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RRockock MMystiqueystique The Rock football mystique, a college A popular guest at football functions football phenomenon for more than 50 years, can be traced back to a 1936 The following is a list of road games played by Slippery Rock football controversy over which team, Minnesota teams against schools that “just had to have” The Rock as an opponent: or Pitt, deserved the No. 1 ranking. • 1937: at Fenway Park, Boston vs. Boston University Both the Associated Press and the Dickinson System ranked Minnesota • 1963: Oklahoma City, Okla.vs. Northeastern Oklahoma fi rst. The Football Annual and various • 1964: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. vs. Cal State-L.A. coaches polls, including the United Press • 1972: Thibodaux,Louisiana vs. Nicholls State International ranking, picked Pittsburgh. • 1973: Tacoma, Washington vs. Puget Sound Reams of copy that spewed the • 1976: Kingsville, Texas vs. Texas A&I-Kingsville platitudes of the Panthers and Golden Gophers, compared scores and schedules • 1979: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor vs. Shippensburg – and even cheerleaders. One sportswriter • 1981: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor vs. Wayne State, MI thought the argument was foolish. To • 1990: Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla. vs. Central Florida prove it, he wrote a story supporting • 1998: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Fla. vs. South Florida Slippery Rock for No. 1. • 2001: Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Fla. vs. Florida Atlantic Backtracking across the scores from the ‘36 season, the journalist proved his point: FANS’ FAVORITE Slippery Rock beat Westminster, which Dubbed “the Snoopy of college beat West Virginia Wesleyan, which beat football,” Slippery Rock is the team that Duquesne, which beat Pitt, which beat everybody in America seems to love. But, Notre Dame, which beat Northwestern, unlike the famous Peanuts’ character, The which beat Minnesota. Rock really does exist. How could anyone argue with that The numbers are dwindling, but fans logic? still think the report of a Rock score is Readers of the article, which was pure fabrication. reprinted by newspapers all over the Often the climactic college football country, apparently enjoyed a story that score, the Slippery Rock grid result poked fun at big football schools and invokes a laugh – or at least a smile – from supported a small one. They loved the fans in stadiums from Ann Arbor to Austin name “Slippery Rock.” As a name for a and from Chapel Hill to Berkeley. typical small school, it seemed almost too The public address announcer or good to be true. scoreboard host on radio or television will Some 33 years later, another writer, often hold the Slippery Rock score for Bob Payne, made a case for The Rock last. It is a traditional Saturday afternoon playing in the 1969 Rose Bowl in occurrence throughout the nation. Pasadena, Calif. One year after The Rock was declared Payne duly pointed out a “which beat” as the mythical national champion by sequence that included The Rock and, the aforementioned sportswriter, Boston among others, Virginia, Texas-El Paso, scribe William Gary Cunningham was instrumental in persuading Boston Rock assistant coach Doug Clinger Kansas, Syracuse, Iowa State, Brigham supervises as players stretch prior to a University to schedule Slippery Rock in Young, Arizona, Utah, Arizona State, workout at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State and the 1937 season-opening game. The Rock’s 1979 game vs. PSAC division Michigan – which had earned a berth A crowd of 6,000 fans – considered rival Shippensburg drew the largest crowd in in the 1969 Rose Bowl as the Big Ten “large” at the time – gathered at Fenway NCAA Division II history. SRU returned to Conference champion. Park for the game. Many came to prove to “The Big House” two seasons later to open Payne further validated his contention themselves and friends that Slippery Rock the 1981 season vs. Wayne State (Mich.) by pointing out Michigan had beaten actually existed. Purdue, which beat Notre Dame, which To the crowd’s astonishment, The Rock in the third quarter, unveiled a hidden- tied Southern California – which had took the opening kickoff and marched ball trick for their fi nal tally in a 20-0 earned the berth opposite Michigan in that nearly the length of the fi eld before the win. But that did not deter the honorary year’s Rose Bowl game. drive stopped inside the Boston University SRU alumni from the Boston area from 5-yard line. The hosts scored twice early frantically waving Green and White in the game on razzle-dazzle plays, then, pennants. RRockock MMystiqueystique SOUGHT-AFTER SCORE Once, during a University of Texas game, the public