Special Season: 1985 National Champions Gather for 40th Reunion

Written by Doug Goodnough

When the 1985 Hillsdale Chargers took to the football field, Kurt Norman, ’86, knew the season was going to be special.

Despite a 1984 team that finished 6-4, he said the returning senior class had this calm confidence that great things were ahead.

“There was not one person on that team who was a solo player,” said Norman, an outside linebacker who earned NAIA All-American honors on one of the top defenses in program history. “We were united, and everybody celebrated every little victory we had together.”

That season, the Chargers celebrated 11 victories. Ironically, the biggest celebration did not come after a win, but a tie. In what now has become part of Chargers Football lore, Hillsdale and Central Arkansas battled to a 10-10 tie in the NAIA Championship game.

“We were in control of the game,” Norman recalled. “It was a tough game, and we were getting some big plays. But it just sort of ended the way it ended.”

After regulation time expired, coaches from both teams met to decide how to proceed. The decision: End the game in a tie.

“It was the right decision to settle for the tie,” Norman said. “When I look at it long-term, sometimes I think maybe we should have played it out. But it was the right call. It was a national championship. That’s why we’re here together today.”

Norman was referring to the large contingent of teammates who returned to Hillsdale during Homecoming Weekend 2025 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that national championship team.

On a team of stars, Norman was one of the brightest. The imposing 6-foot-2, 235-pound outside linebacker was a menace to opposing quarterbacks all season. In fact, he recorded an astounding 29 quarterback sacks that season and finished with 47 for his career, both of which remain program records.

He was not alone, though. That Chargers defensive front put up numbers that will probably never be matched. Defensive lineman Al Huge had 19 sacks, and linemates Tim Green and Chris Winowich added 14 and 12, respectively. If an opposing offense did manage to cross the line of scrimmage, there awaited linebacker Dennis Susa, who recorded 162 tackles, and All-American defensive back Jeff Hubert, who intercepted seven passes.

“What made our defense special is practice,” said Norman, who is now retired after a career as a senior marketing director at PepsiCo. “Every practice we had was like a game. [Defensive Coordinator] Dave Dye was conscious about the way we practiced.”

The offense was led by senior quarterback Mike Gatt, ’86. The cerebral signal caller threw for 2,664 yards and 25 touchdowns during that magical season. Most of those passes went to senior receivers Dave Mifsud, ’86, and Jeff Lantis, ’86, who joined Gatt as NAIA Academic All-Americans.

Jeff Gatt, ’87, Mike’s younger brother and a starting running back on that team, had a bittersweet year. He and Mike both started the season in the same backfield until Jeff sustained a serious ankle injury during an early October game against Wayne State. He was out most of the regular season, but did return for part of the championship run, catching a key pass in a spectacular come-from-behind 24-21 win against Mesa (Colorado) in the semifinals.

“I did everything I could to get back on the field,” said Jeff, who now resides in Tampa, Florida. “We were not the most talented team. A lot of teams we played were way more talented than us. We just happened to have that unique combination of outstanding coaching and a real togetherness that separates good from great teams. It was very humbling to be a part of that group.”

One person missing from the reunion was former Head Coach Dick Lowry, who passed away in October 2024.

“Coach Lowry had a major influence on me,” Norman said. “I just felt a really good vibe with him. [The coaches] cared about you. They not only cared about what you did on the field, they cared about what you did in the classroom and in your life.”

That influence remains, even four decades after the players walked off the Muddy Waters Stadium turf for the last time.

“You get goose bumps when you are driving here and you get a little closer to the campus,” Norman said of Hillsdale. “It’s all about the people. There are only two things in life that matter: those you influence and those who influence you. And I can tell you, every single player on that 1985 team has influenced me in a major way.”

1985: A Season for the Ages (11-1-1)

• Regular Season

Hillsdale 21, Wisconsin-Whitewater 7

Hillsdale 23, Ashland 7

Saginaw Valley State 28, Hillsdale 17

Hillsdale 25, Wayne State 0

Hillsdale 24, Ferris State 15

Hillsdale 21, Grand Valley 14

Hillsdale 42, Kentucky State 0

Hillsdale 52, Michigan Tech 6

Hillsdale 30, Northwood 0

Hillsdale 16, Central State 6

• NAIA Playoffs

Hillsdale 47, Salem 3

Hillsdale 24, Mesa 21 (overtime)

• National Championship Game

Hillsdale 10, Central Arkansas 10

Doug Goodnough, '90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.

Reposted from the spring 2026 issue of Arete.

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