ESPN's Lee Corso chases down ref in USFL thriller

Lee Corso suffered a minor stroke last week. ESPN announced that he is expected to make a full recovery and is expected back this fall for the college football season.

"This is just a small bump in the road," Corso said in a statement issued by ESPN. "A 'not so fast, my friend' in my game of life. I look forward to making a full recovery and returning to ESPN for my 23rd season analyzing the greatest sport in the world -- college football."

Every story, it seemed, that was written about Corso's stroke mentioned his work in Indiana, which I remember most about his coaching career. I didn't know that he also had stops at Louisville and Northern Illinois. He also played at Florida State. I assume, it wasn't under Bobby Bowden. (By the way, at FSU, he roomed with one Burt Reynolds.) What I didn't know, or maybe forgot, was that Corso spent one season, his final year of coaching, in the United States Football League with the Orlando Renegades in 1985. It was also the final year of the league. The Renegades were 5-13. (That's right, they played 18 games a season. Hmmm, isn't that what Roger Goodall is considering for the NFL?)

Anyway, here is the fleet-footed Corso, when the Renegades faced the Jacksonville Bulls. And I mean fleet-footed. Watch Corso (at about the 55 second mark of this clip) chase down the referee after a loss, his fifth in a row to start his USFL coaching career. The Renegades lost six to open the season before finally winning. In fact, today (June 1, 2009) marks the 24th anniversary of his penultimate win of his coaching career.

Enjoy the clip, and to Corso: Get well, my friend.