Editor’s note: This is the fifth part of the Sports Desk’s tribute to McAndrew Stadium and its history. Each week, the sports staff will draft a position to make its All-McAndrew football team. This week: All-McAndrew secondary.
Ryan Voyles selects: Terry Taylor (1980-1983)
Looking back on the 1983 national championship team’s defense, it’s no wonder the Salukis dominated teams without putting up superior offensive stats. Their defense was absolutely fear inducing.
And what could strike fear into foes more than that secondary. Safety Greg Shipp and cornerback Terry Taylor were each good enough to make a quarterback have to change his shorts, and when they came together, they made even the bravest quarterbacks run for safety.
While Shipp is a tempting choice, I will select Taylor to my All-McAndrew squad. He is still the all-time interception leader in SIU history with 20 career picks, and his eight interceptions in 1983 helped seal the deal for the Salukis.
Taylor was one of many Salukis who had a chance to play on Sundays. The Seattle Seahawks drafted Taylor with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL Draft. Taylor played 12 NFL seasons with four different teams. He played in 151 games and finished with 25 career interceptions.
Taylor is the player I need on my team to make any quarterback second-guess throwing the ball downfield.
Derek Robbins selects: Greg Shipp (1980-1983)
From a defensive standpoint, it is easy to see why the 1983 Salukis took home the national championship. In that season, SIU had a game against New Mexico State in which they had eight interceptions. In the national championship game, the Salukis intercepted Western California seven times. Those two contests remain the highest interception totals in a single game in school history. It is no surprise the two members of the All-McAndrew secondary were members of the 1983 national championship team.
Safety Greg Shipp holds the SIU record for most interceptions in a season with nine and has the second most interceptions for a career with 18. Taylor holds the record with 20. The next player on the all-time interception list, Chuck Goro, intercepted 12 passes. These two were just far and above the best at the position.
Shipp’s biggest performance of his career came in perhaps the biggest game in SIU history. In the 1983 championship game against Western California, Shipp picked off the ball an NCAA record four times in the game. The Salukis won the championship game 43-7 against Western California, but only managed 313 offensive yards. It was the defense that brought home the gold for SIU.
Shipp will make an outstanding member of my team. He was definitely one of the best players to ever put on an SIU jersey.
