We ran the option when I was in high school. We ran the Houston Veer. University of Houston ran it. We ran this offense in 1974. The offense had two running backs in T-Formation and we usually had a slotback. (I played defense).
And the idea of the veer, was that if you took the hand-off off-guard the running back was to veer to the outside where there theoretically should be running room. And since we were conference champions, and had some good linemen, there usually was running room outside, but the coaches kept hollering to one running back, "Veer Olson! Veer!"
One of our running backs was one of the top 2 running backs in the state, Tom Rusk, later to become an All Big Ten Conference linebacker who led the Big Ten in tackles as a sophomore. Only in part a tribute to Iowa's lackluster offense which left the defense on the field a lot. Tom was a helluva player, and rang my bell more than once but I never told him so until 35 years later, or he'd have had my lunch in practice. The other RB, Olson, who I miss to this day died in a lightening strike a few years after graduating from college.
