Husky Legend: 1977 Washington Football Team
November 16, 2018 | Football
By Nick Reeves
In a football program with such a rich history as the University of Washington, there are teams that stand out and in often times elevate the program to new heights. The 1977 Washington football team was a fantastic example of that.
The team started out 1-3 in the season, however finished the season winning seven of the final eight games to win the Pac-8 Conference and earn a trip to the 1978 Rose Bowl. The Huskies would go on to beat the No. 4 ranked Michigan Wolverines, 27-20, to claim UW's first Rose Bowl victory since 1960.
"The atmosphere around Seattle wasn't too positive around Husky football," said team captain Mike Rohrbach on the disappointment of the 1-3 start.
"As a team we got together, the captains called a meeting with everyone and said 'look, that's the preseason, the Pac-8 schedule begins and we have to go out there and settle down and have fun and play. Play this game we love.' We went out the next week and beat Oregon 54-0. All of the sudden, football was fun again and we went on a run. We played great football and came together as a team and ended up in the '78 Rose Bowl which was a tremendous thrill for everyone associated with the program."
"At one point, coach (Don) James called it one of the most pivotal or significant victories in his time at UW," continued Rohrbach. "It put us back on the map not only on the West Coast but nationally. That year we ended up in the final AP poll at 10th after beating Michigan, who came in highly rated."
The '77 team was legendary head coach James' third year at the helm of the purple and gold. In that season James was named the AFCA Coach of the Year and the Rose Bowl appearance would be James' first of 14 bowl appearances as the UW head coach.
The '77 team captained by Warren Moon, Blair Bush, Rohrbach and Dave Browning took a great amount of pride in the being part of a squad that helped to bring national attention back to Husky Stadium.
"Husky football is such a big deal," said Rohrbach. "Not only in the Puget Sound region but across the state. It's always nice to be remembered, that team did some special things. Little things like this along the way, where you're remembered and acknowledged as a team that accomplished something is pretty special. There were a lot of people who had given up on us. Coach James talked about not listening to the outside noise, it's about us and what we can do."
The '77 team was filled with individuals who not only made an impact for the Huskies but went on to successful professional careers. Rohrbach could see that not only was there significant talent on both sides of the football, but there was a hardworking drive for those players to continue to improve.
"You could see it in those guys, their dedication and how much they cared about the game, the way they studied."
Center Blair Bush was named a second team All-American in '77, a first team Pac-8 selection and he was drafted in the first round for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1978. Bush would play 17 years in the NFL for four different teams as well as starting in Super Bowl XVI.
Linebacker Michael Jackson holds his place all over the Husky record books. In 1977 he recorded 219 tackles in the season as well as posting 29 tackle outputs twice in the year against Washington State and Oregon State, both are Washington records. Jackson also holds the record for most career tackles by a Husky with 578 over his career. Jackson was named a third team All-American, a first team Pac-8 member and was a three-time Pac-8 Player of the Week. He would be selected in the third round of the '79 NFL Draft and went on to play eight years in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks.
Cornerback Nesby Glasgow, was named a 1977 honorable mention All-American, a first team Pac-8 member, and was an eighth round pick in '79 NFL Draft. Glasgow would play 14 years in the NFL for the Colts and the Seahawks.
Defensive end Dave Browning was a first team All Coast member, a second round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders and played seven years in the NFL as well as in Super Bowl XV.
Quarterback Warren Moon, the '77 Pac-8 Co-Player of the Year, the '78 Rose Bowl MVP and was a two time Pac-8 player of week in the '77 season. Moon would go to on to play professionally for 23 years in the CFL and the NFL and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Wide receiver Spider Gaines who averaged 23 yards per catch in the '77 season was a sixth round pick by Kansas City in the '79 NFL Draft.
Offensive lineman Jeff Toews was a 1977 first team Pac-8 member and a second round pick in '79 Draft. Toews would play seven years in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.
Rohrbach credits head coach Don James with instilling a winning culture that also helped players to stay accountable.
"He was amazing," said Rohrbach. "I remember the first weekend we had with him back in '75 and he stood before us and said our goal at Washington is to win the Rose Bowl and he paused and said this year. We ended up losing to Cal that year but if we would've won, we would have gone to the Rose Bowl his first year. He instilled in us a vision for greatness and he wouldn't tolerate anything but that. He asked every guy to be committed and dedicated to getting better and improving every day. Being all about the team. He had a sign on his desk that said 'Isn't it wonderful what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.' We bought into that."
On Saturday, Husky Stadium will welcome back a team that reinvigorated Washington football and over 40 years later still holds a place as one of the most important teams in Husky history.
