Mike Favor learned this morning that he’ll be the third former NDSU football player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His first call was to his mother. His second was to his former offensive line coach Bruce Saum.
Saum, now working in the insurance and investments business in Fargo, was a graduate assistant in Favor’s first season in 1985 and his full-time coach the last three years. “Coach Saum is somebody who hasn’t got a lot of recognition for coaching Bison greats,” Favor said. “I wanted to share it with him. No way would I have had the success without coach Saum.”
Favor said Saum had the perfect blend of being a technician and somebody “who you wanted to give your best for.”
Favor is the principal at Robbinsdale Cooper High School in the Twin Cities. He’s in the process of writing his dissertation for his doctorate in education from St. Cloud State.
“I’ll be Dr. Spank, huh?” he said, referring to his longstanding nickname.
Living down the hall from Spanky in UV and having several classes with him, it was hard to find a much nicer guy. Spanky was down to earth and hard working and a beast on the field. Congrats and you deserve it.
Go Bison
Those were great days when Mike was playing center for the Bison — outdoor football at Dacotah Field. Tailgating in the parking lot before a November playoff game and then moving into the stadium with a thermos of hot brandy or coco with peppermint schnapps. (Undercover, of course.) Those 80’s teams were so consistent and so well coached year after year and those young men played some of the best Bison football ever. Congratulations to one of NDSU’s greatest.
I know some people will say “but he played DII, NDSU is DI now”. Just remember that back then DII was really like what DI-AA is now.
A lot of those teams moved on to DI-AA and a lot of the teams already in DI-AA moved up to the bowl division.
NDSU was behind the curve by about 10 years, but is on track now. With some luck, I hope to see them in the bowl division with schools like Marshall, App State, etc. in the next 10 years.
Ditto your thoughts history. There was some unbelievable talent on those teams and they knew how to win. Nobody made excuses. It was line up and snap the ball.
Ryan smith will be rocking the # 4 jersey next year……haha sweet
Congratulations to Mike Favor and to every Bison athlete who has reflected great credit to North Dakota State University and the State of North Dakota.
Also, it was very classy for Favor to credit Coach Saum. I hated to see him
leave after 2002. I thought he was a very good coach. Reps to you too Coach Saum!
A lot of dedication and hard work goes into every athlete that ends up in a hall of fame and the coaches who help produce them. Congrats Mike and a hearty thanks to Bruce.
Loved watching those NDSU teams during my college years in the early 80′s. Congrats to Mike! What a deserving honor!
Congrats Spank. This is well deserved. You where one of the best on the field and even better off it. Congrats buddy.
Sorry this comment is not related to the post about Favor, but there is no general comments section for this site.
Interesting STrib article about MIAC school facilities. Some NDSU fans might recognize the guy sitting by the football lockers in ST Thomas new facility!
http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/122547699.html
Some reason you don’t just post it on Bisonville?
Hope coach caruso mike favor and isreal moses can be NDSU spokesmen , need more twin cities kids from these 3 please.
Congratulations Mr. Favor!
I call you Mr. Favor as I did watching you play. Your bulldozer approach to blocking on the dive play commanded respect from everyone, even myself as a lowly fan.
I watched you come in as an overweight true freshman, full of flab, and leave a man trim and strong and truly one of the very best to wear the yellow and the gold. You deserve this because you were one of the best to ever be a Bison. Thank you!
Congrats Spank well deserving
Also kudos to Bruce Saum job well done.