I’ll be honest — I was borderline disgusted when I received my first Gagliardi Trophy publicity package last winter, one promoting Wesley safety Rocky Myers for the award. I was sure this wasn’t within the spirit of the award, wasn’t in keeping with what Division III is all about. And since I’d heard of everyone on the ballot and was familiar with who they played for and against, I voted without looking at the highlight DVD.

But eventually my curiosity got the better of me, and I popped it in the computer and watched it. It was a highlight video, set to the theme from Rocky.

Myers has moved into the real cinema world this month, however, playing New York Giants fullback Larry Csonka in an upcoming movie called Invincible, about Vince Papale, who went from substitute teacher to Eagles special teamer in 1976. The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., talked to Myers and reports.

Football might not be the game of stats that baseball is, but it’s a time of year when numbers are plentiful — numbers of recruits and numbers of kids in camp.

When you see published numbers, pass them along with a link. Don’t pass second-hand information, what you heard from your buddies, etc. Give us a link.

To start things off, Maryville (Tenn.) has 129 in camp and 76 freshmen.
St. John’s has 190 at practice, down from 197 last year.
Louisiana College had 102 players report to camp.
Linfield expects 170 when camp opens.

Retired Pacific Lutheran coach Frosty Westering, who led the Lutes to the 1999 Division III national championship, is one of two former Division III coaches being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this weekend. And he’s still having a profound impact on those who are getting to know of him for the first time. Witness this piece on Westering from the South Bend Tribune.

It reminds us that we had first impressions as well, or at least second impressions in Mark Simon’s post-Stagg Bowl feature from six years ago.

Longtime UW-La Crosse coach Roger Harring, who led the Eagles to the 1992 and 1995 Division III national titles, is in this year’s induction class as well.