Former Missouri star to be recognized as SEC gridiron legend
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Dec. 5) – Florida A&M University Director of Athletics Kellen Winslow will be honored Friday by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as a member of its' 2014 Football Legends Class, for his stellar athletic exploits at the University of Missouri.
The 14-member class will be honored at the 2014 SEC Football "Weekend of Champions" Dec. 5-6 in Atlanta, Ga.
The annual SEC Legends Dinner presented by AT&T will be held Friday evening at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta and the group will also be recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game, which will be held at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, featuring Winslow's alma mater, Missouri against Alabama.
One of the top tight ends to ever play the game, Winslow was a two-time All-Big Eight player and consensus All-American as a senior (1978) at Missouri, when he caught 28 passes for 479 yards and six TDs.
He ended his Missouri career as the sixth leading receiver in school history, and had his jersey retired in 1995.
After earning consensus All-American and Big Eight Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior tight end at Missouri, he was drafted in the first round by San Diego in 1979, the 13th overall pick.
As a Charger, Winslow became a fixture in head coach Don Coryell's pass-oriented offense from 1979 to 1987, revolutionizing the tight end position from primarily a line blocker to become a major part of the offense, leading the NFL in receptions in 1980 and 1981, with three 1,000-plus yard seasons as well.
One of the defnining moments in his pro career came in the American Football Conference semifinal against Miami in 1982, when he played a pivotal role in what remains one of the greatest games in the history of the National Football League, won by the Chargers, 41-38 in overtime.
Winslow's performance was equal parts determination, courage and sacrifice, pushing himself beyond the limits of the mere mortal, to turn in one of the great individual efforts in NFL history.
He had 16 receptions for 166 yards and one TD, but those numbers alone didn't fully define his greatness on that steamy South Florida evening, but it was his ability to overcome severely debilitating muscle cramps that demonstrated his great character and will to win.
In fact, one play at the end of regulation truly summed up the manner of man Winslow is, when with the Dolphins poised to kick a game-winning field goal, he willed his dehydrated body onto the field and made a determined leap in the air behind his line to block the kick with just a finger, deflecting the pigskin off course just enough before falling to the turf in utter exhaustion.
Yet, when the overtime period began, there was Winslow again, somehow summoning the last bit of energy in his weary 6-5, 250-pound body to line up with his teammates on a march toward a game winning field goal of their own.
The vision of the bruised and battered Winslow, with a towel draped over his head, being helped off the field by teammates after that game remain one of the most indelible images in NFL history.
At the time of his retirement, Winslow ranked fifth among active receivers and 14th among all NFL pass receivers, with 541 receptions for 6,741 yards and 45 TDs for the Chargers, earning him election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was enshrined into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and was also honored in 2004 as an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Winner.
Overall, this year's class of Legends includes All-Americans, All-SEC selections and Academic All-Americans as well as NCAA and SEC record holders. The group represents teams that won National and SEC Championships and are represented in state, school and college football halls of fame.
