SMU Mustangs football was flying high in the 1980s. The most memorable SMU teams included the heralded ‘Pony Express’ led by running backs Eric Dickerson and Craig James. In 1982, Dickerson and the Mustangs defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Cotton Bowl 7-3. The Panthers quarterback was a young kid by the name of Dan Marino.
From 1980 to 1984, the Mustangs posted a record of 49-9-1 which was the highest winning percentage (.839) in Division 1-A during that timeframe.
But the Mustangs were enjoying success by breaking the rules — all the rules. After a number of repeated NCAA violations, the team was given the ‘death penalty’ in 1987. The entire ’87 season was canceled and eventually the ’88 season was canceled as well after the team admitted that it did not have enough players to form a team.
Flash forward to 2014 and things have never been the same at the only major university in Dallas. SMU had enjoyed some success under coach June Jones for the past few seasons but he suddenly resigned Monday for personal reasons after just two games this season — two games in which the Mustangs were outscored by a combined score of 88-6.
Photo source: Instagram
Overall, Jones finished with a record of 36-43 with two bowl game victories (2011 and 2012) while on the sidelines at SMU.
And now, Dickerson has spoken out about the frustration of watching his alma-mater struggle on the field.
“I talked to four former players yesterday, and we all said if they don’t want to do anything, just kill the program,” Dickerson said Tuesday in an interview with KRLD-FM in Dallas. “Just stick to academics and basketball and kill that program.
“It’s so frustrating for us to watch SMU become nothing but a laughingstock or almost nonexistent. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist.”
These are interesting comments coming from the former player who many believe was one of the reasons the school was given the death penalty in the first place. An ESPN 30-for-30 documentary was conducted on the program that showed how Dickerson and other Mustangs’ players received ‘pay-for-play’ financial benefits.
After the death penalty, Dickerson and other former players were ostracized by alumni and fans but were eventually forgiven.
Dickerson, when asked about the Mustangs’ future , said, “It’s a tough question. The main thing is getting the help there, and I think June has been frustrated the last couple of years with not getting the help that he needed from upper management in the university.”
Eric Dickerson did offer some advice to SMU by saying that it should model itself after its cross-town rival, TCU.
“I look at TCU, and TCU is a great school. I look at TCU and SMU. … TCU has got it,” Dickerson said. “They have fans coming to the games and made the total 360, and we’re just still sitting on our hands like we don’t get it.
“We’re still sitting there talking about the death penalty that happened 30 years ago. It’s time to get over that.”