I had a neat opportunity today to attend the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame Luncheon held in Lake City.

The organization has been around since 1990, inducting pro and college coaches and players, semi-pro coaches and players, and media and other people who have made an impact on the game in the area.

Among the six honorees this year are three with significant UW ties --- Barry Bullard, a tackle for the Huskies from 1957-60; Pat Locker, who is Jake Locker's uncle and was a standout running back at Western Washington; and Phil Borders, who was honored for his semi-pro career but was also a one-year letterman at UW in 1958 before embarking on a pro baseball career and later returning to football.

Along with being a member of two Rose Bowl champions, Bullard --- a native of Coos Bay, Ore. --- is also known for being Jim Owens' first recruit once he took over the Husky program. He told a story of how he looked at his football career mainly as a way to get through school --- he was an engineering major --- and always carried a briefcase. "I was a terrible bore,'' he said to laughter.

Pat Locker, who was named as the Player of the Century at Western Washington after gaining 4,049 yards in his career, was introduced by Jake Locker (Jake's father, Scott, was also in attendance). Jake Locker gave a pretty emotional speech, choking up briefly as he talked of how his uncle "been there my whole life. ... Not only are you getting a great football player but a great man.'' (Here's a story on Pat Locker's WWU career making he clear he certainly deserves to be known as more than just Jake's uncle).

Borders became a star player for the Seattle Ramblers semi-pro team (the history of semi-pro football in Seattle is detailed here).

Others inducted were former Seahawk and WSU star Robbie Tobeck, semi-pro coach Mel McCain and Gary Wright, a member of the Seahawks organization since day one, mostly in the PR department.

Ron Crockett, president of Emerald Downs and a noted Husky booster and fundraiser, gave the keynote speech, focusing a portion of it on the progress of the Husky Stadium project. He said the plan is to go back to the legislature again next winter in hopes of getting $150 million in state money to add to the $150 million the school hopes to raise. He estimated the total cost of the project at $300-310 million.

All kinds of NW football dignitaries were there, such as Don James and Jim Lambright (each already members of the Hall), though neither appeared to win any of the raffle prizes.