FAYETTEVILLE -- Encompassing Al Witte's life in roughly 500 words rivals instructing Michelangelo to limit painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling on a 3x5 card.
The distinguished University of Arkansas law professor, decorated World War II bombardier and NCAA president who died Wednesday lived 92 years too large for any column to encompass.
However, in just a few of Witte's own words, Denny Tune, one of Al's Liar's Poker pals, capsuled the Witte wit.
Witte was 91 before finally deferring to deteriorating health and moving from his home into a facility with medical care even while teaching a course this fall.
Visiting his friend, Tune knocked reticently on the door fearing Witte might be asleep or with company.
"I didn't want to bother you," Tune explained.
"Come in," Witte said. You're not bothering me -- yet."
Welcome to the Witte wit. The vast intellect and caustic comments challenged a full-time class load from 1957 through retirement in 1994. Later, he handled a reduced load for the best and brightest of UA law students plus six universities at which he served as a visiting professor.
The faculty advisor to athletics during most of Frank Broyles' athletic director tenure, Witte wielded major input moving the UA from the Southwest Conference to the SEC.
Witte had the lofty but "largely ceremonial" title of NCAA president from 1989-1991, he said.
Executive directors Walter Byers and then Dick Schultz wielded the power now held by Mark Emmert, the former University of Washington president.
Witte had little use for Emmert, whether for "shoot from the hip" in punishing Penn State minus what Witte believed was due process to delaying punishment until the following season to "let five Ohio State kids who were knowingly ineligible play against the Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl."
Witte's wit pierced the pompous and bedeviled the bureaucracy so rife in NCAA structure.
He recalled "going nuts" in dissent on a NCAA Council denying the eligibility of two athletes without algebra on their high school transcripts. The two were high school graduates of Boston Latin, established in 1635 and with Benjamin Franklin among the alums.
"Algebra was not on their high school resume because they had taken it in the eighth grade and they both got A's," Witte said. "But the rule says you have to have algebra on your high school transcript and they [the NCAA] say, 'We can't make an exception.' This is insanity. I hope it's better now."
Regarding the benefits that college athletes derive from their scholarships vs. the benefits universities derive from having them on scholarship, Witte said, "It's about time the pendulum swung. The financial ends of the universities were given preference over the benefits to the students routinely."
And whether he was representing the UA or sitting on NCAA committees, the NCAA's investigators and enforcement division often dreaded Witte's presence.
"I found their performance of their responsibilities to be below mediocrity," Witte said.
Unlike his friends, there were some that bothered Al Witte in no time at all.
Sports on 12/26/2015