WVU Release Darryl Talley's No. 90 to be retired

[Keenan Cummings]

Darryl Talley’s No. 90 to be Retired

​

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (July 1, 2021) – The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will retire football’s No. 90, in honor of consensus All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Darryl Talley, during the Texas Tech game on Oct. 2.



Talley was one of the most prolific defenders in Mountaineer and Buffalo Bills history. During his four years in Morgantown, Talley amassed 484 career tackles, which were the most by any WVU player when his playing career ended in 1982. The four-year starter led West Virginia to the 1981 Peach Bowl and the 1982 Gator Bowl.



Talley produced five tackles for loss in a 1980 game against Penn State, which was a WVU single-game record that stood for 20 years. For his career, the East Cleveland, Ohio, native had 282 unassisted tackles, 202 assisted tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback sacks.



Talley came to WVU from Cleveland’s Shaw High School in 1978 and spent two seasons playing for Frank Cignetti before Don Nehlen took over the Mountaineer program in 1980. After two rebuilding seasons that saw WVU go 5-6 and 6-6, Talley and his teammates jelled to post nine victories, including a 26-6 rout of Florida in the 1981 Peach Bowl. The Mountaineers also notched wins that season against Virginia, Maryland, Colorado State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Temple and Rutgers.



As a senior, Talley was one of the leaders in the season-opening win at No. 9 Oklahoma, when the Mountaineers stunned Barry Switzer and the Sooners, 41-27. Later that season, he was named Sports Illustrated Player of the Week for his 15 tackles versus Boston College, but it was probably the game at Pitt that season that solidified his status as college football's top outside linebacker. In that game, he intercepted a Dan Marino pass to set up a Mountaineer field goal, blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown and spent almost the entire afternoon in the Pitt backfield in a narrow 16-13 loss to the No. 2-ranked Panthers. Talley’s talent and versatility for the WVU defense was on display in that Pitt game as he lined up at every defensive position except for nose guard. He led West Virginia to a 9-2 regular season and an invitation to play Florida State in the Gator Bowl.



After being named team MVP and becoming only the school's third consensus All-American, Talley was invited to play in the 1983 Hula Bowl and was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft (39th overall) by the Buffalo Bills.



He blossomed into a star for the Bills, playing 12 seasons as the team's starting outside linebacker from 1983-94, never missing a game and starting in four Super Bowls. At the conclusion of his career, Talley was the Bills' all-time leading tackler with 1,137. He also recorded 38 ½ sacks,12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries and three touchdowns for his career as a Bill, averaging 120 tackles, 3 ½ sacks and 6.2 takeaways per season.



Aside from the Super Bowls, he was selected twice to the Pro Bowl and was voted All-Pro in 1990 and 1991. He concluded his career by playing one season each with the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings to total 14 years in the NFL.



Along with being a consensus All-American and one of the greatest players in Mountaineer football history, Talley’s overall career honors are vast. He is a member of WVU’s All-Time Football Team, was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, won the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Distinguished Service Award in 2000, which is named after the Bills’ legendary owner, became the 20th member of the Buffalo Bills’ Wall of Fame, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011, the Mountaineer Legends Society in 2016 and named one of the 26 greatest players in Buffalo Bills history as part of the team’s 50th Anniversary, joining teammates Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Cornelius Bennett and Andre Reed among others.



He now becomes just the fourth WVU football player in history to have his number retired. Talley’s No. 90 joins Sam Huff’s No. 75, Ira “Rat” Rodgers’ No. 21 and Bruce Bosley’s No. 77 as retired WVU football numbers. Sophomore defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor currently wears No. 90 for the Mountaineers, and he will finish his career in that number before it goes into permanent retirement.



The WVU Athletics Council unanimously approved the retirement of Talley’s number as he meets the qualifications that include an undergraduate degree from WVU, induction into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame, induction into the Mountaineer Legends Society and induction into a national collegiate or professional hall of fame.



