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Retired jerseys a rare sight for Razorbacks

Clyde Scott poses in this 1947 file photo.

As the movie Greater continues to play in theaters, it seems this might be a good time to explain why only two Arkansas Razorback football jerseys have been retired.

It was the longtime policy of the University of Arkansas athletic department to not retire jerseys, but Jeff Long wisely has found a way to honor numerous men and women who were instrumental in the history of the Razorbacks.

He hangs banners with their names from the rafters of the appropriate venue.

The first jersey, No. 12, was retired to honor Clyde "Smackover" Scott who played for the Razorbacks from 1946-49, rushing for 1,463 yards in his career, averaging 7 yards per carry.

He further distinguished himself and the UA by becoming the first Razorback to earn an Olympic medal, winning silver in the hurdles in the 1948 Olympics.

Brandon Burlsworth's No. 77 was retired shortly after his tragic death in 1999, which happened weeks after he was drafted in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts. Then-head Coach Houston Nutt asked then-Athletic Director Frank Broyles to retire the number, and Broyles complied.

Burlsworth's story of walking on for the Hogs and working his way to All-American status is an inspirational story and one that parents should want their children to see with them.

. . .

It is not too late to get in on the festivities at Arkansas Tech on Friday night when the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame honors Joe Foley and his two national basketball championship teams.

The Golden Suns won the NAIA national championship in 1992 and 1993.

Legend has it that by the time the Golden Suns made their first championship, Foley had only six players remaining. No doubt that is just one of the many stories that will be shared Friday night.

Tickets are $80 and can be purchased at the Tech athletic department by calling (479) 968-0345 or from the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame at (501) 663-4328.

Foley was inducted into the ASHOF in 2002 and said he is honored to be with as many of his former players as possible.

. . .

Yours truly gets a penalty flag for the description of the two-point conversion against TCU on Saturday.

It should have read Austin Allen handed off to Drew Morgan, who pitched to Keon Hatcher, who threw a left-handed pass to Allen in the end zone to tie the game at 28.

That was just one of offensive coordinator Dan Enos' numerous great play calls in the game. Not all of them were executed successfully, but Enos knows his players and what they can and can't do.

After watching the replay several times, it seems TCU never suspected Allen was going to keep the ball on the third and goal from the 5, and catching the Frogs off-guard was why he scored the winning touchdown. The two defenders who made a hit on him had to recover from being out of position and never squared up on Allen.

. . .

Tuesday night, Herb Vincent of the SEC tweeted a link to the 2017 football schedule for all the SEC teams. His message: Make your wedding plans.

It is true that schools get hundreds of calls each year trying to find out when a date will be open during football season so a wedding can be scheduled, and finally the schools can give out the information.

It was not a surprise that the Razorbacks would open the season in War Memorial Stadium, nor was it a surprise that it will be against Florida A&M.

The Razorbacks current contract runs through 2018 and is supposed to include one more SEC opponent, but Athletic Director Jeff Long admitted recently that a tough decision about playing in central Arkansas was going to have to be made.

Sports on 09/15/2016