Wayne Hartman was a thorn in my side. I'll tell you why.
I played defense all through my Fulton High School days, outside linebacker. We ran a 5-4-2; two inside linebackers, and two corner backs who rotated with the flow of the opponents actions. The flow came towards me, I went for the ball. If I couldn't make the tackle, I turned it inside for my teammates. Flow went away from me, I dropped back to cover that back third against a pass. The two safeties had the other 2/3 of the field. No flow, we had a call from defensive huddle that went into affect, Leo was left, Rip was right. I started most every game on defense; not bad for a scrawny little kid. I was 3rd string fullback but rarely got in the game at that position, let alone run the ball.
My freshman year at Brockport, 1965, was a disaster for me personally. Though I loved defense, I'd decided I wanted to run the ball. I played some fullback, as we ran a T formation in those days. I actually played many positions in practice, but never made it on to the game field; not one play.
Somehow in 1966 I got recognized, listed on the program at an embellished 5' 6", 159 lbs. I was on the field a lot, my confidence was growing strong.
By the '67 season I'm starting in a few games, playing at least a bit in all games, and helping to man every special team - kickoffs, short man receiving kickoffs, punts and punt returns, extra points, field goals....and the dreaded quick kicks. My hopes for a regular starting position looked good from my vantage point and I'd beefed up to a solid 180 pounds. Couldn't do much about the height or the speed. Yet, I was hopeful.
Enter Wayne Hartman. That baby face and smile he wore kinda made you like him right off, and I did, yet I had this sense of foreboding. He was bigger, faster and I noticed Coach D using him more and more in practice instead of me. I was worried. I approached Coach D and said, "Coach, I see you're using Hartman in my place at fullback. I feel this is going to infringe on my playing time." His response, "Hell, Scott. We're just gonna put him in at the start of the game to soften up those big boys, then we'll put you in." I naively bought it.
My starting days were over, Wayne and I shared duties at the 4 back position, and he saved me from more than one painful defensive back's wrath. He did one hell of a job on "softening up those big boys." I got to play enough to keep me happy. I loved the special teams, and even Wayne occasionally got tired. Really though, by my senior year Coach D had gotten into my hard head something he did, I think, for all of us. We were a team. We supported each other for the good of the team. A life's lesson much more important than what was ever reflected on any scoreboard.
Scott Dingman, #42
Class of 1969
Sarasota, FL
(The photo features Scotty in action.)