Eric Dickerson, an NFL Hall of Famer, spoke about NIL, playing against the Razorbacks and life at Little Rock Touchdown Club on Monday, Sept. 9.
He shared details about college ball at Southern Methodist University (SMU), his time with the LA Rams and even his upbringing as an adoptee of a devout Christian family. He talked about breaking the late OJ Simpson’s single-season rushing record as well. Dickerson also spoke about his interesting fashion sense through the years, answering questions about his glasses and looks.
He said he wore the iconic glasses because he couldn’t see.
“The neckroll was kind of a look,” Dickerson said. “If you look good, you play good; that’s what I thought.”
Sharing the stage with former competitor and Razorback David Bazzel, Dickerson talked about his experience against the Hogs.
“We knew one thing about Arkansas: y’all were very physical,” Dickerson said. “We were very physical.”
The team at SMU knew Arkansas had a good coach and a tough program. Dickerson went into the game with a respect for players like Billy Ray Smith and Gary Anderson, who Dickerson said were “fun to watch.”
Bazzel showed the audience film from the 1982 game, featuring an infamous call in the last four minutes that led to the Razorback loss. The Hogs held a 17-10 lead until the end, when SMU made a touchdown and went for a one-pointer to tie the game. The team went on to beat 2nd-ranked Texas 20-7 next for an 11-0-1 record, while Arkansas ended the season with a 10-1-1 record. That season was the Mustang’s first time going undefeated into the last game of the season at Texas Stadium, which put them on the map.
“People didn’t like the smaller schools beating the bigger schools,” he added.
Dickerson said if former SMU coach Ron Meyer had been their head coach when the Arkansas matchup had come, they would have taken the win, going for a two-point conversion. The team had a lot of natural talent and knew their wins shouldn’t be so close, he said. While the MSU players weren’t afraid of the Arkansas team, Dickerson said the coaching staff was.
“It was just electric in there,” Bazzle said. “It was just a battle.”
After watching the film, Dickerson said, “That’s not a bad call; I don’t care what they say.”
Dickerson admitted that Arkansas’ defense was the best in the country, but SMU’s defense was tough as well, albeit a little dirty.
“We had a dirty defense,” Dickerson said. “Even I said it.”
Dickerson would get frustrated at the defensive players at practice. But as his college career went on, he said the disparity between himself and the other players continued to grow. The six-foot-three-inch running back, at 220 pounds, looked more like a linebacker by the time he graduated.
“I just felt like a man playing with kids,” he said, referring to the moment he knew he was ready for the next level.
Looking back at his evolution, he can tell by photographs which year it was by his outfit and the way his body looked. He encourages college kids today to take their time with their development before trying for the NFL, saying it will pay off to build yourself up first.
During the talk, the subject of NIL came up several times. While college kids today can enjoy all the benefits of NIL deals, the NCAA during Dickerson’s time was less friendly toward the idea.
Dickerson, whose school is known for trying to implement NIL deals long before they were accepted and legal, said schools across the country were doing the same thing. He said Arkansas, Alabama and many other states had schools offering deals to athletes, even using unique strategies to hide the transaction, like having a player’s grandmother “win big” at a casino.
After Dickerson was given a car by Texas A&M, a representative from the NCAA came to visit his family, regularly asking about the Pontiac Trans-Am transaction for over a year. His family got off the hook because his grandparents paid for the car in cash and were reimbursed by a check from A&M. So, all the paperwork showed that the car was legally purchased by his family, and the story checked out as Dickerson’s grandparents regularly bought new cars.
Although he didn’t attend Texas A&M, Dickerson said he hopes kids today will honor their NIL deals and that if they decide to switch schools after accepting money from a deal, then they should give the money back to the school they don’t plan on attending.
Dickerson’s 11-year career saw him play for the Rams, the Atlanta Falcons, the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Raiders. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, he amassed 13,259 yards rushing and was All-Pro in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Next week’s LRTDC speaker will be former University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek. To view the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s complete schedule of speakers, read this earlier article.
AY Media Group is a proud sponsor of the Little Rock Touchdown Club.
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