It didn't take long for then-freshman linebacker Joe Kelly to notice something different about his fellow University of Washington teammate, senior defensive back Ray Horton.

In the midst of the chaos of this specific college football game, Kelly not only was impressed by the calm demeanor of Horton, but also by how his audience included the coaching staff.

""We were in a timeout and the coaches are talking, and then they ask Ray what he thinks and what we should run," said Kelly, who also was a teammate of Horton as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I'd never seen a coach listen to a player. As a linebacker, I knew what I had to do, but Ray not only knew what he was supposed to do, but he knew what every other player was responsible for on the defense."