Who Were The Pony Express At Smu?

Eric Dickerson and Craig James, SMU’s Pony Express.

Who were the SMU Pony Express?

The ’82 backfield lives on in college football lore as “The Pony Express”, and the greatness of Eric Dickerson and Craig James was real and not myth.

Who was involved in the SMU scandal?

The Times Herald later identified the booster as Dallas real-estate developer Sherwood Blount, Jr., who played for the Mustangs from 1969 to 1971 (though according to Parker, other boosters were almost certainly involved). The players had received a total of $47,000 during the 1985–86 school year.

What year was the Pony Express at SMU?

From 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University (SMU) were riding high on the backs of the vaunted “Pony Express” backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams.

Who broke the SMU scandal?

Former WFAA sports anchor Dale Hansen, who broke one of the biggest and final stories in the SMU scandal, recounted telling a TV reporter in Austin about potential violations at Texas. He said that reporter told Texas officials, who quickly brushed it under the rug, Hansen said.

How did SMU get caught?

It was discovered by the NCAA that a slush fund from the athletic department and boosters had paid out over $61,000 to 13 players between 1985-86. The sanctions issued were harsh. SMU was banned from bowl games for two seasons and the program was stripped of 45 scholarships.

Did Craig James take money at SMU?

In 2012, James admitted to having received what he called “an insignificant amount” of improper gifts while playing at SMU. He has always denied that improper financial inducements had anything to do with his decision to attend SMU.

How much did SMU pay players?

In total, the Boulevard Collective will pay out $3.5 million in athletic salaries to players. Back in the late 80s, SMU was involved in a pay-for-play cheating scandal in which the NCAA determined the school was paying football players to play for the University.

What did SMU give Eric Dickerson?

As legend had it, Texas A&M was pursuing Dickerson in 1979. Then one day, he showed up driving a gold Trans Am. Fans put two and two together, speculating that the Aggies gifted Dickerson the new car.

What caused SMU to get the death penalty?

The program’s suspension stemmed from recruiting violations and compensating players during the 1980s. The team was eligible for the death penalty under the repeat offender clause, which is reserved for those who commit multiple major violations within five years.

Is SMU a Mormon?

SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South—now part of the United Methodist Church—in partnership with Dallas civic leaders. However, it is nonsectarian in its teaching and enrolls students of all religious affiliations.

Why did SMU get in trouble?

For those uninitiated in college football lore, Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson allegedly received a gold Trans-Am from Texas A&M to commit before flipping to SMU ahead of his freshman season in 1979. Less than a decade later, the Mustangs received the infamous “death penalty” for paying players.

Why was Pony Express created?

The demand for a faster way to get the mail and other communications to and from this westernmost state became even greater as the American Civil War approached. William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell were the three founders of the Pony Express.

Who was Sherwood Blount?

Sherwood Blount, Jr.
Blount was a former player who became a wealthy real-estate developer in Dallas.

Has SMU recovered from death penalty?

Safe to say, SMU has never recovered. “If you need to shut down USC or Alabama, they can probably recover from that,” said Chuck Cooperstein, who covered the SMU scandal for KRLD radio in Dallas back in the day. “If you shut down SMU, they aren’t coming back.

Who has gotten the NCAA death penalty?

Since imposing the “death penalty” against SMU, the NCAA has reportedly considered imposing the sanction at least five times on a Division I school—against Kansas basketball in 1988, Kentucky basketball in 1989, Alabama football in 2002, Penn State football in 2012, and the entire Texas Southern athletic program in

How long did SMU get the death penalty?

The death penalty—part of the “repeat violators” rule in official NCAA parlance—wiped out SMU’s entire 1987 season and forced the Mustangs to cancel their 1988 campaign as well. So, when Lombardi compared the punishment to the nuclear option, in 2002, the analogy seemed like an apt one.

How did the death penalty affect SMU?

In February 1987, the news broke about SMU and the death penalty. The list of punishments included canceling SMU football’s 1987 season, no home games in the 1988 season, no bowl games or televised games through 1989, restrictions on recruiting and hiring coaching staff, and loss of scholarships.

Where is Sherwood Blount today?

Today Sherwood Blount is 29 years old, president of his own real estate brokerage firm, and the owner of two 1979 Cadillacs and a brand-new house in the fanciest subdivision in Dallas.

How much money did Eric Dickerson make in college?

Eric Dickerson: I got $500 to $1,000 a month at SMU.

Did Matt James go to Wake Forest?

He graduated from Sanderson High School in 2010 before going to Wake Forest University. James obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Wake Forest University in 2015 where he was also a wide receiver for Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team from 2011 to 2014.