid North Cryolina doesn't get all the press.
Bobby Cremins, definitely. He did it at old "Varsity Gym".
What about JOHN FITCH, though.
Oh you mean those schools that matter and are too afraid to play Appalachian State because they'd rather play McNeese State for "recruiting purposes in Louisiana"!
If you're scared, say you're scared, Tar Holes!
The observer needs to realize that there are fans and alumni of the smaller NC schools that do read this paper on a daily basis and would be happy to see even a fraction of the coverage given to the larger schools. Maybe these smaller schools aren't in the so called "Coverage Area" but neither are the big schools.
I personaly dont give a rat's tail about any of the big four as they are irrelevent to me....Go APPS
to the Tarhole fan - did you read the intro to the article?
"ESPN is naming its "Mount Rushmore" for sports in each of the 50 states. We liked the idea, so we're taking a smaller slice. Today, the Mount Rushmore of Appalachian State athletics." Hmmm, I missed the part about "even though this article is specifically about ASU, we must bow down and pay homage to UNC..." Tell Daddy to keep sending his money to the Rams club - maybe you'll have a credible program one day.
Bobby Cremins was barely a .500 winner at ASU. Wrong selection. I'll replace him with Valrie Whiteside!
We can't forget Melissa Morrison-Howard. She is a multiple Olympic Medalist, U.S. National Champion and All American.
Response to comment: you people are wasting a lot of time with these insignificant schools that don't matter.
give us the only schools that matter - Duke and UNC.
Does the Observer really think fans of Davidson, App St and UNCC really exist? Nobody likes those schools
When is the last time Duke and/or Carolina played Appalachian? Oh wait thats right year after year they refuse to add the "sub-par" Football Championship Subdivision Teams (aka DI-AA) to their schedule. If you'll take a look back, quite a few of your "great" North Carolina D-I teams began in the Southern Conference. Many still played Appalachian until they defined themselves as the premier football program in the State. So bring your North Carolina and Duke teams, you won't see Appalachian back down. And if you're really so confident. Let the venue be "The Rock"
Great choices, although I do question the Cremins pick. Dexter Coakley and Melissa Morrison-Howard are much stronger picks and had immediate effects on each respective program of which, each have continued to dominate.
To the UNC-Dookie fan....I'm a student at APP and over the past 3 seasons, the football we've played and the football UNC and Dook have played is incomparable. We could beat UNC 9 outa 10 times and EASILY beat Dook 10 outa 10, with some of those bein blowouts...come talk when your football team is worth talkin about
By Carolina, do you mean that school in Chapel Hill that was trounced by a slightly better than average 1-AA Furman team in their own stadium? Or are you talking about the Carolina which ducked Appalachian to have a home game with McNeese St.? Oh yeah, they barely beat a 1-AA team which didn't even make the playoffs.
I'm glad to see Thompson U. on Rushmore. As a student at App from '77-'81, I got to know him very well. He was the Pele of his native country, Nigeria. While living in the same dorm as freshmen, I noticed a Nike poster one day on the wall in his room of him on the Nigerian Olympic Team. I knew then that he was more than just a special gift to our soccer program.
Bobby Cremins was an icon during the 70's but have to go with the following APP ST GREATS for my Mt Rushmore:
Steve Brown, Legendary
QB of the ASU football team in the late 70's and early 80's - the JUICE was fearless !!!
Ron Vincent, CF on the ASU baseball team in the early 80s - Dude could stroke it !!! Once saw him run through the CF fence robbing a WCU player of a home run - major player !!! The BMOC during his days at ASU
Agree with Thompson Usiyan - Dude was the best player in the country bar none
Agree with Coach Moore - Can't beat his record and what he has done for ASU - App St is in a place today that would have never been reached if not for Coach Moore
To the UNC / DUKE fan....show some nuts and schedule us in football some time
Yes, well to the Dookie and Tar-Whos out there---schedule us in football. I dare you. As a loyal App fan AND alumnus who has to put up with living in the Triangle, stop whining and start winning or shut up. Go APPS!!!
It was nice to see Thompson U.on the rock. I was there during the soccer days at Appalachain.
I agree with Edwards and Moore. I would have liked to see a woman athlete honored though.
Bobby C. did thank the pep band for playing during one of the close wins that year. As a band geek, thanks for our hard work is always a welcome addition to the situation.
Coach Paul Mance (wreslting) and Coach John Weaver (track) should have been on the list. They have won countless conference championships and have a combined 65 years of experience at ASU.
I do not understaand the Bobby Cremins selection. Cremins' legacy at ASU was average basketball team almost every year during his tenure and after? If the criteria is for what you did AFTER LEAVING ASU then you would have to consider - Pete Maravichm former basketball coach, former Air Force Football Coach Fisher DeBerry was an assistant football coach, and you could also add Mack Brown. He had a winning record 6/5 at ASU and he won a National Championship after he left.
My forth choice would be Yosef. He would represent all the atheletes that contributed to ASU.
Jerry Moore has been around so long and produced such results it's hard to argue his choice. Thompson was probably the most dominant individual athlete we ever had. And don't forget Bobby C. as the youngest D-1 head coach took App from 3-23 the year before hearrived, to .500 to the NCAA tournament in his first two years without the benefit of a lot of recruits. Armanti will probably belong there as well. His numbers are dazzling, despite the fact that he likely won't taste NFL stardom like Settle, Coakley, Hackett or Joe Parker. Good choices - hard to argue with them!
You know, it tells you a lot about a school's inferiority complex when its fans have to jump in another, smaller school's column and taunt. I just can't see Michigan fans talking smack all over CMU's column or USC attempting to sulley Cal State's house. This juvenile trash talking by UNC's finest gives me a greater appreciation for NC State. At least their fans know where their column is and how to keep their pie holes shut.
What about Rick Beasely? As a wide receiver from 1978-80, he set seven school records and is still Appalachian’s all-time leader in receiving yards (3,124), average yards per reception (17.6) and 100-yard receiving games (16). I was there for Cremmins and Usiyan. Cremmins was a great coach and made ASU into the dominant program in the conference. Watching T. Usiyan and gang was ridiculous. Because of him and the other World Cup level players, We led the nation in soccer attendance (6,000 per game), got written about in Sports Illustrated, beat State, Clemson (defending national champion), South Carolina, and I think UNC. Unfortunately, lost to Duke in the NCAA tournament because most of our players were hung over from the previous night's soccer celebration at the Holiday Inn.
Harry, looks like you've done well. Glad to see it.
L. Matthews
I have not yet heard the names of Corey Lynch, or even APPS All-time leading rusher Kevin Richardson...
I agree with Coach Moore and Usiyan. But I'm like a lot of others on this post: What about Miss Morrison? And I'll throw this name in the hat: Buzz Peterson, for taking us back to the dance in 2000 in only 4 years. Yeah, Bobby did it in less time, but Buzz did it when App was known as a gridiron school vs. hoops school. Honorable mentions: Coakley, Lynch (what a great FG BLOCK), Cremins, and another new name: Former Chancellor Francis Borkowski? The university started a lot of programs and expanded under his leadership, not Peacock's.
Gotta have the best football player at the football school. And it's looking like that it will be Armanti. Coakley, Lynch,Richardson, and Williams all deserve honorable mention, but Armanti stands on top of the mountain. Two national titles, breaking all kinds of records and won the peyton award by the largest margin in the history. Really, Peyton was the first winner of the Armanti Edwards award.
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