26 Feb 2013
Sports Editor
Tyler Owens / Sports Editor
As a part of the 100th year of football at UNT, Mean Green athletics is hosting a vote for the fans and a specially selected committee to create a UNT All-Century football team.
A panel of UNT Hall of Fame members, administrators, media members and others put together a ballot for fans to choose past and current players to represent the All-Century team at their respective positions.
“Part of the process was that, in 100 years of football, we needed to put the debate out there as to who was the best football player,” Athletic Director Rick Villarreal said.
The fan vote will make up 50 percent of the vote and the other half will come from a separate final selection committee.
“A lot of the people that we have selected [for the committee] that have been around North Texas athletics for 40 or 50 years have the best ability to compare those types of players with the current players,” said senior associate athletic director Eric Capper. “The way the committee was selected was we just basically tried to get as much of a cross section of several different eras and several different generations to provide some balance and the other side of it was we are going to let the fans decide.”
Fans have the chance to vote for players and coaches dating as far back as 1915, all the way to recent players such as running back Lance Dunbar, punter Will Atterberry and senior wide receiver Brelan Chancellor. There is also a write-in option if a fan’s favorite player is not on the ballot.
Former wide receiver Johnny Quinn, who is second all-time in career receptions for the Mean Green, said that he is privileged to make an appearance on the ballot.
“Just to be on the list with all those great players, 100 years of Mean Green football, is humbling,” Quinn said. “We’ve had a lot of good football players come out of our school, and just to be on that list is an honor.”
Voting for the All-Century team began on Feb. 6 and runs through March 13. Fans are able to vote online at MeanGreenSports.com or via paper ballot, which can be found at the UNT Athletics ticket office or at the remaining home basketball games.
Winners will be announced at the Green-White spring football game on April 13. The winners will also be featured on a commemorative poster, which will be available for purchase.
Staff Writer Brett Medeiros contributed to this story.
Pick up a copy of the Feb. 27 edition of the North Texas Daily to read the Daily staff’s picks for the All-Century team.
