Me and Hugh McElhenny

by Gekko Mojo on Apr 9, 2011 6:09 PM PDT

As many of you have surmised, I am a Las Vegas resident having relocated from Minneapolis in May 2009. More specifically, I'm a Henderson, NV resident having bought a home in the south side of Henderson. Last Tuesday, I was picking up my car from a local window tinting proprietor whose shop was attached to a car wash/gas station. As I'm walking up to the garage, I see an older gent in cargo shorts and a Washington T-shirt. I greet him as any fellow Dawg should and, as we get talking, I introduce myself by name. He sticks his hand out and says "My name is Hugh McElhenny". After fumbling around a few words and dropping a few catch phrases like "legend" and "icon", I finally came to my senses and introduced him to my wife. We spoke for a few minutes and I learned that, in fact, Hugh is my neighbor. His home is walking distance from mine.

The irony of the story is that my grandmother was, that day, en route to Henderson to spend some time with us. Her husband, my grandfather, died three years ago last May. My grandfather was a proud Husky and Hugh is his all time favorite player. He met Hugh once in a golf tournament. Ever since then, he used to introduce himself by saying "Shake the hand that shook the hand of Hustlin' Hugh". Needless to say, we all got a kick out of the story about my moment with Hugh.

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So Jealous!

by SeaHuskies on Apr 9, 2011 7:52 PM PDT reply actions

Wow, talk about a coincidence.

Aaron Curry was a bust the moment he took the field.
Seahawks please draft Ryan "Monster" Mallett!

by Fearless Frog on Apr 10, 2011 4:11 AM PDT reply actions

That's AWESOME!...

…speaking in “Holt terms”. That reminds me of the time I sat with Don James for dinner. It was right after the National Championship and I was in such awe I could barely speak to him. I finally asked him to autograph the book I had (his biography, “James” as told to Virgil Parker). I also got a picture with him. That is a memory I will cherish for as long as I live.

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on Apr 10, 2011 9:24 AM PDT reply actions

very cool

Hugh is the very definition of “Husky Legend”. I don’t recall if he’s over been officially presented as such at a football game, but if he hasn’t, that should be a high priority for Scott Woodward, Elliot Silvers and the Big W Club to rectify. Hell, even if he has been a 3rd Quarter “Husky Legend”, bring him back up for another recognition – this season will mark the 60th anniversary of his last season with the Huskies; use that as an excuse to get him up here again while he’s still alive and in good condition and so another generation of Husky fans, players and coaches can connect with him.

by kirkd on Apr 10, 2011 2:14 PM PDT reply actions

Good idea...

… you wouldn’t believe how good he looks for a man in his eighties. If he wanted to, I wouldn’t think the trip north would be too hard on him. Scott – I know you are reading this – let’s get it done!

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon

by Gekko Mojo on Apr 10, 2011 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Very cool story, Gekko.

It’d be great to get the chance to honor him at a game. If it were to happen, I just hope that enough of the crowd would understand and appreciate who he is…

by Sundodger on Apr 11, 2011 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions

I do wonder if both sides have the stomach for it ...

… given all of the revelations that came out about Hugh and his “relationship” with UW several years ago.

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon

by Gekko Mojo on Apr 11, 2011 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions

that was poorly worded ...

.. I meant to say “given all of the revelations that came out several years ago about Hugh and his relationship with UW”.

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon

by Gekko Mojo on Apr 11, 2011 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, there's that...

…but I was mostly alluding to the fact that there are a lot of Husky fans that really don’t have any idea who he is.

I think the people that do know who he is would be fine to let the pay-for-play stuff go, and honor him. That was a lot of years ago.

by Sundodger on Apr 11, 2011 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions

eh

That’s hardly a big deal IMO. Why would anyone hold it against him – it has no serious impact on the school (it was several decades ago), and I can’t imagine anyone holding it against Hugh to get paid, when that was (and still is in a lot of ways) how things were done in college football recruiting.

by kirkd on Apr 11, 2011 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions

True- I'm just not sure if any hard feelings are lingering on Hugh's end. Still, he was wearing a UW shirt when I met him!

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon

by Gekko Mojo on Apr 12, 2011 7:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Wow

Very, very awesome story.

Covets: Mark Ingram, Marcell Dareus, Prince Amukamara, Rodney Hudson, Phillip Taylor and Owen Marecic.

by Carl Shinyama on Apr 10, 2011 9:45 PM PDT reply actions

Hahahahahahahah.

That’s great.

Random similar story, not quite as cool…

My college GF (this is around 96 or so) had a sister who was not a sports fan. She had a child in a ballet class, and was waiting for them to be released and was standing next to one of the dads. They were chatting up their kids, which one is yours, all that stuff. She introduced herself, and he introduced himself as well.

She said, “What do you do, Ken?” He replied he was a professional baseball player. She laughed and asked him where he played and why he was in Seattle. She was so oblivious and a non-sports fan, she didn’t realize she was having a convo with Ken Griffey Jr.

Not as cool as your story, but still a neat one in a similar vein.

What if we simply took the highest ceiling players, who fit ANY system, and worked out the details later? If we do go that route, there’s no way you can convince me Ponder is a good choice in the 1st round.

by Tyler Jorgensen on Apr 20, 2011 11:31 AM PDT reply actions

ha!

