A ‘Softy’ Takes a Hard Hit

Paul Hornung still hasn’t made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Pete Rozelle, the man who suspended him for gambling in 1963, was voted in last week. Hornung says he can live with it, but Herb Adderley is furious.

Adderley is one of eight former Green Bay players who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. He thinks Hornung probably should have gone in before any of them.

“I can imagine how Paul must feel,” Adderley told Todd Phipers of the Denver Post. “You practice when it’s 10-below zero, you play on a frozen field and get your butt kicked black-and-blue for 10 years, then you see someone who never touched a football get voted into the Hall of Fame before you. I can’t think of too many things that would make me bitter, but that would.”

Roger Staubach, recalling that he and Joe Namath both came out of college in 1965, said there was a slight difference in their incomes.

Namath was signed out of Alabama by the New York Jets for the then-astounding sum of $400,000.

Says Staubach: “When I played in the College All-Star game that year, I was an ensign in the Navy. I got $200 a month, plus $47.88 for subsistence and $95 for living off base.”

How is it that New Jersey Generals Coach Walt Michaels hasn’t been seen doing cartwheels following the announcement that Doug Flutie will join his team?

The reason, according to George Usher of Newsday, is that Michaels didn’t want Flutie. Instead, he coveted 6-4 quarterback Steve Calabria of Colgate.

Meanwhile, Arizona Outlaws’ quarterback Doug Williams says that Randall Cunningham, 6-4 quarterback for Nevada Las Vegas, is better than either one.

Williams admits Flutie has been on a roll but says, “Sooner or later, the miracles just pass you by.”

Add Flutie: Says Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell: “The kid is a fine talent, but I’ve lived through too many Heisman winners who didn’t make it in our league.”

Modell, of course, is stuck with one. Or is there still a chance for Charles White?

For what it’s worth: The winning coaches in the last five Super Bowls--Bill Walsh and Tom Flores, each twice, and Joe Gibbs--all attended California community colleges.

Walsh went to College of San Mateo, Flores to Fresno City College and Gibbs to Cerritos College.

John Madden, a former winner, went to College of San Mateo, and Dick Vermeil, a runner-up, went to Napa College.

Pete Rozelle and O.J. Simpson, just elected to the Hall of Fame, also are community college products. Rozelle went to Compton College, Simpson to City College of San Francisco.

Quotebook

New Jersey Generals’ receiver Bobby Ball, on reports the club will sign Boston College receiver Gerard Phelan as a package with Doug Flutie: “I hate to see people ride on other people’s shoulders. This is hard on me. I’ll have to break his knee or something.”