Gator Bowl: Scene of the Crime 30 Years Later
What Really Caused OSU Football Coach Woody Hayes to Lose Control in ’78 Gator Bowl
By Will Cummings
my Hit News.com
This year’s 2009 Gator Bowl between the Clemson Tigers and Nebraska Cornhuskers will mark 30 years since the bowl game experienced the most disturbing incident in college sports history:
The December 29th , 1978 Gator Bowl wherein legendary Ohio State University coach Wayne “Woody” Hayes violently assaulted Clemson cornerback Charlie Bauman in front of a national television audience.
Below see YouTube Video of ’78 Gator Bowl incident:
To the national television audience Woody Hayes’ physical attack upon the Clemson player was—seemingly–the result of Hayes’ frustration over Bauman having ended any hope of a Buckeye comeback victory with his late fourth quarter game-clinching interception of OSU quarterback Art Schlichter’s errant throw. After all, Woody Hayes had fashioned the outward persona of the cantankerous old coach with a flare for public displays of childlike verbal and physical temper tantrums.
So to many who witnessed Hayes’ assault on Bauman it was simply the act of a fiery and bitter old ball coach who had finally lost all sense and sensibility.
But not so fast my friends! There may be more than just the interception that led Coach Hayes to go after the Clemson player in such a vicious and relentless fashion. The following will shed light on what really prompted Hayes to cross the line of no return:
But before I go on, in fairness and to give some perspective and to set the stage, I must inform the reader that I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and my father, Bill Cummings Jr., was a member of Woody’s first national championship team in 1954. In addition, there were many occasions during my childhood where I was around Woody in some shape form or fashion including my senior year in high school when I was recruited by Woody and members of his staff.
Finally, the core of what I am about to divulge here is the result of my proximity and relationship to the OSU football program and its players during this incident.
Approximately a week before the Buckeyes left town for the Gator Bowl, my father and I met with Coach Hayes at the Buckeye football training complex to discuss my transfer to OSU from Kansas State University.
Sadly, about a couple of weeks later, my dad and I were both together at home watching the game on television when Woody hit the Clemson player–I will never forget the dismay and bewilderment in my father’s face and demeanor.
To say the least, it took a very, very long time for the Buckeye faithful to fully dig out from underneath the funk of that incident.
Yet despite the debacle and Hayes’ subsequent firing, I still finalized my transfer to OSU. Shortly afterwards, during a winter conditioning workout, it was revealed to me that the Gator Bowl fracas was the result of much more than met the eyes.
Curious to know what Woody was thinking when he hit that kid, I brought up the subject with a group of guys gathered around a weight lifting bench. Several of the players present were also at the game and were actually along the sidelines where the incident occurred. These players alleged—emphatically–that the player who intercepted the ball yelled out:
“How do you like that you old f____er.”
And that is what provoked Hayes to cross the proverbial line in the sand.
Now I am not condoning in any manner what coach Hayes did that day, but I understand it in a much better light. Moreover, the Coach Hayes I knew was not the caricature that he became know for by so many people.
“Don’t Pay Attention to That Man You See On the Screen.”
Woody Hayes’ 1978 Gator Bowl incident has caused many to spurn the man’s achievements and contributions to the sport. But to those of us who have had the privilege to know him know that he is deserving of many honorable accolades.
The Woody I knew was highly admired and respected by his former players. That’s because Woody Hayes set the bar high and demanded excellence from his players and staff, but most importantly he and his wife, Anne, cared for each Buckeye football player like they were their own sons. Most admirably, Woody and Anne continued their care and support for former players and their families long after their playing days were over. There was nothing they wouldn’t do to help those in need or to support a cause of one of their former players.
Fittingly, the last time I saw Coach Hayes and his wife in person was at my father’s funeral in 1985 where Hayes gave a moving eulogy.
The Woody I knew was highly admired and respected by his former players. That’s because Woody Hayes set the bar high and demanded excellence from his players and staff, but most impotantly he and his wife, Anne, cared for each Buckeye foofball player like they were their own sons. Most admirably, Woody and Anne continued their care and support for former players and their families long after their playing days were over. There was nothing they wouldn’t do to help those in need or to support a cause of one of their former players.
The Woody I knew also explains why–as far as I know– he never mentioned that the reason for his actions were related to what Bauman allegedly said.
Coach Hayes’ was a noted pioneer and innovator who always sought to improve the game. However, in my opinion his most important but least mentioned legacy is the role that he played in advancing the acceptance and recognition of black players, trainers, coaches and administrators in college football.
Unfortunately, Hayes’ name is rarely mentioned as being one of the catalyst and stalwarts of progressive coaches and administrators who advanced the cause of black participation and recognition in all levels of college football. That’s because Hayes didn’t talk about it—he just did it!
Hayes was among a handful of coaches in the country who recruited and played significant numbers of black players during the 1950’s. OSU’s great offensive and defensive lineman Jim Parker was the first black Outland Trophy winner in 1956 (he came close to winning the Heisman that year.) Cornelius Greene (’72-’75) was OSU’s first black starting quarterback and among the nations first black quarterbacks at a major university. The move was so controversial at the time that Greene, Hayes and the University received death threats and hate mail. Archie Griffin–still the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner–became one of the first black athletic directors at major program. OSU, under Hayes, employed the first black head football athletic trainer, Billy Hill (1971-1995). And there were a countless number of things that Hayes did behind the scenes to advance the cause of racial equality in all walks of life.