That’s great! I wonder if Griffey liked that he wasn’t recognized (and could have a “normal” conversation) or if he was a little hurt that she didn’t know who he was…

by kirkd on Apr 20, 2011 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions

He absolutely loved it.

He got to just be a “Dad” for a while without all the pomp and circumstance. In fact, the whole experience of finding out about it is part of the reason I never begrudged him going to Cincy— what he said he genuinely meant, unlike A-rod and his “winning” so he signs with our division rival who wasn’t as good.

by Tyler Jorgensen on Apr 20, 2011 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions

knowing how fun being a dad truly is..

… and just being able to talk kids with another parent, I imagine he really enjoyed that moment.

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon

by Gekko Mojo on Apr 23, 2011 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions

So I was at a bar the other night, just 3 of us and the bartender, and one of the guys and myself almost got in a fight.

We were talking about the greatest huskies of all time, and I said you pretty much have to bring Hugh McElhenny up, the question is if you think he’s number 1 or not.

He was of the opinion that Hugh didn’t even deserve to be in the conversation. That was actually one of his lesser sins that night, believe it or not.

"When Pete first got here he said he wanted to establish the run and stop the run
Pete’s the architect and Cable’s the contractor." --Greetings from the Lord Humongous!

by Tyler Jorgensen on May 1, 2011 6:35 PM PDT reply actions

oh man

I don’t know how anyone could argue with a straight face that Hugh wasn’t one of the all-time great Huskies. Let me guess though – he didn’t think Hugh’s stats measured up?

by kirkd on May 1, 2011 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, that was part of it.

The other part (remember, the guy was an idiot) is that Hugh was before these other guys and his NFL contributions didn’t really count.

"When Pete first got here he said he wanted to establish the run and stop the run
Pete’s the architect and Cable’s the contractor." --Greetings from the Lord Humongous!

by Tyler Jorgensen on May 2, 2011 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah - he's not one of the greats just like Warren Moon is not black.

puh-lease. great is great. Hugh, Warren, whomever.

Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
@chrislandon

by Gekko Mojo on May 2, 2011 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions

I threw Cody Pickett out as maybe the best UW QB, at least in college.

He laughed at that as well.

I tried to explain that Cody held the total yardage record, the single season record, and the single game record, and was tough as nails.

I wasn’t absolutely supporting Pickett as best all time (I argued for Jake actually), but my selections were considering weak to him with his high intellect.

Whatever.

Anyway, I love this site and FieldGulls. Don’t know what I would do without them…

"When Pete first got here he said he wanted to establish the run and stop the run
Pete’s the architect and Cable’s the contractor." --Greetings from the Lord Humongous!

by Tyler Jorgensen on May 2, 2011 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions

Cody was really good

But he was also the beneficiary of an offensive system that inflated his numbers, throwing to arguably the best WR the UW has ever had. I’d be surprised if a number of our previous QBs that went on to the pros couldn’t have matched or exceeded what Cody did in that offense.

No offense to Cody, because the UW has a terrific history of QBs, but I do think it’s somewhat telling that he washed out of the NFL so quickly.

by kirkd on May 2, 2011 11:25 PM PDT up reply actions

No, I understand that.

But I also think that he should be in the discussion. That was my point.

"When Pete first got here he said he wanted to establish the run and stop the run
Pete’s the architect and Cable’s the contractor." --Greetings from the Lord Humongous!

by Tyler Jorgensen on May 5, 2011 5:34 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree...

…I had one guy on a forum who insisted that Cody Pickett shouldn’t even be in the conversation of “best” QBs at the UW. I’m like where is the logic in that? Go look at the UW record book. The guy could sling the football and no one could argue that he wasn’t one of the best at doing that. Marques Tuiasosopo is viewed by many as the best and I concur with that but his strength was in his running the option. He also made excellent decisions and was underrated for his ability to throw the football. It also helped that he finished his Husky career on such a high note, going 11-1 and winning the Rosebowl. Oh and being selected as the Rosebowl MVP.

Washington Husky Football-"Hear the bark, feel the bite!"

by dawgfan22 on May 7, 2011 7:52 AM PDT up reply actions

rating the QBs

The UW has had a lot of really good QBs; where would Pickett rank among them? Really depends on your criteria – do you look strictly at what they did at the UW? Do you take into account the offensive systems they operated in, the eras in which they played? Pickett indeed is all over the record books. But then again, he played in the most pass-happy offense (by far) the UW has ever had, throwing to arguably the best WR the UW ever had. If Damon Huard had played in that system and throwing to those WRs, would he have put up similar numbers? What about his brother Brock? Or Tom Flick or Steve Pelluer? Or Chris Chandler, or Cary Conklin?

Pickett had a very good career here, and I am especially impressed by the toughness he showed in playing through a very painful injury his Senior season. But given the number of great QBs the UW has had, I’m not sure how close to the top he ranks, nor do I think saying that diminishes him given the quality of competition.

by kirkd on May 7, 2011 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Fair enough.

But if someone brought him up, would you laugh and say he isn’t even worthy of consideration? Like, “whiskey, you’re an idiot. Cody Pickett sucks and was terrible and is a worthless waste of time pick.”

"When Pete first got here he said he wanted to establish the run and stop the run
Pete’s the architect and Cable’s the contractor." --Greetings from the Lord Humongous!

by Tyler Jorgensen on May 7, 2011 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions