As Tom Cousineau graciously accepted the news Friday of being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2016, he credited in no small part having played at “the great Ohio State University” and “all of my teammates in the class of ’79.”
But the first anecdote that popped into his head was of that night at his family’s home in Fairview, Ohio, in the winter of 1975 when he had yet to declare his college choice, and national signing day was just hours away. To say he was highly sought was an understatement.
“In our basement were Woody Hayes, Joe Paterno and Gary Moeller,” he recalled Friday of the Ohio State and Penn State head coaches along with Michigan’s defensive coordinator.