NEW YORK -- For most of the internet generation, Ahmad Rashad is known mostly for his broadcasting career with NBC, notably as host of NBA Inside Stuff as well as a sideline reporter. But before Rashad brought us interviews with Michael Jordan during the 1990s, he had a pretty impressive football career in college and the pros in the '70s and '80s.

He played two positions (running back and wide receiver) at the University of Oregon and was an All-American his senior year in 1971. Then he became the first offensive player taken in the '72 NFL Draft and enjoyed 14 pro seasons and ranked 10th all-time in receiving upon his retirement.

Rashad, along with Joe Paterno and 12 others, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in roughly three hours. I caught up with him a little while ago here at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan.

What stands out from you're career at Oregon?

"Maybe the first day on campus. When I was recruited they kept telling I was going to be the tailback on the team. You're our tailback. I think the first day I met with the rest of my teammates, I met nine other tailbacks. I remember that and that was kind of funny."

You said earlier at the press conference that your kids didn't know you were a football player. Is that really true?

"My kids don't. And they're old. I have four. My youngest is 21. She never saw me play football. She has seen me do basketball her entire life. She didn't know anything about football. There are no trophies around my house or anything. She was surprised to find that out."

A lot of people my age (21) would be surprised. I knew you played but...

"You didn't know I was that good, though. (Yeah) See, now I don't have to walk around telling people how good I was."

When you're in NBA circles, do the young guys know you played football?

"They don't know. Their parents know. They'll come up to me and say, 'My mom told me you're a great player. My dad said he used to watch you play.' At least I'm still around to hear it."

How did you get into basketball broadcasting?

"I was a broadcaster. So I could do any sport. So it wasn't like I was specialized in anything. I did football and I just ended up doing more basketball than anything else."

Do you ever get annoyed the younger generation doesn't remember your football career?

"It's never an annoyance. I'm too far down the road to think about that."

What are you doing now?

"I do NBA Access, it's on ABC on the weekends, and on NBA Network, we do another show, its called Tuesday Nights, which runs during the season. So those are the things that I'm involved with these days."

Which one of your fellow inductees is your main man?
"They're all my main men. It's that kind of day."

I'll have another session with Doug Flutie, who is also being inducted, a little later on.

--- Corey