address announcer gave other scores during the halftime break, but omitted The Rock score. When he was fi nished, someone in the crowd shouted, “What’s the Slippery Rock score?” The cry was taken up at once. A hurried call was placed to Slippery Rock and, soon afterward, came the news that The Rock had won, which caused the crowd to erupt with a mighty cheer. In 1970, Texas announcer Wally Pryor gave The Rock score and suggested fans might write and congratulate The Rock for its winning season (6-3 fi nal record). The Rock opened the 2001 season against Florida Atlantic University at Pro Player People cheer for Slippery Rock because Stadium in Davie, Fla., the home of the NFL Miami Dolphins, in FAU’s fi rst-ever game. they think the name sounds funny. That’s The SRU Sports Information Offi ce rented a billboard (pictured below) on the Florida why Rock football team has the largest Turnpike, a few miles from the stadium, to help promoto the event. honorary alumni body of any school in the country, with the possible exception of Notre Dame. Sidewalk alumni fan clubs, offi cial and semi-offi cial, have been documented across the nation. There are fans who will call from all corners of the country to hear a fi nal score, who will pull off the highway and spend $100 or more at the school’s bookstore, who will stand and cheer when the public address announcer heralds another Slippery Rock victory. Why? Because there’s a piece of The Rock in all of us. to Kingsville, Texas, to take on perennial Even today ESPN The Magazine “Slippery Rock is the USA’s college power Texas A&I University. columnist Rick Reilly frequently refers to football cult team,” USA Today’s Erik In 1979, and again in 1981, The Rock his prized Slippery Rock gym shorts. Brady once wrote. played games at Michigan Stadium in Ann The Slippery Rock name shows no BOUNTIFUL REWARDS Arbor. SRU drew more than 60,000 fans – signs of losing its magnetism. The Slippery Rock mystique has led to to this day, the largest crowd to see an The Rock made its fi rst trip to Florida some interesting games. The 1937 game NCAA Division II football game – for in 1990 when it met Central Florida in in Boston was but the fi rst known “guest their 1979 game against PSAC Western the season fi nale at the Citrus Bowl in appearance” made by The Rock. Division rival Shippensburg and attracted Orlando. In 1998, The Rock opened its In 1963, SRU played against 30,000 fans for its 1981 season-opening season against South Florida in the fi nal Northwestern (Oklahoma) State in the game against Wayne State (Mich.) game played in Tampa Stadium. All-Sports Bowl at Oklahoma City. The The foundation for the trips to Ann The Rock opened 2001 at Pro Player following fall, more than 15,000 fans Arbor were laid many years prior when Stadium in Miami as the fi rst-ever foe for turned out at Pasadena’s famed Rose Bowl Steve Filipiak, public address announcer Florida Atlantic. to see The Rock tackle California State at Michigan Stadium from 1959-71, was The game with FAU (which is now a College (at Los Angeles). one of the fi rst people to report scores to Division I-A competitor), 2002’s season- In 1972, SRU ventured into Louisiana big-time college football crowds. opening date with Eastern Kentucky and to take on Nicholls State – a team that Consequently, fans throughout the dates with Youngstown State extended “just had to schedule Slippery Rock for nation wanted a Slippery Rock T-shirt or to 13 the string of seasons in which The the fi rst game played in our sweatshirt. Rock played an NCAA Division I-AA new stadium.” The demand for Rock apparel got opponent. A year later, SRU jetted across the prime time exposure in 1982, when actor The Rock Mystique isn’t a phenomenon country to face Puget Sound in Tacoma, Ted Knight, as Henry Rush on the ABC- fans appreciate only from afar. Closer to Washington, and, in 1976, The Rock went TV series “Too Close for Comfort,” wore home, The Rock has been the recipient of a Slippery Rock sweatshirt. recognition from Pittsburgh Penguins’ RRockock MMystiqueystique radio broadcaster Mike Lange, Since 1900, The Rock has who regularly referred to fellow How SLIPPERY ROCK Got Its NameName posted a winning mark of 59 NHL Hall of Famer Joe Mullen as byby JackJack M.M. MacDonaldMacDonald percent with a record of 494 “Slippery Rock Joe” for his snake- wins, 328 losses and 42 ties. like movements on the ice. Settler:Settler: GoshGosh all hemlock! What do I see?see? Since becoming a State Teachers Rock Football also had a A redskin pointin’ his gun at me? College in 1926, The Rock has chapter dedicated to its history Indian:Indian: That’s right, Pale Face ... since I’m discovered compiled a 399-269-28 record that in Steel City Gridirons, a book Don’tDon’t move a step.

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