An on-field presentation with Talley is planned during the Texas Tech game and the No. 90 will be permanently displayed in Milan Puskar Stadium with the other three retired numbers.

 

[WVUALLEN]

Congrats to John Talley. Well deserved.

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

Darryl Talley’s No. 90 to be Retired

​

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (July 1, 2021) – The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will retire football’s No. 90, in honor of consensus All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Darryl Talley, during the Texas Tech game on Oct. 2.



Talley was one of the most prolific defenders in Mountaineer and Buffalo Bills history. During his four years in Morgantown, Talley amassed 484 career tackles, which were the most by any WVU player when his playing career ended in 1982. The four-year starter led West Virginia to the 1981 Peach Bowl and the 1982 Gator Bowl.



Talley produced five tackles for loss in a 1980 game against Penn State, which was a WVU single-game record that stood for 20 years. For his career, the East Cleveland, Ohio, native had 282 unassisted tackles, 202 assisted tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback sacks.



Talley came to WVU from Cleveland’s Shaw High School in 1978 and spent two seasons playing for Frank Cignetti before Don Nehlen took over the Mountaineer program in 1980. After two rebuilding seasons that saw WVU go 5-6 and 6-6, Talley and his teammates jelled to post nine victories, including a 26-6 rout of Florida in the 1981 Peach Bowl. The Mountaineers also notched wins that season against Virginia, Maryland, Colorado State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Temple and Rutgers.



As a senior, Talley was one of the leaders in the season-opening win at No. 9 Oklahoma, when the Mountaineers stunned Barry Switzer and the Sooners, 41-27. Later that season, he was named Sports Illustrated Player of the Week for his 15 tackles versus Boston College, but it was probably the game at Pitt that season that solidified his status as college football's top outside linebacker. In that game, he intercepted a Dan Marino pass to set up a Mountaineer field goal, blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown and spent almost the entire afternoon in the Pitt backfield in a narrow 16-13 loss to the No. 2-ranked Panthers. Talley’s talent and versatility for the WVU defense was on display in that Pitt game as he lined up at every defensive position except for nose guard. He led West Virginia to a 9-2 regular season and an invitation to play Florida State in the Gator Bowl.



After being named team MVP and becoming only the school's third consensus All-American, Talley was invited to play in the 1983 Hula Bowl and was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft (39th overall) by the Buffalo Bills.



He blossomed into a star for the Bills, playing 12 seasons as the team's starting outside linebacker from 1983-94, never missing a game and starting in four Super Bowls. At the conclusion of his career, Talley was the Bills' all-time leading tackler with 1,137. He also recorded 38 ½ sacks,12 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries and three touchdowns for his career as a Bill, averaging 120 tackles, 3 ½ sacks and 6.2 takeaways per season.



Aside from the Super Bowls, he was selected twice to the Pro Bowl and was voted All-Pro in 1990 and 1991. He concluded his career by playing one season each with the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings to total 14 years in the NFL.



Along with being a consensus All-American and one of the greatest players in Mountaineer football history, Talley’s overall career honors are vast. He is a member of WVU’s All-Time Football Team, was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, won the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Distinguished Service Award in 2000, which is named after the Bills’ legendary owner, became the 20th member of the Buffalo Bills’ Wall of Fame, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011, the Mountaineer Legends Society in 2016 and named one of the 26 greatest players in Buffalo Bills history as part of the team’s 50th Anniversary, joining teammates Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Cornelius Bennett and Andre Reed among others.



He now becomes just the fourth WVU football player in history to have his number retired. Talley’s No. 90 joins Sam Huff’s No. 75, Ira “Rat” Rodgers’ No. 21 and Bruce Bosley’s No. 77 as retired WVU football numbers. Sophomore defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor currently wears No. 90 for the Mountaineers, and he will finish his career in that number before it goes into permanent retirement.



