Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Orvis Says Hall Of Fame Honor 'About The Team'
January 08, 2016 | Football, Alumni C Club, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When former Colorado great Herb Orvis received the news that he'd been selected for the College Football Hall of Fame, he had two main messages:
One, the honor is about the team. “There's such a difference between individual accolades and team accomplishments,” Orvis said Friday morning. “It was the Buffaloes team that was great. We had so many great players — I was just lucky to be there and be a part of it.”
Two, the Buffaloes will be back. “They've had some tough times lately, but we need to spread the word that Colorado is on its way back. We're going to have a great team at Colorado to cheer for again.”
Orvis indeed played on a great Colorado team with great players. In 1971, his senior year, the Buffs finished 10-2 and ranked No. 3 in the nation behind Nebraska and Oklahoma, still the only time in history that three teams from the same conference were ranked 1-2-3 in the final poll. That team, coached by Eddie Crowder, also had seven players selected in the NFL draft the following spring, including Orvis, a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions (No. 16 overall).
Orvis went on to play 10 years in the NFL for the Lions and Colts.
Orvis' position coach at CU was Jim Mora, who went on to enjoy a stellar coaching career, including stints as head coach of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.
“Herb was a great player who played with great intensity,” Mora said. “He had everything you looked for in a defensive lineman. He was quick, strong, aggressive and a very intense player with an intense personality.
“When I heard Herb was going into the Hall of Fame, I started thinking back on all the guys that I've worked with over the years in college and in the NFL. Some of those guys really stand out from a talent standpoint and Herb is right up there with the best. He deserved every accolade he got.”
Orvis was a force on CU's defensive line, earning near-unanimous All-American recognition as a senior. In his sophomore and junior seasons alone, he tallied 144 tackles, including 26 for losses and 17 quarterback sacks.
“He was like (former receiver) Cliff Branch,” Mora said. “Cliff was a really talented guy who made big plays on offense or with a return that would energize the team. Herb was that way on defense. He'd get a sack, force a fumble, get a tackle behind the line and it would energize the entire defense. He just had that effect on a team.”
Branch called Orvis' honor “well deserved and long overdue.”
“To call Herb 'intense' is a mild description,” Branch said. “He was an every-down guy who never let up. He was the leader of our defense on a team that finished third in the nation. I loved playing with him. That was a great team with great players and great coaches, and congratulations to him. A good man who really deserves it.”
Orvis played in some of CU's most memorable games in its long history, including three bowl games (two CU wins) and victories over No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Missouri, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 LSU and No. 10 Air Force.
But, he said, his fondest memories consist of simply playing with great teammates.
“Football is a team sport,” Orvis said. “The great thing about a team is that when someone makes a mistake, you have someone there to help pick you up. We played in a lot of big games and players played above themselves because we were a true team. I got to see a lot of that as part of the Buffaloes.”
Colorado Athletic Director Rick George said the addition of Orvis to the College Hall of Fame — he will be the Buffs' eighth member — is indicative of the program's proud tradition.
“We're very excited and obviously very proud to have another member of the Colorado Buffaloes family inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame,” George said. “Herb Orvis was a great player in a great era of Colorado football, and part of the longstanding tradition that CU has established as one of the premier programs in the nation. It's great to see Herb recognized for his achievements. We congratulate him on the honor and we're proud to see another Buffalo enshrined.”
Orvis admits to being surprised by the honor.
“When they called me, I was shocked,” he said. “It was like champagne being popped. But it made me think right away of the people I played with, and how we played together. That's what made my time so special, all the people I played with over the years. I'd love to share the spotlight with my teammates one more time.”
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
