Alright, listen up y’all, let’s talk ’bout this 1981 Maryland football team, ya hear? Them Terrapins, they were somethin’ else back in the day. Don’t go expectin’ no fancy book learnin’ talk from me, I’m just gonna tell it like it was, the way I remember it.
So, 1981, that was Jerry Claiborne’s tenth year coachin’ them boys. Tenth year! That’s a long time to be yellin’ at a bunch of young’uns runnin’ around with a pigskin. Bless his heart, he must’ve had the patience of a saint. Jerry Claiborne, that’s a name you gotta remember. He was the boss man, the one callin’ the shots.
Now, they weren’t the best team in the whole wide world, no sir. They had their ups and downs, like any team does. Won some, lost some. Their record, they tell me, was 4-6-1. Don’t rightly know what that last number means, but it sounds like they tied one game, the poor fellas. Four wins, six losses, and that… that other thing.
- They played in the ACC, that’s the Atlantic Coast Conference. Sounded fancy, but it just meant they played against the same bunch of teams every year.
- Scored a fair amount of points, I guess. 232 in all, they say. That’s ’bout 21 points a game. Sometimes they scored more, sometimes less. It all depended on how well them boys were catchin’ the ball that day.
See, back then, football wasn’t like it is now. No fancy passes all the time, no sir. It was mostly runnin’ the ball, grindin’ it out. Tough, hard-nosed football, that’s what it was. Them boys would get knocked around, get back up, and keep on fightin’. That’s what made it so excitin’ to watch.
I remember hearin’ folks talk about this game and that game. Some games they won, they played real good, like a well-oiled machine. Other games, well, they just couldn’t seem to get it together. It’s like that sometimes, in life and in football. You win some, you lose some, and sometimes you just gotta scratch your head and wonder what went wrong.
Now, I ain’t gonna sit here and pretend I know all the players’ names. Heck, I couldn’t remember my own name half the time back then. But I do know they had some tough boys on that team. Strong boys, fast boys, boys who weren’t afraid to get dirty. They played their hearts out, every single game, win or lose. That’s all you can ask for, really.
Maryland Terrapins, that’s what they called ’em. And they were somethin’ to be proud of, even if they didn’t win every game. They represented the state, represented the university. They gave folks somethin’ to cheer for, somethin’ to get excited about on a Saturday afternoon. And that Jerry Claiborne, he kept them boys in line, made sure they played the game the right way.
Folks would gather around the radio, listenin’ to the games. Sometimes, if you were lucky, you could catch a game on TV. But it wasn’t like it is now, with games on all the time. You had to cherish the games you got to see, that’s for sure.
So, that’s what I remember ’bout the 1981 Maryland football team. They weren’t perfect, but they were tough, they were scrappy, and they gave it their all. And that’s all that really matters, ain’t it?
They were part of the NCAA Division I-A, you know, the big leagues. Played hard every game, win or lose. And that’s somethin’ to respect. Heck, I couldn’t run across the yard without gettin’ winded, but them boys, they were somethin’ else.
And lemme tell ya, finding information ’bout them old teams ain’t easy. It’s all bits and pieces, ya know? You gotta dig around, ask around. But that’s part of the fun, I reckon. Uncoverin’ the past, rememberin’ the good ol’ days.
So there you have it. My little ol’ take on the 1981 Maryland football team. Not the prettiest story, maybe, but it’s honest. And that’s more than you can say for some folks these days.
Tags: [1981 Maryland Terrapins Football, Jerry Claiborne, Maryland Terrapins, ACC, College Football, Sports History, NCAA]