The WVU Athletics Council unanimously approved the retirement of Talley’s number as he meets the qualifications that include an undergraduate degree from WVU, induction into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame, induction into the Mountaineer Legends Society and induction into a national collegiate or professional hall of fame.



An on-field presentation with Talley is planned during the Texas Tech game and the No. 90 will be permanently displayed in Milan Puskar Stadium with the other three retired numbers.

In my opinion, Darryl was the best defensive player I saw at WVU and I've been watching the Mountaineers since 1940. Better even than Huff. Unfortunately, I won't be in Mountaineer Field to see it because my grandson is getting married that day in Ohio. Ironically, my daughter, his mother, lives across the street from John Talley in Brunswick, Ohio so I've had several chats with Darryl when he visited brother John when I also happened to be there. You would never know he was a celebrity the way he talked to me. Darryl was great on the field and in life. An honor long overdue. Now, NFL Hall of Fame, get your ass in gear and hand him that award, too.

 

[WVUALLEN]

In my opinion, Darryl was the best defensive player I saw at WVU and I've been watching the Mountaineers since 1940. Better even than Huff. Unfortunately, I won't be in Mountaineer Field to see it because my grandson is getting married that day in Ohio. Ironically, my daughter, his mother, lives across the street from John Talley in Brunswick, Ohio so I've had several chats with Darryl when he visited brother John when I also happened to be there. You would never know he was a celebrity the way he talked to me. Darryl was great on the field and in life. An honor long overdue. Now, NFL Hall of Fame, get your ass in gear and hand him that award, too.

Sam Huff, already in NFL HALL OF FAME and Jersey retired, was the best. Huff also in college football hall of fame as well as WVU HALL OF FAME. Huff was a WV native born in Edna Gas, WV. Huff helped lead WVU to a combined four-year mark of 31-7 and a berth in the 1954 Sugar Bowl. The Mountaineers were also able to defeat Penn State three years in a row while Huff wore the Gold and Blue.

He earned four All-Pro berths in eight seasons (Huff was the voted the game's MVP in 1961) with the Giants and developed a great personal rivalry with linbacker Ray Nitschke of the Green Bay Packers and running back Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns. Huff was known as one of the few defenders who could tackle Brown one-on-one in the open field.

Huff's Giants played in back-to-back NFL championship games in 1958 and 1959, losing both times to the Colts. The '58 game played in sudden death overtime was considered one of the defining moments in NFL history and set the league down the path toward becoming the most popular and lucrative sport in America.

Huff was the first NFL player to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, and was also the subject of a CBS network TV show entitled "The Violent World of Sam Huff" narrated by Walter Cronkrite.

When the Giants faced the Redskins in 1966, Huff had the satisfaction of beating his former team 72-41. Near the end of the game Huff could be seen imploring his offensive teammates to pour it on and score even more points.

In 1982, Huff became just the second WVU player to be inducted into the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and later in 1999, he was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Sam Huff (1991) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame - West Virginia University Athletics

Sam Huff, Class: 1955 Induction: 1991 Sport(s): Football - Robert Lee "Sam" Huff is one of the most well-known and recognized athletes to ever play at WVU. Huff

wvusports.com

Talley second best or you don't know what you're talking about.

He blossomed into a star for the Bills and played 12 seasons as the team's starting outside linebacker from 1983-94, never missing a game. At the conclusion of his career, Talley was the Bills' all-time leading tackler with 1,137. He also recorded 38 ½ sacks and 11 interceptions as a Bill.

Talley once came off the bench during a 1983 game to sack Miami quarterback Dan Marino five times as the Bills rallied for a 38-35 overtime victory. He played in four Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls, and was twice voted All-Pro in 1990 and 1990 in becoming a Buffalo fan favorite. "I like the fact that he's about winning," said former San Francisco 49er rival Ronnie Lott. "He's not about showboating, or who's getting the glory, or who's making the plays. To me, that's a person giving of himself.”

