He wanted to pump up the Portland State program he had just taken over, and placing a guy in the NFL would go a long way toward that.
But he also knew that if he oversold a player, he’d lose credibility. So on that fall day in 1973, as Ron Stratten sat in the bleachers of Multnomah Stadium-now Providence Park, home to MLS’s Timbers-he chose his words carefully.Īn NFL scout had come to see Randall Woodfield, the Vikings’ leading receiver. He had been impressed with Woodfield’s hands and athleticism.
But when he asked Stratten for further assessment, the coach wavered.
