Bryant Had Something to Crow About

Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma’s freshman running back who finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind USC’s Matt Leinart, is known for gaining yards after contact.

Bear Bryant had a designation for it: “folks run over.”

In 1957, when Bryant was at Texas A&M; and his star running back was John David Crow, the school’s sports information director told Bryant that Crow’s statistics weren’t good enough to attract Heisman attention.

“They would be if you kept track of folks run over,” Bryant said. “John David runs hard and runs over people. Let’s create an FRO category for him.”

The FRO campaign worked. Crow gained only slightly more than 500 yards that season, but he won the Heisman.

Trivia time: Quarterback Jason White became Oklahoma’s fourth Heisman Trophy winner in 2003. Who were the three others?

Whatever works: When Johnny Lattner was a senior running back at Notre Dame in 1953, Coach Frank Leahy rejected the sports information department’s idea of using the press guide for a Heisman campaign. Leahy said he would handle it.

After that, every time Leahy was interviewed, he would make a point to say, “Johnny Lattner is just wonderful to his mother.”

Lattner won. Who could vote against motherhood?

Westward ho: In the first 30 seasons of the Heisman Trophy, 1935-64, California universities, including USC, with its rich football tradition, didn’t produce a single winner.

However, in the last 30 years, beginning with Mike Garrett in 1965, Trojans have won six times.

Just following orders: On Fox’s NFL pregame show Sunday, James Brown went through all the playoff possibilities, then added, “If you’re still confused, call Howie Long.”

Shortly afterward, when Fox went to commentator Tim Green for a report on the game between San Francisco and New England, he was punching in a number on his cellphone.

The Fox crew wondered what Green was doing.

“I’m calling Howie,” he said.

A bit 2 much: ABC, while showing halftime highlights of tonight’s Orange Bowl game, will use a two-minute version of a new U2 song as backdrop music. And ESPN will use the full version with complete highlights on “SportsCenter.” The name of the song is “All Because of You.” But, no, it is not a tribute to the BCS.

Looking back: On this day in 1986, Eric Dickerson set the NFL playoff record for yards rushing in a game with 248, leading the Los Angeles Rams to a 20-0 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Jamal Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens set the regular-season record of 295 yards in 2003.

Trivia answer: Billy Sims, in 1978, Steve Owens, 1969, and Billy Vessels, 1952.

And finally: Reader Janice Hough of Palo Alto, on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: “And I thought baseball had a hard time fitting ‘Mientkiewicz’ on a jersey.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.