The game of American Football is in its 144th year. The modern-day game of football took its present form about 100 years ago when the NCAA was formed. It is not my intention to give a history of the game, but to give you, my reader a glimpse into what life was like for a college football player at the University of South Carolina in the second half of the 1960s. The game of football is genius, and although there have been some minor rule changes, the game we played then, is the same game played today. Only the strategies have evolved along with the popularity of the sport. Life as a college football player in the 1960's did afford time for other endeavors and fun, so also within these pages are tales of fraternity life that are straight out of the movie "Animal House" and travel adventures that spanned this great country all the way to the 'Last Frontier'. The 60's were a time of generational and cultural transformation. We, as student athletes, were dealing with this transformation as was everyone else. In football at South Carolina, there was a major coaching change that complicated life at the same time. But we did come together as players and coaches and we accomplished something that had never been achieved before at South Carolina. The 1969 South Carolina Football team went undefeated in conference play and won the ACC Championship. I was fortunate to have played on the team.While life as a student-athlete wasn't always easy, I am grateful for the opportunity to compete as a Gamecock and to have received a stellar education. I am equally grateful for the people I have met along the way, many who have become lifelong friends. We were able to capture our first Conference Championship together and I think all of us-fans, coaches, staff and players, cherish those memories more each day. I feel certain that very soon, another team of South Carolina athletes, coaches and staff will not only win Conference Championships, but will create memories, they too can cherish for a lifetime. I hope you enjoy this journey from the gridiron at the University of South Carolina to the wilds of Southeastern Alaska almost as much as I did taking it. Go Cocks! David Henry Lucas Defensive End 1967, 1968, 1969 The University of South Carolina Fighting Gamecocks
About the Author: "In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard." --- Teddy Roosevelt David Henry Lucas heeded the words of Roosevelt on and off the field. After a stellar football career at the University of South Carolina, the sack-artist defensive end --- a skinnier, mid-1960s version of current passrushing Gamecock star Jadaveon Clowney --- hit the business world hard and fast. Lucas became an entrepreneur. He started in banking and moved on to real estate sales, building contractor, resort developer, land planning, cell phone investor, Arabian horse breeder, activist, consultant, bluegrass musician, writer and movie producer. He successfully pursued a private property rights lawsuit to the United States Supreme Court (Lucas vs. South Carolina Coastal Council), wrote a book about the experience ("Lucas vs. the Green Machine"), and founded the National Council on Property Rights. His rollicking days as a cross-country traveler to Alaska as a student, fraternity life at the University of South Carolina and, of course, his insight into his USC teammates and coaches can all be found on the pages of The Championship. --- Ernie Trubiano Foreword Author Ernie Trubiano is a University of South Carolina Journalism graduate and retired sports writer at the State Newspaper in Columbia. Mr. Trubiano has authored two books: "The Carolina Cup: 50 Years of Steeplechasing and Socializing" and "South Carolina Sports Legends", and is the contributing author on a book on antique prints. He has written numerous freelance articles on sports and antiques and serves on the board of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.