Bob Hope and the AP All-American Football Teams

Aug. 06, 2014

In 1978 I had the special honor of appearing on the Bob Hope Christmas Special with the other college players that were named to the Associated Press All-American Football Team.

Every year, Bob Hope would announce the AP All-American Football Team on his Christmas Special that was taped in New York at the Rockefeller Center. Before the taping of the show, I wandered onto the set of Saturday Night Live and found a script for the upcoming show laying on the ground. Needless to say, I picked it up and still have it to this day. Nice souvenir.

I've been searching 36 years for a VHS copy of this Bob Hope Christmas Special and I finally found it and uploaded it to YouTube. For any player that would like a full copy, please let me know.

When the show first aired on Christmas Eve, I almost missed watching it. I was taking a flight to Phoenix to be with my parents and the plane was late getting in. I ran - like OJ Simpson - to the Airport Bar, but they had the TV set on another channel, so I begged the bartender to change it to the Bob Hope Christmas Special. When he went to change the channel, the people at the bar started complaining and booing me. I told everyone to please bear with me for just a few minutes. As soon as he found the channel, it was only about 30 seconds later that I ran out on the stage and Bob Hope introduced me - and made a joke about my height. Everyone at the bar looked at me and said "Is that really you?" I said "Last time I looked in a mirror I was still Jeff Nixon!"

I just walked away from the bar without saying anything else....................Well, they did boo me.

Besides myself, you will also see three other players in the video that were drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1979 - Jerry Butler, Jim Richter and the first pick of the entire draft Tom Cousineau.

The Buffalo Bills drafted us in 1979 - and that's one of the big reasons we made the playoffs in 1980 and 1981. A scouting department is worth their weight in gold......and they can make a team......or break a team. In 1985 they struck gold when they drafted Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett. Here's a link to their Bob Hope moment in the sun: 1984 AP All American Team. Oh, I almost forgot.......he wasn't an All-American, but the Bills also drafted some kid from Kutztown State named Andre Reed in 1985. Let me rephrase that - Pro Football Hall of Famer - Andre Reed!

Every college football player that was lucky enough to carry Bob Hope "until the pretty girl arrived" received a Christmas card from him and his wife Delores every year until his death. I have about 20 of them stashed away. Nice memorabilia that will never leave me 'till the day I die.

In the video clip, Bob Hope tells a joke about me.... as he did with every player in his Christmas Specials. We all knew he would cut us down to his size, but that's what he did and we loved him because he had the heart of a Giant. To be standing next to him was the closest thing to standing next to God. He did so much to bring joy into the lives of our service men and women during the Vietnam war and every Christmas he came into our living rooms and gave us a present that will last forever.

Wherever you are Bob..........thanks for the memories and the gift of laughter!

The 1978 AP All American Team

Offense

Chuck Fusina	QB	Penn State
Charles Alexander	RB	Louisiana State
Ted Brown	RB	North Carolina State
Billy Sims	RB	Oklahoma
Charles White	RB	Southern California
Emanuel Tolbert	WR	Southern Methodist
Kellen Winslow	TE	Missouri
Kelvin Clark	OL	Nebraska
Keith Dorney	OL	Penn State
Pat Howell	OL	Southern California
Dave Huffman	OL	Notre Dame
Jim Ritcher	OL	North Carolina State
Greg Roberts	OL	Oklahoma

Defense

Mike Bell	DL	Colorado State
Bruce Clark	DL	Penn State
Hugh Green	DL	Pittsburgh
Al Harris	DL	Arizona State
Marty Lyons	DL	Alabama
Tom Cousineau	LB	Ohio State
Bob Golic	LB	Notre Dame
Jerry Robinson	LB	UCLA
Kenny Easley	DB	UCLA
Johnnie Johnson	DB	Texas
Jeff Nixon	DB	Richmond