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"I was disappointed," Dozier admitted. "You go into the NFL and have no idea what to expect, but you do expect to succeed. You do expect to perform and be at your best. One of my toughest challenges was staying on the field and staying away from injuries that would keep me off the field. With the Vikings, it was definitely not an offensive system for me, going from an I-formation to a system of halfback splits and running traps. I had that conversation with the general manager. I never expected to have less than a Pro Bowl career, but that never happened." After four fruitless seasons with Min- nesota and one with Detroit, he was out of football. But by then, Dozier had res- urrected his professional baseball aspi- rations. He had been such a good base- ball player in high school that the Detroit Tigers had drafted him in the 18th round in 1983. While still playing football for the Vikings in 1990, he signed as a free agent with the New York Mets. "For me to play professional baseball after seven or eight years was an ab- solute gift," Dozier said with enthusiasm in his voice. "I knew I could do it after being at the World Series between the Twins and the Cardinals in Minnesota in 1987. I saw three of the home games and didn't see the fourth and seventh game of the series because the Vikings had a game the next day. At the second or third game, I said to myself, I can do this. I can play professional baseball. I didn't see myself actually doing it. It was just a desire. Two years after that moment, I actually put the pieces to- gether to try out." 'I could have kissed the grass' The Mets sent Dozier to St. Lucie in the Class A Florida State League. After hit- ting .297 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and 36 stolen bases, he was promoted to Class AA Jackson, where he hit .324 with two homers in 29 games. He went on to play in Tidewater, Va., and Williamsport, Pa., and finally, on May 6, 1992, he made his debut in the major leagues with the Mets. It was a short stay, 25 games. Late Penn State great Wally Triplett was enshrined in the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame on May 8 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Triplett was inducted alongside linebacker Quentin Coryatt of Texas A&M, coaches John Robinson of Southern California and Houston Nutt of Arkansas and Mississippi, running back Ricky Williams of Texas, and safety Roy Williams of Oklahoma. In the 1948 Cotton Bowl, Triplett scored on a 6-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, helping Penn State tie Southern Methodist, 13-13. He and teammate Dennie Hoggard were the first African-American play- ers to play in the bowl. At the time, there were just four bowl games in college football, and only one of them – the Rose Bowl – had previously been integrated. Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame officials lauded the two Nittany Lions prior to the recent induction cere- mony, noting that "Triplett, Hoggard and Penn State had taken a stand that New Year's Day, one for a more just society." A Philadelphia native, Triplett was the first black player to see action in a varsity game for Penn State, doing so as a freshman in 1945. He later became the first African-American draftee to play in the NFL following his selection by the Detroit Lions in 1949. Since it was first played in 1937, the Cotton Bowl has hosted 139 future College Football Hall of Fame mem- bers, 27 future Pro Football Hall of Fame members, nine Heisman Trophy winners, four Davey O'Brien Award winners and three Doak Walker Award winners. "We have so much to be thankful for in our game's 82-year history," said Carl Ice, chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. "This Hall of Fame provides future generations with a greater appreciation for the legacy of the game of college football here in north Texas." The voting for the Hall of Fame is based solely on an individual's per- formance in, or contribution to, the Cotton Bowl, rather than that person's overall college or professional career. Individuals become eligible five years after their final appearance in the bowl. Penn State's appearance in the 1948 Cotton Bowl was the first of three that it has made in its history. The Nittany Lions defeated Texas, 30-6, in 1972, and Baylor, 41-20, in 1975. ■ Triplett enshrined in Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame WALLY TRIPLETT Penn State Athletics

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