Coach Hayes was much more than a great coach–he was a great human being, perhaps one of the finest I have ever met. There is so much more I could tell you about the man. He was certainly one of a kind.
In my book for all of Hayes’ football accomplishments and the way that he nurtured and supported his players and set an example of how to advance the cause of racial equality within the sport:
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 4 so far )“Coach Woody Hayes is the greatest college football coach the game has known. And it just partly explains why to this day Woody Hayes is so beloved by so many Buckeye fans in spite of that infamous moment at the ’78 Gator Bowl.”
Will Cummings’ Life Snapshot
Will Cummings In a Flash
“A quick peek at my life”
Hometown–Columbus, Ohio.
Height 6’4″ Weight 230 lb — still at my college playing weight.
Sports Played
Football (LB, TE) all-state; Track (Shot Put) all-state; Basketball (C) all-district. I also boxed, off and and on, from age 6 – 13–and here is why:
Father
My father, William “Bill” Cummings Jr., played for Ohio State University and was a member of Woody Hayes’ first national championship team in 1954. Drafted as a DT by Cleveland Browns 1956, he went on to became a prominent figure in the sport of amateur boxing. Among other accomplishments in the sport, he was twice selected National Amateur Boxing coach of the Year. His first national champion was Bill “Dynamite” Douglas, father of Buster Douglas–the man who pulled off the biggest upset in the history of professional boxing by knocking out Mike Tyson.
College
Recruited by Ohio State as a LB–I had no desire to follow in my father’s footsteps. However, fate has its ways. Eventually, I accepted a scholarship to Kansas State University.
To sum up my K-State adventure: my sophomore year I transferred back home to Ohio State–fate.
I left one of college’s worst football programs to attend a University with a winning football tradition and storied past, I paid attention to what made the difference!
Woody Hayes Hits Clemson Player
Shortly before the infamous 1978 Gator Bowl, my father and I sat down with Woody Hayes in his office at the Buckeye training complex to solidify my transfer and to go over rules and expectations. Approximately a week or so later, my father and I are at home watching the Gator Bowl on TV and we see Woody hit that Clemson player and grab him by the neck. Oh Woody!
Woody was fired for the incident, to my fathers’ dismay–he loved Coach Hayes.
The Woody Hayes I knew was a great man who made sure to take care of all of his players long after their playing days were over. I often had the pleasure of listening to my father and his best friend and former teammate the great Jim Parker (in my opinion still the greatest offensive linemen to ever play the game) tell their stories about Woody. No matter how bad the incident–you could always see and hear the admiration and respect they had for the man.
Injury
In the fall of ’79 I underwent a–then–relatively new sports reconstructive surgery procedure for a torn MCL, ACL, LCL and and cartilage.
The 1979 Buckeyes, under first year coach Earl Bruce, finished the regular season undefeated and a few minutes away from a national championship title, until USC’s RB Charles White ruined our day at the Rose Bowl.
Boxing
In 1980, while rehabbing my knee, I started training boxers alongside my father. It didn’t take long for me to make it a full-time endeavor and to forgo my football ambitions. My father became my mentor and my best friend.
The Golden Age of Boxing
The 1970’s through mid 1980’s were considered the golden age of boxing in the USA. The 1984 Olympic Boxing Team is considered the greatest of all-time. One of the gold medalist on that team was Jerry Page, who started boxing for my father at age 6.
In 1984, I was selected to serve as Technical Adviser to the World International Amateur Boxing Federation President for the 1984 Olympic Games (fancy credential for a gofor, but hey–free trip to LA and the Olympics and to be in VIP!)
Later that year, I was selected the Head Coach for the International USA Boxing Team that toured Poland–at the time it was believed that at age 25 I was the youngest head coach for any USA international team.
My father died in April of 1985. A month later, I was elected to succeed my father as Commissioner of the Ohio Association Amateur Boxing Federation–it was the governing body for the sport of amateur boxing for most of the Ohio territory.
Later that year, I retired from the position and the sport of amateur boxing.
Military Service
Joined the US Army in 1989–served in Desert Storm (1991-1992).
Children
Sons Born: William Alexander Cummings (1989) and Eric James Cummings (1990).
Moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 1994.
Community Service In Omaha
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Former Volunteer coach for Omaha Boys and Girls Club track and Field.
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Co-founder and former vice president of Coalition Against Injustice.
That’s a quick tour of my crazy life.
Of course, there is much left out and a lot of details and tie-ins to be had, but the intent here is just to give the reader a little assurance that opinions expressed and the analysis presented herein are based on a lifetime of experiences of dealing up close and personal with all levels of athletes, coaches and administrators from the beginner to the elite and through some of the legendary athletes, coaches and administrators of our time. Evenmore so, the observations and analysis expressed herein are a reflection of all the mistakes made and lessons learned through my years.
My involvement with the Coalition Against Injustice and other community groups should also inform you that sports is not my only concern in life. Nonetheless, I do truly love the art of athletics.
Inasmuch, this site is dedicated to promoting athletes, coaches and administrators that excell through their sincere efforts to be the best they can be.
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