LITTLE ROCK -- Fortunately, as emcee Chuck Barrett noted, Dean Weber came last alphabetically in the order of the nine inductees honored by the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Friday night at the Statehouse Convention Center.
"Nobody coming after him was going to top Dean," Barrett said.
Weber left attendees laughing to closing Friday night's banquet, during which all of the inductees and representatives spoke with eloquence. He was the Arkansas Razorbacks' head trainer from 1973-2008 and still works for the University of Arkansas at the Razorback Foundation.
Friday's inductees were Shawn Andrews, Jerry Eckwood, Olive Elders, John Hutchcraft, Brison Manor, Jerry Muckensturn, Kevin Scanlon, Bettye Wallace and Weber. Barrett asked all former Razorbacks attending on Weber's behalf to stand. It almost seemed the room had more standing than sitting.
Scanlon, originally of Beaver Falls, Pa., is a former All-Southwest Conference quarterback for the Razorbacks. He became a longtime executive for Stephens Inc.
The 14-man 1979 Razorbacks football senior class, of which Scanlon is a part, 10 years ago endowed a scholarship at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville to "our dear friend, Dean Weber," Scanlon said. Weber recalled their proposed plan.
"Those seniors in 1979 got together and decided they wanted to do something for me," Weber said. "After I told them I wanted them to pay off my mortgage, they said, 'Uh, we're going to do something else.' They endowed this scholarship and we've had 10 scholarships. Those 14 guys honored me doing that and that's the highest honor you can have."
Weber served Razorbacks football players and staffs from Frank Broyles through Houston Nutt. He mentioned Broyles and attending former coaches Ken Hatfield and Nutt. Broyles' daughter Betsy attended the banquet.
"I thought I was a pretty good person until Ken Hatfield came along," Weber said. "He made me a better person, a better man.
"From Houston I learned the power of positive. I never met a more positive person in my life. Everything was always going to be all right. Coach Broyles -- boy, that guy. Betsy, I miss your pops, I think we all do."
Scanlon spoke about how Weber could be so compassionate informing a player that their injury was career ending, but how cleverly caustically he could be with prodding a player to play through pain.
In his lone starting season in 1979, fifth-year senior Scanlon missed the season's third game with an injury that freshman. Scanlon received reassurance from Weber the next week he would be ready for the conference opener the following Saturday against TCU.
"Dean told me, 'You're going to have some pain, but you're healed," Scanlon said. "'I wouldn't let them put you out there if it was going to make you worse. Oh, by the way that freshman (Tom Jones) played pretty well. So if I were you, I would get back on the field.' Always a little Dean Weber love in there."
The same kind of love Weber extended to new athletic director Hunter Yurachek and new football coach Chad Morris.
"I've gotten past the point that I need to blow smoke up anybody's butt," Weber said. "But the new leadership, I have confidence in Hunter and Chad."
Barrett said Andrews was not able to attend Friday due to an illness in his family. Nutt, his former coach, attended in person and discussed Andrews' Razorbacks prowess and amazing agility at 6-5, 320 pounds, in a video presented during the event.
Eckwood, of Brinkley, earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Fayetteville. He was not able to attend due to suffering concussion-induced dementia. His daughter, Jerval, spoke about compassion for the mentally ill.
Former Arkansas running back Ike Forte starred for the Razorbacks in 1974 when Eckwood was injured. The two co-starred for the 1975 Southwest Conference championship team coached by Broyles.
"You'd block for Jerry then look downfield," Forte said. "Man, was he fast! And so unselfish and always ready throw a block for you. It's an honor for me, to say 'Jerry, good job.'"
New Jersey native Manor and Scanlon both spoke of feeling like Arkansas native sons adopted. Manor was a two-year starter for Broyles in 1973-74 after transferring from Pratt Junior College in Kansas. Scanlon lettered for Lou Holtz in 1978-79 after transferring from North Carolina State.
"When I came to Arkansas and crossed the state line back then, they called Arkansas the Land of Opportunity," Manor said. "For me it still is. I have great people here and raised my family here."
"I don't know if Arkansas adopted me, but I sure adopted Arkansas," Scanlon said. "A lot of us from out of state came to play here, but then we became Arkansans.
"I don't want to disparage any other school or team, but to hear fans call the Hogs, the Razorback experience is very unique. Razorbacks fans are strong, they are passionate. They are enduring and they are forgiving and they make your life special. That's why we stay and why we want to give back."
Andrews, of Camden, was an All-American offensive tackle and became an All-Pro offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.
Eckwood is a native of Brinkley.
Manor became a defensive tackle for the Razorbacks and played for the fabled Orange Crush defense for the Denver Broncos. He is still an Arkansas fixture in investments and financial counseling.
Elders, of Dewitt, is now retired after 22 years as a basketball coach for Little Rock Hall.
Hutchcraft, a St. Charles native and former University of Central Arkansas basketball great, retired this season after 42 years coaching boys' and girls' basketball at Guy-Perkins.
Muckensturn was All-Southland Conference at linebackers three times for Arkansas State. He also played linebacker in the NFL for the Chicago Bears.
Wallace coached volleyball and women's tennis at Henderson State. She was a legendary pioneer in pre-Title IX women's athletic administration.
Sports on 04/08/2018