Road to 1991 Perfection: Not Everyone on the UW Team Experienced the Rose Bowl Win

Curfew violations by a few Huskies resulted in some early Husky departures from Southern California.

Dick Baird always has been an unconventional personality, mischievous, outspoken and never buttoned-down. 

That's what made him a successful University of Washington recruiting coordinator, especially in lieu of the unusual football resume he presented to coach Don James — he played linebacker for rival Washington State. Prospective players were captivated by him.

That's why Baird still turns up regularly on KJR radio offering his two cents worth on Husky football, entertaining the masses.

You have to keep a close watch on him, though. After reviewing this video clip, he had to be edited some after slipping in a pair of expletives during the conversation. Not sure if his radio cohorts endure the same quality-control issues.

Either way, Baird is a lovable sort, always full of stories, always boisterous. In this segment, he talks about a couple of players, who shall remain nameless, who didn't get to see the 1992 Rose Bowl in person.

Unknown to the team press corps (which included me) and to the fan base, a couple of adventurous Husky reserves broke curfew and got sent home by James, who had his rules that had to be followed. They did something that Baird, in his youth, might have done.

"He sent me to investigate and I found out these kids stayed out all night, and I had to go back and tell Don and he sent them home," Baird said, not naming the Husky miscreants. "That's just the way he was."

This is another in a series of vignettes about the UW's 1991 national championship team, supplementing the conversation for the pandemic-delayed and -shortened season. We're dealing with game 12 of this throwback series, the '92 Rose Bowl against Michigan.

Today, Baird lives in Kitsap County, in a rustic setting, away from metropolitan Seattle in which he was raised. He played his high school football at Roosevelt High School, just up the street from the UW and Husky Stadium. 

He has his national championship keepsakes, though one is displayed in an unusual manner. His ring turns up in his bathroom. 

"It sits in the bathroom in its little case, right there, and I see it every day," Baird said. "Every once in a while, I bring it out. I don't wear much jewelry. Back then, I wore rings, necklaces and bracelets."

As for those Huskies banished from Pasadena for breaking curfew, they likely received their rings. They just didn't get to experience winning the Rose Bowl and the subsequent national title in person. 

"Had they been starters, it might have been a different deal," said Baird, laughing, know full well that it wouldn't have made any difference with his head coach.

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven

Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: HuskyMaven/Sports Illustrated

Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Husky Maven. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page.