Three things missing for Talley is a victory over PSU, NFL HALL OF FAME and a title.

Agree it's past time and should be in the NFL Hall of fame.

Darryl Talley (1996) - WVU Sports Hall of Fame - West Virginia University Athletics

Darryl Talley, Class: 1982 Induction: 1996 Sport(s): Football - A 1982 consensus All-American, Darryl Talley became one of the most prolific tacklers in Mountaineer

wvusports.com

 

[Volatility]

Darryl Talley’s No. 90 to be Retired

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Im happy to hear Talley's jersey will be retired, good for him & his family. I wish him nothing but the loudest congratulations!

That said, Shane Lyons needs to do whatever he has to do to retire Pat White's jersey...

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

Im happy to hear Talley's jersey will be retired, good for him & his family. I wish him nothing but the loudest congratulations!

That said, Shane Lyons needs to do whatever he has to do to retire Pat White's jersey...

SINCE SHANE ALREADY HAS RETIRED HALF OF THE JERSEYS RETIRED I THINK HE'S WORKING ON IT. YOU CAN'T HANDLE OUT JERSEY NUMBER RETIREMENTS LIKE M&Ms OF THEY MEAN NOTHING. I'M HAPPY THAT DARYLL AND THE MAJOR, 2 OF THE SHINING STARS IN THE WVU FIRMAMENT, GOT IN. YOU'LL NOTICE IT TOOK THEM DECADES TO MAKE IT. SO PAT AND YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT. IT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY.

 

[WVUALLEN]

Im happy to hear Talley's jersey will be retired, good for him & his family. I wish him nothing but the loudest congratulations!

That said, Shane Lyons needs to do whatever he has to do to retire Pat White's jersey...

Pat White in order to have a jersey retired, he needs to be a consensus All-America selection (White wasn't) or a two-time All-America first team selection "as chosen by an accepted or primary organization (White wasn't) or the MVP of a national championship team (White wasn't)."

That stipulation is tougher than qualifying for the national College Football Hall of Fame.

Maybe sometime in the next few years, the WVU Athletic Council should make some changes in its retirement of a jersey and number policies.

 

[WVUALLEN]

SINCE SHANE ALREADY HAS RETIRED HALF OF THE JERSEYS RETIRED I THINK HE'S WORKING ON IT. YOU CAN'T HANDLE OUT JERSEY NUMBER RETIREMENTS LIKE M&Ms OF THEY MEAN NOTHING. I'M HAPPY THAT DARYLL AND THE MAJOR, 2 OF THE SHINING STARS IN THE WVU FIRMAMENT, GOT IN. YOU'LL NOTICE IT TOOK THEM DECADES TO MAKE IT. SO PAT AND YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT. IT WILL HAPPEN EVENTUALLY.

Not unless they make some changes. Cause right now White does not qualify.

 

[Volatility]

Pat White in order to have a jersey retired, he needs to be a consensus All-America selection (White wasn't) or a two-time All-America first team selection "as chosen by an accepted or primary organization (White wasn't) or the MVP of a national championship team (White wasn't)."

That stipulation is tougher than qualifying for the national College Football Hall of Fame.

Maybe sometime in the next few years, the WVU Athletic Council should make some changes in its retirement of a jersey and number policies.

They could simply add another "OR" : OR Be a primary contributing factor in 4 consecutive bowl victories OR Break NCAA records OR break WVU position records, OR Any of the other significant accomplishments of his during his career here at WVU.... Amendments should be made, no other player in the history of WVU did more for WVU & its brand, in their career while at WVU, than PW.

The media's bias towards SEC combined with its disliking of the BIg East is the reason he did not receive some of those AA selections. We should not allow those who dont care about WVU determine how WE pay tribute to generational type players. If there is any player who deserves to be an exception to the rule, its PW.

Not sure I like the retiring of the numbers tho, Id much rather have a ring of honor and keep our numbers intact..