Throwback Thursday: A Return To An Aggie Football Factory

This Throwback Thursday is a throwback to a Flicker originally penned in 2011. A brief look at the football factory found at itty-bitty UC Davis.

As a growing football fan in the '70s through the '80s, I knew little of a glowing football think tank so close, at the University of California, at Davis. Not Berkeley. Not Los Angleles. Davis, California. Just north of Sacramento. Being close, I knew that the UC Davis Aggies were a strong Division II school, usually in the hunt for the national title every year. When quarterback Ken O'Brien was selected by the New York Jets in the 1983 NFL Draft, some eyes opened. Safety Bo Eason and defensive end Mike Wise soon followed O'Brien to the NFL. There was some talent at the small agricultural school. There was also a lot more taking place. It wasn't just that the Aggies were in the midst of winning an NCAA record 20 straight conference championships. It was how they played, practiced and learned. Davis gave no scholarships. They were undersized. North Dakota State's fullback dwarfed every Aggies defensive lineman in the '82 national semifinals. Davis won. The success of UC Davis started with head coach Jim Sochor. His offense, emphasizing brains and speed, set the tone. Defensive coordinator Bob Foster's 4-3 flex defense shut the door. Sochor and Foster created a football factory churning out wins and coaches. Foster thoroughly embraced Tom Landry's 4-3 flex, refined by ten years of visits to the Dallas Cowboys offices. "We ran the 4-3 flex better than anybody in the country, college level, no question-because we were one of the few who did," says Foster. "Some dabbled, but we went whole hog." Davis' defensive playbook was eight inches thick. It was a thinking offense and defense for both the players and the coaches. Sochor had a cerebral style, a Zen-like laid back style. Whistles were banned, players used coaches first names and began practice on their own. It was a unique football environment in an unlikely setting.

Two of college football's brightest, most successful coaches today are Boise St's Chris Peterson and TCU's Gary Patterson. Peterson was the Davis quarterback in 1986. Patterson was the linebackers coach. Paul Hackett, Mike Bellotti and Dan Hawkins also learned at the Davis football laboratory. "Davis was ahead of its time," says Patterson. "They taught players to be coaches. They taught guys to overcome. They said, 'There's no such thing as no-it's just going to take us a little bit more time to get the answer.' All those things have carried forward with me."

Sochor, in particular, and Foster created an incredible football environment at UC Davis. Players and coaches learned, played, coached and most importantly enjoyed football. It was an incredible time and place, and it continues to this day in the people that were there.