Handing the Ball Off to Aunese's Son

In 1987, Colorado started to show the first signs that it would become a national power under Bill McCartney. The Buffaloes' quarterback was Sal Aunese, and he ran McCartney's option game to perfection.

Two years later, Aunese was dead. Stomach cancer took him at age 21.

Now Aunese's son, T.C. McCartney, who was five months old at the time of his father's death, is about to enroll at Louisiana State. Bill McCartney was outside linebackers coach at Michigan when LSU coach Les Miles was a Wolverine player. When McCartney took the Colorado job in 1982, he brought Miles, who stayed five years. The friendship has remained.

In December, a motion picture of Sal Aunese's life will be released. You can view a clip of the film off the Livin' Large Productions site. Thanks to Matt!