John Brodie former 49ers Quarterback to be inducted into African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame
OAKLAND – San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback John Brodie, as well as seven other retired athletes and coaches, will be inducted into The African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (AAESHF) on Friday, March 19, 2010. The event, the AAESHF’s Annual Bay Area Induction Ceremony, will be held at The Temple on the Hill Theater (Mormon Temple), 4620 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland 94602.
The event will begin with a VIP Reception with the Stars at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7, and an induction ceremony at 8. KISS-FM’s (98.1 FM) Renel will serve as the evening’s Mistress of Ceremonies.
Born, raised, and educated in the Bay Area, John Brodie was an All-American in 1956, his senior year at Stanford University, and then immediately drafted by the 49ers. He also had a second career as a Senior PGA Tour professional golfer.
Other inductees include:
- Pat Winslow Connolly, a three-time track and field Olympian during the 1960s, and the Big South Conference’s 2001 Outdoor Women’s Coach of the Year.
- Ben Parks, a high-school coach who has dedicated more than 42 years of his life to challenged high-school students, and who has served as a role model to former professionals including Roger Craig, Eric Davis, Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice.
- Lloyd “Bud” Winter, the former San José State College track and field coach whose relaxation and sprinting techniques have stood the test of time. Winter coached some of the fastest men in the world, including Ray Norton and Bob Poynter during the 1950s, and 1968 Olympians John Carlos and Tommie Smith.
Honorees include:
- Bob Ladouceur guided Concord’s De La Salle High School’s football team to 12-consecutive undefeated seasons, setting a national winning streak record for high school football with 151 consecutive wins between 1992 and 2003. He will receive the Outstanding Coaching Achievement Award.
- C.A. Robinson, a former Richmond California Police Officer who founded the Police Activities League (PAL) in the City of Richmond, will receive the Youth Advocate Award. The complete list of inductees and honorees will be announced on January 20 on the AAESHF’s website: www.afrosportshall.com.
“This event will allow us to recapture, remember and honor some of the greatest athletes [and community leaders] ever … And help make dreams come true for academic achievers,” former 49ers great R. C. Owens said.
The AAESHOF, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, honoring sports legends, drawing attention to their struggles for achievement and recognition. With funds raised at their induction ceremonies, the AAESHF develops education and life experience opportunities for disadvantaged youth to gain exposure to positive aspects of life. “Like the lighthouse that guides ships ashore, we are a guiding light into the past, illuminating athletes who pioneered the way to the future,” said Arif Khatib, founder and President of the AAESHF.
This is the hall’s major after-school youth intervention fund-raiser for students to attend life skills seminars/workshops. It helps students from economically challenged backgrounds improve their education through the hall’s “Academic Achievers Award Program.”
It is sponsored in part by Ethiopian Airlines, Amtrak, Wells Fargo, and Comcast. Tickets are $50.00, $100, $125.00 and can be purchased at the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame’s website http://www.afrosportshall.com. For more ticket and sponsorship information contact: Noel Hayes noel8653@sbcglobal.net, Arif Khatib, afrosportshall@aol.com or 510-452-2693.
