PHOTO: Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts was the Master of Ceremonies for the NFL Awards of Excellence when Sherman Lewis was honored in 2023 .

By TOM SHANAHAN

The last time Dan Fouts watched Michigan State and Oregon play, the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback was a TV analyst alongside Brent Musburger, in 1998. Oregon romped past Nick Saban’s Spartans, 48-14.

But Fouts is watching Friday’s renewal at Autzen Stadium as an Oregon alum/fan from different vantage points.

— First of all, Michigan State’s new coach is Jonathan Smith. Fouts knows Smith’s resume well from Smith’s time at rival Oregon State. He was the Beavers’ quarterback (1998-2001) and head coach (2018-23). Smith beat the Ducks both as a player (1998, 2000) and a coach (2022).

“I really admired the job he did at Corvallis,” Fouts said. “I hate to use the term underdog, but he won at Oregon State in the type of situation he’s in against Michigan and Ohio State. If he creates that kind of atmosphere again, Michigan State will be successful.”

— Fouts is curious to check the development of Michigan State sophomore quarterback Aiden Chiles, who followed Smith to East Lansing through the transfer portal. Fouts has heard about Chiles making spectacular plays for the Spartans but also costly mistakes that come with gaining maturity.

“I don’t know a lot about him yet, but if you’re making spectacular plays, you’re going to have interceptions,” Fouts said. “You’re talking to a guy who threw a lot of touchdowns and interceptions, so I’m a little biased about trying to get your team into the end zone.”

— And in recent years while serving as master of ceremonies for the NFL Awards of Excellence at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Fouts has learned about Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty’s leading role in college football integration. In addition to providing players with opportunities, Daugherty’s fingerprints extend to the college and NFL coaching ranks.

Fouts presented Jimmy Raye with his NFL Awards of Excellence — created by the Pro Football Hall of Fame — in the inaugural 2022 class. And to Sherman Lewis when he was honored in 2023. Daugherty recruited both MSU Hall of Famers out of the segregated South as players in the 1960s and launched their coaching careers as MSU assistants – Lewis in 1969 and Raye in 1972. Both advanced their careers to the NFL as offensive coordinators and mentors to many Black coaches.

PHOTO: Dan Fouts presented Jimmy Raye with his NFL Awards of Excellence in the inaugural 2022 class.

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As Fouts called Lewis to the stage, he asked about Daugherty’s influence on him.

“It was a great experience for me,” Lewis said. “Duffy was one of the greatest guys of all time in coaching. He was one of the funniest guys. We worked hard, but he made sure we understood there were still other things more important. I enjoyed my time with Duffy, and I’m thankful to him to this day for hiring me and getting me started.”

Lewis was recruited out of Louisville, Kentucky, and Raye from Fayetteville, N.C.

Lewis was Daugherty’s first Underground Railroad All-American in 1963 while finishing third as a halfback in the Heisman Trophy voting to Navy’s Roger Staubach. Raye was the South’s first Black quarterback to win a national title on the Spartan’s 1965 and 1966 national title teams.

Fouts, who noted Raye was in the audience, also brought up Daugherty’s Underground Railroad during segregation. Among the 44 passengers between 1959 and 1972 were College Football Hall of Famers George Webster, Anderson, S.C.; Bubba Smith, Beaumont, Texas; and Gene Washington, La Porte, Texas. Another College Football Hall of Famer was Clinton Jones of Cleveland, Ohio.

“He brought them to Michigan State,” Lewis said, “and, of course, Michigan State went on to win national championships because of it.”

One of the many changes from Daugherty’s days, though, plays out at Oregon. Michigan State (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) travels to No. 6-ranked Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) — for a Big Ten Conference game.

Fouts’ college career (1970-72) dated to the Pac-8 – Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, Stanford, Cal, USC and UCLA.

“As a traditionalist, I hate to see those Pac-8 rivalries go away,” he said. “But that’s the world we live in. We have to adjust. It’s never going back.”

Oddly enough, with Oregon coming off a Big Ten win over familiar foe UCLA (34-13), the Ducks have to be on guard to not overlook Michigan State while peaking ahead to a Big Ten showdown againsta No. 3 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0) on October 12 in Eugene.

“Each of these games between former Big Ten and Pac-12 teams are interesting to study the matchups with the strengths and weaknesses,” Fout said. “I’m looking forward to the Michigan State-Oregon game.”

The last time the Spartans played at Oregon was the 2014 season. The No. 7 Spartans were fresh off their Rose Bowl victory season, and the matchup against the No. 3 Ducks drew ESPN’s College Gameday’s broadcast to the Eugene campus. Oregon led 28-24 at halftime before pulling away to a 46-27 victory.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariotta was 17 of 28 for 313 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Mariotta was a painful reminder Michigan State’s coaches had abandoned Duffy Daugherty’s Hawaiian Pipeline dating to the 1950s.

Under Daugherty, Michigan State’s Bob Apisa was the first Samoan All-American in 1965 and 1966 out of Honolulu Farrington. Mariotta was the first Heisman Trophy winner out of Honolulu St. Lous.

Under Smith, the Spartans finally re-tapped the Hawaiian Pipeline with two freshmen, offensive lineman Rustin Young and defensive end Kekai Burnett. Young is from Mariotta’s high school and Burnett is from Honolulu Punahou. When Young saw playing time at left tackle against Ohio State, he was the first Hawaiian Pipeline player to see the field since Carter Kamana of Honolulu Kamehameha, 1980-84.

Another element to watch for Friday night game against the Spartans is Oregon’s students are back on campus for their first home game since returning to school last week for the start of the fall semester. The stadium’s seating capacity has expanded to 60,000 since 1998 when it was limited to 43,634 watching the Spartans and Ducks.

“The size won’t bother a Big Ten team that has played in bigger stadiums,” Fouts said. “But with the students back, it will be a raucous atmosphere.”

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Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter and frequent contributor to Spartanamag.com. His new book on Michigan State leading college football integration is, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” His first book was “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.”

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055

Below are links to click on to purchase my books focused.

My books tell the true story of college football integration in the 1960s and address the myths and fiction that allowed a false narrative surrounding the 1970 USC-Alabama game to usurp the credit from the true pioneers. As I said when I spoke at the National Sports Media Association book festival, no two books provide an accurate portrayal more than RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I’ll put my facts up against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.

Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation awarded first place by the Football Writers Association of America. I tell untold stories on Michigan State’s leading role and the true pioneers of college football integration. Click here to read the summary as a first-place story.

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Click here to purchase The Right Thing To Do

THE RIGHT THING TO DO

The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s

Foreword by Ruffin McNeill

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Click here to purchase Raye of Light.

RAYE OF LIGHT

Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the 1ntegration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans

Foreword by Tony Dungy

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Click here to purchase my children’s book, Bubba’s Dad, Duffy and College Football’s Underground Railroad

The book for now is only a Kindle version on Amazon. Print and audio platforms available soon.

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My next children’s book coming soon: How Duffy Put Hawaii on the Football Map