7/1/2004 football Edit

Boilers By Numbers: No. 66

Alan Karpick

Publisher

No. 66 Boilermakers

Leading into the Sept. 5 season opener against Syracuse, GoldAndBlack.com will count down the days 'til the 2004 lidlifter by highlighting the former Boilermakers who wore the jersey corresponding to the days remaining until kickoff.

Below is a list of all Boilermakers who donned the No. 66 jersey*:

Jack Ainsworth 1938, G

Kieth Brown (also 72, 94) 1987, OL

Mike Brown 1981, 1982, OL

Bret Brunell 1983-85, OL

Alan Dale 1945, G

Thomas Hard 1946-48, G

Ted Held 1944, HB

Jack Houston 1950-52, G

Walt Houston 1953-54, G

John Kaineg 1974, OG

Thomas Kotoski 1961-62, C-G

Steve Krol (also 73) 1980, OG

Chuck Kuzneski 1966-67, G

Tom Melton 1939-41, G

Bob O’Connor (also 61) 1993-95, LB

Rich Ostriker 1970-72, OG

Lloyd Pekelsman 1933, HB

Frank Plaskon 1961, G

Dale Schwan 1977-79, OG

Gene Selawski 1957-58, T

Randy Taylor 1988, OT

Clinton Turner 1968-70, G

Jim Valesano 1964, G

Sam Voinoff 1929-31, G

Jim Weizer (also 76) 1949, G

*Source: Purdue Football Information Guide

Gold & Black.com's Top No. 66s:

Dale Schwan and Steve McKenzie were the old men of the Boilermaker offensive line that helped Purdue turn its football fortunes around in the late 1970s under Coach Jim Young. Schwan recovered from a knee injury suffered as a freshman to be named a first team All-Big Ten guard as a senior in 1979. Interestingly, Purdue hasn't had an offensive guard named first team all-league since. Schwan was also named first team Academic All-Big Ten in 1978 and '79 and second team Academic All-American in '79.

Fellow guard Rich Ostriker logged less than 100 minutes of playing time until he won the starting job as a senior in 1972. That year he blocked for one of the most powerful running games in school history with the likes of All-American Otis Armstrong and standout Darryl Stingley.

Gene Selawski served two years as the Boilermakers starting right tackle for Coach Jack Mollenkopf in 1957 and '58. Like Schwan, Selawski was named first team All-Big Ten and Academic All-Big Ten. Selawski, a giant at 248 pounds from Cleveland, was also named to several All-American teams in 1958 — the most recent time Purdue lost just one game in a season.

Sam Voinoff was a legend in Purdue athletics and a 1995 Boilermaker Hall of Fame inductee. He coached the golf team for 25 seasons and led it to the school's first national team title in any sport in 1961. He drew starting assignments as a junior and senior in 1930 and '31 playing on a pair of league title teams. He also served as an assistant football coach for 13 years in the 1940s and 50s. What endures about Voinoff are his Yogi Berra-like sayings. "Pair 'em up in threes" could often be heard on the practice field when he was coaching.

Thomas Hard was a starter for first-year Coach Stu Holcomb in 1947. Bret Brunell worked his way to the starting lineup as a senior in 1985 under Coach Leon Burtnett, as did Bob O'Connor at middle linebacker for Coach Jim Colletto in 1995. O'Connor made the most of his playing time, finishing second on the team with 88 tackles.

Jack Houston started at guard in 1951-52, while Walt Houston started at the same position in 1953-54.

Our ranking of the best No. 66s:

1. Gene Selawski

2. Dale Schwan

3. Jack Houston/Walt Houston

4. Sam Voinoff

5. Rich Ostriker

Share your favorite memories of any of the No. 66s on the Knucklehead Central.

To view the entire list of Boilers By Numbers, click here