This day in sports history

BY COLIN “BIG C” MACGUIRE

The Greenville Standard

 

This week I will write about another College Football Hall of Fame member.

Marty Lyons was born Jan. 15, 1957. He played high school football at St. Petersburg Catholic in St. Petersburg, Fla.

He played at Alabama from 1975-78 and helped The Tide win three SEC Championships in 1975, 1977, and 1978 and a National Championship in 1978.

Also during that time, Alabama played in three Sugar Bowls and a Liberty Bowl, winning all four.

In Marty’s freshman year, he dressed out. In his sophomore year, he lettered. In his junior year, he started. Marty’s best was his senior year.

He was named SEC Defensive Player of the year and was a consensus All-American and co-captain of the National Championship Team.

He told Penn State Quarterback Chuck Fusina, you better pass. When asked by Fusina how far was it for the touchdown. It was the goal stand series. Alabama beat Penn State 14-7.

A first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, he played 12 years for the team at both defensive tackle and defensive end.

In 1992, Lyons was named to the Alabama All-Century Team. Marty is a member of seven hall of fames, including the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Hall of Fame inducted in 2011.