Hog Calls

McDonnell's impact is everlasting

John McDonnell, former University of Arkansas cross country and track and field coach, center, leads a Hog call during a ceremony Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, to dedicate a statue in his honor at John McDonnell Field on the university campus in Fayetteville. A plaza honoring past athletes and championships was also dedicated during the ceremony.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Greater than the 40 national championships and 84 conference championships, and greater than the statue unveiled of himself Friday along with so many new trappings at the outdoor track plaza of the John McDonnell Field bearing his name, were the Arkansas Razorbacks that came home to honor their coach.

Maybe 50, probably way more of those running, jumping, vaulting and throwing during McDonnell's 1972-2008 Razorbacks coaching tenure attended Friday's ceremonies. They couldn't possibly all be counted. The overflow of McDonnell well-wishers meant a mob on the outside in the cold looking in through the heated tent housing the speeches before the statue's unveiling.

The athletes arrived so many and achieved so much as had so many more wishing they could be there that McDonnell couldn't begin to cite them all.

Wisely, he didn't try. Knowing their achievements are recognized at the plaza with the statue sufficed for McDonnell. So does his knowing that those who have won and are winning championships for his men's coaching successor, Chris Bucknam, and women's Coach Lance Harter, whose SEC champion cross country teams won NCAA South Central championships on the UA Agri Farm Friday just hours before the McDonnell ceremonies, are and will continue to be honored.

"There are a lot of athletes here and I would be here all night all night if I named them all," McDonnell said. "But they were the greatest. And if you want to see how great they were, they will be posted out here on this walkthrough."

Those attending wanting to see what makes McDonnell great didn't have to hear a word of his speech. They could have just gazed at the clumps of athletes sitting together, from Arkansas to Zambia diverse in colors, creeds, and origins as a United Nations assembly yet their faces singularly united in rapt admiration.

McDonnell practiced and preached what politicians somewhat espouse but rarely achieve. In a sport that stresses individuality like few others, McDonnell always stressed the individual. He didn't coach or motivate like one size fits all.

Yet somehow while stressing the individual, McDonnell stressed team like no others in his sport. He instilled a pride that consecutively won cross country championships from his first Southwest Conference title in 1974 through his last SEC Cross Country meet in 2007.

If one of the top scoring five fell, the sixth or seventh man always came through with the race of his life.

It was expected, a standard McDonnell set not just on the track but with his athletes' conduct off it.

Inevitably, Razorbacks dual sport athletes realized somebody extra special coached them in track.

Embraced by McDonnell after winning the 1997 SEC Outdoor 400-meter hurdles, football receiver Shannon Sidney recalled, "A hug around the neck from John McDonnell, that's not your average attaboy."

Individually, McDonnell coached only the middle distance and distance runners on his track teams.

Yet as hurdler Sidney said, even if McDonnell didn't coach you directly he directly impacted all in his domain.

Judging by Friday's festivities he still does.

Sports on 11/17/2014