Podcast Kiss of Death
As I watched SMU head coach June Jones pace the sideline against U of H late last year, I couldn’t help but think about what he & the entire Houston Gamblers staff did nearly 3 decades ago… and just a couple hundred yards away in the Astrodome. They revolutionized the game of football.
If you’re younger than 30, you may be wondering what I’m talking about. Football used to be about the trenches, running the ball, 3 yards & a cloud of dust. But along came the Gamblers & the Run ‘n Shoot. 
It began in the mind of Gamblers Offensive Coordinator Mouse Davis who, with Tiger Ellison conceived & refined the idea back in the 70’s. Gamblers head coach Jack Pardee hired him & together with coaches June Jones & John Jenkins put up eye-popping numbers with NFL Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly.
Pardee took it U of H where it won Andre Ware a Heisman… but, more importantly, the Run ‘n Shoot transformed into the Spread offense… and that changed football on every level.
Nearly every high school & college in the country runs it. It’s a staple throughout the NFL. Scores have risen…And a generation of fans may not understand that it all began right in here in Houston, in that dying relic on Kirby.
Pardee is gone. John Jenkins left coaching 7 yrs ago. Mouse Davis, now 81, still quietly plugs away as Hawaii Wide Receiver’s Coach. They have almost disappeared from view now but their legacy is very visible everywhere you turn. Football is more exciting because of what they did.
