Ashford and Smith enter College Football Hall of Fame

Volney C. Ashford, legendary Missouri Valley College football coach and MVC alumnus, was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.  He joined former Missouri Southern wide receiver Rod Smith.

From 1941-47, MVC reeled off a 41-game winning streak with Ashford at the helm. Ashford coached the Vikings for 34 years from 1937 to 1971. According to the research of the NCAA and the NAIA records, the MVC win streak ranks 5 ^th all-time for all divisions of college football.

Smith had the remarkable story of going into the NFL undrafted and becoming one of the top receivers of all-time that included two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos.   He caught 158 passes for 3,122 yards and 35 touchdowns in his career with the Lions.