In a football program with such a rich history as the University of Washington, there are teams that stand out and in often times elevate the program to new heights. The 1977 Washington football team was a fantastic example of that.
The team started out 1-3 in the season, however finished the season winning seven of the final eight games to win the Pac-8 Conference and earn a trip to the 1978 Rose Bowl. The Huskies would go on to beat the No. 4 ranked Michigan Wolverines, 27-20, to claim UW's first Rose Bowl victory since 1960.
"The atmosphere around Seattle wasn't too positive around Husky football," said team captain Mike Rohrbach on the disappointment of the 1-3 start.
"As a team we got together, the captains called a meeting with everyone and said 'look, that's the preseason, the Pac-8 schedule begins and we have to go out there and settle down and have fun and play. Play this game we love.' We went out the next week and beat Oregon 54-0. All of the sudden, football was fun again and we went on a run. We played great football and came together as a team and ended up in the '78 Rose Bowl which was a tremendous thrill for everyone associated with the program."
"At one point, coach (Don) James called it one of the most pivotal or significant victories in his time at UW," continued Rohrbach. "It put us back on the map not only on the West Coast but nationally. That year we ended up in the final AP poll at 10th after beating Michigan, who came in highly rated."
The '77 team was legendary head coach James' third year at the helm of the purple and gold. In that season James was named the AFCA Coach of the Year and the Rose Bowl appearance would be James' first of 14 bowl appearances as the UW head coach.
The '77 team captained by Warren Moon, Blair Bush, Rohrbach and Dave Browning took a great amount of pride in the being part of a squad that helped to bring national attention back to Husky Stadium.
"Husky football is such a big deal," said Rohrbach. "Not only in the Puget Sound region but across the state. It's always nice to be remembered, that team did some special things. Little things like this along the way, where you're remembered and acknowledged as a team that accomplished something is pretty special. There were a lot of people who had given up on us. Coach James talked about not listening to the outside noise, it's about us and what we can do."
The '77 team was filled with individuals who not only made an impact for the Huskies but went on to successful professional careers. Rohrbach could see that not only was there significant talent on both sides of the football, but there was a hardworking drive for those players to continue to improve.
"You could see it in those guys, their dedication and how much they cared about the game, the way they studied."
Center Blair Bush was named a second team All-American in '77, a first team Pac-8 selection and he was drafted in the first round for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1978. Bush would play 17 years in the NFL for four different teams as well as starting in Super Bowl XVI.
Linebacker Michael Jackson holds his place all over the Husky record books. In 1977 he recorded 219 tackles in the season as well as posting 29 tackle outputs twice in the year against Washington State and Oregon State, both are Washington records. Jackson also holds the record for most career tackles by a Husky with 578 over his career. Jackson was named a third team All-American, a first team Pac-8 member and was a three-time Pac-8 Player of the Week. He would be selected in the third round of the '79 NFL Draft and went on to play eight years in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks.
Cornerback Nesby Glasgow, was named a 1977 honorable mention All-American, a first team Pac-8 member, and was an eighth round pick in '79 NFL Draft. Glasgow would play 14 years in the NFL for the Colts and the Seahawks.
Defensive end Dave Browning was a first team All Coast member, a second round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders and played seven years in the NFL as well as in Super Bowl XV.
Quarterback Warren Moon, the '77 Pac-8 Co-Player of the Year, the '78 Rose Bowl MVP and was a two time Pac-8 player of week in the '77 season. Moon would go to on to play professionally for 23 years in the CFL and the NFL and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Wide receiver Spider Gaines who averaged 23 yards per catch in the '77 season was a sixth round pick by Kansas City in the '79 NFL Draft.
Offensive lineman Jeff Toews was a 1977 first team Pac-8 member and a second round pick in '79 Draft. Toews would play seven years in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.
Rohrbach credits head coach Don James with instilling a winning culture that also helped players to stay accountable.
"He was amazing," said Rohrbach. "I remember the first weekend we had with him back in '75 and he stood before us and said our goal at Washington is to win the Rose Bowl and he paused and said this year. We ended up losing to Cal that year but if we would've won, we would have gone to the Rose Bowl his first year. He instilled in us a vision for greatness and he wouldn't tolerate anything but that. He asked every guy to be committed and dedicated to getting better and improving every day. Being all about the team. He had a sign on his desk that said 'Isn't it wonderful what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.' We bought into that."
On Saturday, Husky Stadium will welcome back a team that reinvigorated Washington football and over 40 years later still holds a place as one of the most important teams in Husky history.
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