From Air Force to Wyoming (which isn’t actually that far, but as far as it gets in the college football alphabet) institutions of higher learning and four-star recruits are naming starting quarterbacks. It has become a ritual. You just can’t have a starting quarterback. You have to name one.
When he died of natural causes at age 84 on Sunday, people started telling stories about The Giffer again. Actually, when you think about it, they never really stopped telling them. This is a tribute to Frank Gifford — that long after his playing career, it seemed he always was relevant.
When you’ve been down for as long as UNLV has in football, you’re going to have to take an occasional risk on the recruiting trail — you might have to accept an Alabama reject or two, or maybe go for a quick fix via the junior colleges. Longtime observers of the local football scene are aware of this.
