DUBUQUE, Iowa – The 1976 club football team, one of the best to step foot on the gridiron in program history, will be inducted into the Loras College Athletics Hall of Fame as a part of the 2025 Class this Friday, Oct. 3 inside the Alumni Campus Center.

The Duhawks brought home the only conference championship title in program history after posting an 8-2 overall record that included a 5-1 mark in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Phil LaMere, Claude Maddox, Greg Capell, Jeff Heissel, Jerry Ross, Dan Rigdon, Stan Siemionko, and Don McCormack, the eight All-Conference honorees on that team, helped the Purple and Gold outscore their opponents 293-103 with their record-setting offense.

"The Duhawk football team of '76 epitomized all those assets needed to achieve a winning program: leadership from upper classmen; a high-octane offense with a super-aggressive defense; and special teams that were indeed special," said LaMere, a running back and captain during the 1976 season. "The '76 team continued to build onto the winning culture that was begun by the preceding 70's teams."

The 1970's football alumni gave back to Loras after their time on the field as they were instrumental in the construction and financing of the Duhawk Plaza that is located in the southeast corner of the Rock Bowl.

"The plaza's central point is the statue of a hawk (Duhawk) landing with a football in its talons, thus signifying the 1970 return of football to the Loras campus," said Bob Bucko, head coach of the 1976 team. Today's players pat the football within the Duhawk's talons in passing as a symbol of their team pride and solidarity as they enter the Rock Bowl."

The 1976 club football team, whose success helped bring varsity football back to campus, is being inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside their head coach, Bucko.

Team members:

Stan Arachikavitz, Larry Backes, Charles Banks, Brad Bauer, Dan Blake, Pat Blake, Mike Burds, Greg Capell, Kurt Clodius, Dan Conley, Jim Cox, Tom Cronin, Chris DiLulio, Dale Diskin, Jack Dolehide, John Frankovich, Don Gibson, Clark Glover, Terry Hayes, Jeff Heissel, Bob Hendricks, Jim Hingtgen, Jeff Hogan, Steve Jarik, Art Kalousek, Kevin Kearney, Charles Kelly, Chip Kurt, Phil LaMere, Tim LeFevour, Mike Lyons, Claude Maddox, Don McCormack, Tom McMahon, Antonio McMullen, Greg Meyer, Jim Mithen, Dan O'Donoghue, Bill Phillips, Jim Quigley, Pat Reardon, Chuck Reilly, Dan Rigdon, Jerry Ross, Rick Ross, Mike Ryan, Tim Ryan, Rob Santucci, Jack Sebesta, Willy Seidelmann, Stan Siemionko, Dan Simon, Ken Tritz, Kevin Williams, Wayne Wuebker
 
Head Coach: Bob Bucko
Assistant Coaches: Vince Coyle, Jim Seville, Tom Holt, Earl Crutchfield, Tony Topf
Captains: Phil LaMere, Jerry Ross, Tim LeFevour