BOULDER — Proclaiming to be “a Clint Hurdle backer,” Colorado football coach Dan Hawkins walked into his weekly media luncheon earlier today wearing a solid purple Rockies polo-style shirt.
“I was jacked,” Hawkins said of the Rockies reaching postseason play for the first time since 1995.
Hawkins admitted that he did not see the Rockies’ 13th inning rally Monday night that completed a 9-8 victory over San Diego in the play-in game. Hawkins had fallen asleep.
“My son (Drew) came in and woke me up saying, ‘Mom told me to wake you up, you’d want to know,'” Hawkins explained.
Hawkins said he has talked to his team about the Rockies and likely will do so again. Colorado (3-2, 1-0 Big 12) comes off a 27-24 upset of then-No. 3 Oklahoma. The Buffaloes play Saturday night at Baylor (3-2, 0-1).
“I think what the Rockies have done it speaks to the guys they have on their team. And how Clint Hurdle is,” Hawkins said. “Everybody wanted to run him out of town at the start of the season. But it’s pretty amazing what they’ve put together.
“They’re guys just show up, put their hard hat on every day and go to work.”
Hawkins and Hurdle became friends while participating at various sports functions.
“We’ve traded a lot of phone calls,” Hawkins said. “It’s hard for me to get a hold of him and him to get a hold of me. We try to pound a little philosophy into each other.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
