John Randle Hall of Fame

Former Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) defensive lineman John Randle will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in Canton, OH. He joins former Javelina greats Gene Upshaw (enshrined in 1987) and Darrell Green (enshrined in 2008) in the exclusive club.

The induction of Randle into the Hall of Fame bodes well for the 2010 Javelina Football team. Following Upshaw's induction, the Hoggies went 9-2 and won the Lone Star Conference. After Green was inducted in 2008, the Javelinas were coming off back-to-back 3-8 seasons, but showed a dramatic improvement and finished the year 7-4.

The 1987 squad was led by the dynamic duo of Johnny Bailey and Heath Sherman in the backfield. Bailey rushed for 1,598 yards and 18 touchdowns while Sherman gained 902 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Bailey won the first of three Harlon Hill Trophies that season. Offensive lineman Moses Horn and tight end Mike Dyal each earned All-American honors. Kevin Beasley, who had 74 tackles, and Johnny Eaton, who managed seven sacks, led the defense.

The 2008 team managed one of the biggest turnarounds in school history with a four-game improvement over 2007. Billy Garza was the team's signal caller as he passed for a school-record 2,787 yards to go with 23 touchdowns. His top target was Jareko Taylor who set a school record with 66 receptions who gaining 1,090 yards and scoring 11 times. Safety Jabir Perkins created his own highlight reel with two kickoff returns for touchdowns and a team high five interceptions. He set a school record with 36.6 yards per kickoff return and earned All-American honors.

It would appear that the 2010 Javelinas are in line for another great season if the past holds true. They will be attempting to win back-to-back Lone Star Conference titles for the first time since winning three in a row from 2002-04.

Randle will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith. In his two years with the Javelinas, the team went 20-4 with one LSC title and a NCAA Division II Semifinal appearance. He owns the two best single season sack totals in school history with 22 in 1988 and 14 in 1989. His 36 career sacks are nine more than the closest challenger on the Javelinas' all-time charts.