The Hero Creates the Fan, Part 2

For the most veteran Washington Husky football fans, such as those who watched the dominant teams under Jim Owens, one name stood out as a fan favorite.

Bob Schloredt.

The quarterback was a College Football Hall of Fame selection and an All-American who won two Rose Bowls and a co-national championship, and was the first Husky to make the cover of Sports Illustrated.

This is the second of a three-part series that examines Husky fans' favorite players from decades to decade of modern times. Names were pulled from more than 1,500 responses of an informal survey that I did on social media.

Schloredt drew more than 100 votes.

The next big name came from the Baby Boomers.

Sonny Sixkiller.

More than 300 people voted for him.

Still a fan favorite today, Sixkiller was an exciting quarterback whose Native American name fit perfectly with his style of play. Sixkiller never went to a bowl game because only the conference champion received the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl. But Sixkiller brought energy to Montlake and won the adoration of all Husky fans who watched him play.

Following Sonny came a group of players who helped coach Don James set the foundation for his dynasty in the 1970s. Among them were tough-running tailback Joe Steele and tackling machine linebacker Michael Jackson, who both received 22 votes each.

Yet the two most talked about players from that decade were Warren Moon and Spider Gaines.

Moon remains one of the most celebrated UW quarterbacks of the modern era. As a Husky, he was the 1977 Pac-8 co-player of the year and a Rose Bowl winner over the favored Michigan Wolverines. His professional career lasted 23 years and he was the first African American quarterback inducted o the Pro Football Hall of Game. He drew 150 votes.

Gaines was his teammate and another fan favorite. He was known for one of the most improbable catches in Apple Cup history, catching a deflected pass for a game-winning touchdown in 1975. The big-play threat wowed Husky fans with catches that averaged more than 20 yards per reception. He pulled 84 votes.

The two names that came up the most during the early 1980s were Jacque Robinson and Paul Skansi, who picked up 86 and 84 votes, respectively.

Skansi started for all four years of his career and was a major contributor for great Husky teams. He went on to have a successful career in the NFL, which included a stint with the hometown Seattle Seahawks.

For my generation, Jacque Robinson was merely the father of the great Nate Robinson. He sat in the stands wearing a purple No. 2 jersey. Yet the older Robinson was more than a former player. He was the lead back during one of the most dominant runs in the James era and a member of one of the best UW teams ever, the 1984 Huskies who beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and finished the year ranked second in the nation in the AP poll.

Part 3 of this series looks at the fan favorites from the 1990s to today.