Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – Oct. 2, 2025 – My dad, John Lorick, from DeWitt, played on the 1975 undefeated Arkansas State football team. It was the first year ASU competed at the Division 1 level – the highest classification in college football.
The roster that year was loaded with 12 NFL draft picks, with several others getting the opportunity to play professionally as free agents. My dad was considered the hardest-hitting defensive back on the team. As head coach Bill Davidson said, “He’ll stick you”. He finished his career in 1976 with 149 total tackles, six fumble recoveries and eight interceptions.
My uncle Lee Lorick played for the Indians first. He signed with coach Bennie Ellender in 1968. David Walls, a standout linebacker from Corning, played beside Bill Bergey in 1968 and then succeeded him when he went to the NFL. David watched my dad play in high school and reported to the coaches that Lee’s younger brother was worthy of a scholarship. Coach Clinton Gore recruited my dad, and he signed in 1972.
The 1972 season featured a large freshman class that played early while taking their licks on the way to a 3-8 season. The 1972 and 1973 classes featured multiple highly recruited athletes who turned down offers from “bigger” schools to sign with ASU. Bear Bryant even made the trip to the small town of Keo, Arkansas, to recruit Roy Painter.
My dad redshirted in 1972 and then lettered on the kickoff and punt teams in 1973. That team went 7-3. In 1974, after an injury to starting cornerback Joe Holliman, who was drafted after the season by the Minnesota Vikings, he had his first chance to start in the fifth game of the year.
The Tribe won four out of the final five games. My dad started the remainder of the 1974 season to finish 7-3. The most known game was against McNeese. Joe Duren kicked three field goals: 43 yards, 63 yards for the NCAA record, and a 56-yarder to win the game 22-20. My dad led the tackling charts that day with eight solo tackles and an interception.
Going into the 1975 season, the defense returned 10 starters, all upperclassmen who had played together for years. However, the offense needed a quarterback after the graduation of Steve Burks, who was drafted by the New England Patriots.
Enter David Hines. David was all-conference safety for ASU, who led the team in interceptions during his three years in the secondary. David previously played quarterback in high school and won a state title at Little Rock McClellan. The coaches believed he could lead the Tribe as quarterback.
Running the option out of the I formation, Hines led the conference with 17 touchdowns scored and engineered the No. 1 rushing offense in the nation with 340.5 yards per game. Two junior college transfers, Dennis Bolden, the first non-starting tailback in NCAA history to rush for over 1,000 yards, along with fullback Leroy Harris, added a new dynamic to the offense.
Leroy went on to set a Miami Dolphins record with a 77-yard touchdown run in his rookie season.
All-American Guards Ken Jones and T.J. Humphreys paved the way for the rushing attack. Ken went on to be drafted 45th overall to the Buffalo Bills and played 12 years in the NFL. T.J. told NFL teams that he would be going to medical school, so don’t bother drafting him. In case he changed his mind, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him anyway.
The defense had a dominate year. Jerry Muckensturm at linebacker led the team in tackles with 131. He remains No. 1 in the ASU record book with 493 career tackles. Jerry played eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, leading the team in tackles for two years.
Six of the front seven defensive players were drafted to the NFL: Robert Speer, Eddie Morgan, Dick Dixon, Jimmy Lisko, Jerry Muckensturm and Mike Malham. The defense ranked in the top 10 in seven defensive categories, led the nation with 43 sacks which resulted in 580 yards of losses, and caused 25 fumbles.
The defense allowed only two touchdown passes for the year, held eight out of 11 opponents to 10 points or less and shut out three opponents. The Trible only trailed twice at halftime, against USL 17-6 and Cincinnati 3-0.
The team never trailed in the fourth quarter, a period they ruled by a 130-25 margin. Against UT Chattanooga, the defense only allowed 56 total yards on 61 plays. The closest game was a 14-9 win over Cincinnati in the pouring rain. The next closest margin of victory was 17 points.
Special teams were up to the challenge as well. The punt return team blocked 11 punts, an NCAA record that still stands 50 years later. Defensive end Jimmy Lisko blocked eight punts himself and is the reason the stat exists.
Above: Corbin Lorick’s photo gallery of articles and pictures from the 1975 undefeated Arkansas State University football team
This era of football saw the integration of African American players. The first player awarded a scholarship to ASU after walking on his first year was David Mitchell in 1970. David was the first Black football coach in 1975 as well.
Joe Holliman became the first Black player to receive a scholarship out of high school in 1971. Many players that signed in 1972 and 1973 went on to become key contributors during the 1975 season. I was told that the tone started at the top with coach Bill Davidson. He knew African American players could help his team and they were treated no differently than the white players.
The marquee wins were on all on the road: Memphis, Cincinnati and Louisiana Tech. The Tribe travelled across the river and whipped Memphis 29-10. The defense forced five turnovers on the night.
Cincinnati was a closer contest due to the rain and the wet turf conditions. Louisiana Tech had not lost a conference game in five years. The Bulldogs fell in a de facto championship game to end the year by a decisive 30-13 score. The Tribe placed 13 players on the All- Southland Conference team at seasons end.
The saying “11-0 and nowhere to go” has been used to describe the season. Eleven total bowl games existed at the time and not one selected ASU. The following season the Independence Bowl was ultimately created because of the team.
The team ended the year with the nation’s longest winning streak of 14 games and outscored their opponents by a 355-81 margin. Arkansas State was one of two undefeated teams in the nation along with Arizona State and finished tied with Notre Dame for 21st in the final Associated Press poll.
This season marks the 50th anniversary of that historic team. Here’s to my dad, his teammates and coaches on a memorable season.
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Corbin Lorick for writing this article about his dad, John Lorick, and the 1975 team. Arkansas State will recognize the 1975 team at Saturday’s game against Texas State. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.