THE HISTORY OF LINFIELD FOOTALL: A STREAK OF GREATNESS
By
Robert Matsumura, Contributing Writer, McMinnville Community Advantage
Magazine, April-May 2022
If you're a fan of college football, doubtless names like
the "Crimson Tide," "Fighting Irish," and "Buckeyes"
require no explanation. They speak for themselves. However, if you don't follow
NCAA Division III football, you might not realize that one of the nation's most
successful football programs resides right down the street in McMinnville,
Oregon. None of the haloed Division I teams cited above can match the
accomplishments of the Linfield University Wildcats.
It started on an autumn day, October 6, 1956. Great things
often have humble beginnings, and for Linfield football this was certainly the
case. While it would have been more dramatic if the Wildcats' win that day had
been defined by a scintillating highlight moment—a miraculous last minute catch
in the end zone, or a gutty goal line stand—such was not the case.
Linfield had just suffered back-to-back losing seasons, and
the 1956 campaign looked like more of the same. The opponent that Saturday was
the Seattle Ramblers, a semi-pro team on a tear, who had defeated the Wildcats
the previous year, and dominated the conference titles over the last 14 seasons.
Against the odds, Linfield managed to defeat the Ramblers 13-7. From that game
on, the Wildcats wouldn't lose another game that season. This win over the
Ramblers marked the beginning of what has become known as the
"Streak."
Paul Ward, who played guard on the '56 team, recalled:
"Once we had a winning season, we knew we could win. We had to experience
it and build up over the years."
For a team composed of small town kids and Korean War
veterans attending college on the GI Bill, they had no idea that their victory
over the Ramblers that fateful October day would be the start of the
"Streak."
The "Streak," which has now extended to 65
consecutive winning seasons as of 2021, is the longest active winning streak in
NCAA history at any level. No other team is even close to this record, with the
next in line coming in at 42.
In retrospect, Ward admits no one at the time had any idea
of what was to come. "I guarantee you that in 1956, nobody had any idea
there would be any kind of streak," he said. "We were just happy that
we could get through the season with a win.
"It was coach Paul Durham's team that started the
"Streak," but it is a testament to the pride, tradition, and
dedication to excellence, fostered by successive coaches over the last six
decades, that is responsible for Linfield's relentless march through the NCAA
history books.
Looming at the forefront of the Mount Rushmore of Linfield
football coaches is Ad Rutschman. Hired as head football coach in 1968,
Rutschman continued the winning tradition until his retirement in 1991.
Rutschman not only coached football, but baseball as well. Rutschman is still
the only coach at any level to win national titles in both football and
baseball. In his 24 seasons as Linfield's head football coach, Rutschman won
three NAIA national championships (1982, 1984, 1986), and 15 Northwest
Conference titles.
Perhaps Rutschman's most epic victory occurred in the 1984
national championship game, where Linfield trailed Northwestern of
Iowa 22-0 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Against all
odds, the Wildcats roared back to win the game 33-22. In addition to coaching
football and baseball, Rutschman also served as Athletic Director for 25 years,
during which time the school's athletic facilities were greatly improved. Among
these improvements were two new gymnasiums, a baseball stadium, and the 26,600
square foot field house named in honor of Rutschman and his wife Joan, for
their dedication and service over 27 years to Linfield University.
From 1992 to 2005, Linfield's football program was led by Ed
Langsdorf (1992-95) and Jay Locey (1996 -2005). Both coaches kept up the
winning tradition. Langsdorf's brief tenure resulted in a record of 32-9-1 and
three championships. Locey's tally at the end of his Linfield career was a
stellar 84-18 and six championships, including one NCAA Division III title.
During one stretch of his impressive career, Locey coached the team to a
41-game win streak.
In 2006, the future of Linfield football was turned over to
Joseph Smith, and he has not only continued the "Streak" but pushed
the school into the NCAA record books. Under Smith's leadership Linfield has
amassed an incredible record of 138-27, with a .836 win percentage, the highest
percentage of any coach in Linfield history.
When Smith, a former defensive back for Linfield in the 90s,
took over in 2006, he was well aware of the legacy he was responsible for and
described his role as that of a "caretaker." With Locey's departure,
Smith understood that the decision to hire him had been carefully considered.
"It couldn't be someone from the outside to come in and run the
program," Smith explained. "We had to maintain who we are. If we lost
that, we're just another school."
The Smith era at Linfield has been nothing short of remarkable.
For a school that offers no football scholarships, a modest budget for
athletics, and typically doesn't attract big time recruits with NFL aspirations
and talent, the question remains: "How does Linfield do it?" How do
the Wildcats continue to churn out victories, winning seasons, and
championships? Ultimately, how do they keep the "Streak" alive?
Smith credits a
number of factors, foremost of which is the sense of family that permeates the
entire Wildcat program. Caring for one another. This intense trust that grows
from respect and brotherhood is interwoven with a blue-collar work ethic of
toughness and a thirst for excellence.
Ryan Carlson, a
defensive star on the 90s era teams, sums it up beautifully: "Once you're
in our Linfield family, you're connected to 60 years of people who have had
those core principles shape their young lives. Those life experiences continue
to breed an incredible amount of love and loyalty towards the program." As
inspiration to his players, Smith periodically invites guest speakers to
address the team. One of the speakers, Bretton Brown, an Army Ranger and a
friend of Smith's, imparted words from the Rangers' credo that resonated with
the team: "We are Men of Action. We do the heavy lifting. We are the
walls, and we are the hammer.”
So next fall, as
Linfield continues on its historic march through the NCAA record books, take a
moment to appreciate what six decades of commitment to family, grit, and
excellence can achieve. As Coach Smith reflected, "From Coach Durham to
Coach Rutschman, to now, the secret to this place has been that we have really
good people coming and being part of a really good program. When you focus on
excellence and put the team first and you're a man of your word, great things
happen." The "Streak" lives on!
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