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Jeffrey J. Abrams, M.D.
A graduate of the University of Buffalo, Dr. Abrams has practiced
internal medicine and endocrinology in San Diego for two decades.
Besides dedicating his time and talent to the National Football
Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Walter J. Zable Chapter
for the past five years, he has been a member of the board
of trustees of the Make a Wish Foundation for 12 years. His
interests include attending college football games to watch
his two placekicker sons on scholarship at Stanford University
and the University of Southern California. His son, Eric,
a La Jolla Country Day and Stanford graduate, is the university's
all-time scoring leader.
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Dennis A. Ackerman
One of the newest board members, Dennis is California Interscholastic
Federations, San Diego Section, Assistant Commissioner and
a graduate of San Diego State University. He is a member of
the national Association of Sports Officials, Southern Municipal
Athletic Federation, California Parks and Recreation Society
and a collegiate basketball official. Dennis has been working
with youth in sports for 20 years and is the recipient of
an honorary service award from the San Diego Unified School
District Parent-Teacher Association.
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Bob Babich
President
A financial and insurance consultant, and past president of
the National Football League Alumni, San Diego chapter, Bob
was a first round draft choice of the National Football League
San Diego Chargers in 1979. He was a three-letter lineman
at Miami University of Ohio where he earned a teaching degree.
He was All-American in 1967 and 1968, and Mid American Conference
1968 defensive player of the year, and first-team member for
two years. At Miami University, he was named Most Valuable
Player in 1967 and 1968, and Athlete of the Year in 1968 and
1969. Named winner of the Butkus Award in 1993, he has been
inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Hall
of Fame at Miami University. Bob has been a board member for
12 years.
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George Bralla
As president of the highly successful Powerhouse Exhibits,
which was founded in 1956 and is one of the largest businesses
of its kind in San Diego, George has been on the NFF&CHF,
San Diego Chapter board for five years. After graduating from
Poway High School, he graduated from the University of Notre
Dame with a degree in engineering. George is a member of the
Notre Dame Club of San Diego and San Diego Chamber of Commerce,
where he serves on several volunteer community committees.
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Steven R. Brand
A new addition to the board, Steven is a renowned and respected
sportswriter with the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has covered
prep sports in San Diego for more than three decades and is
considered an expert on San Diego highschool sports. A graduate
of California State - Los Angeles, he is general chairman
and officials chairman of U.S. Swimming, San Diego-Imperial
chapter, and has officiated at seven national championships.
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Allen C. Brown, Esq.
Secretary & Treasurer
An attorney in private practice who has been on the board
since 1971, he is an officer of the El Cajon Rotary Club and
director of that city's Chamber of Commerce. He was an All-CIF
quarterback who led the Ramona High School football team to
its only CIF championship. He earned eight letters at California
Western University in San Diego, where he played quarterback
on the football team and was a standout in tennis. He takes
a special interest in youth development.
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George C. Brown, Jr., M.D.
A physician and surgeon, Dr. Brown has been on the board
almost two decades. He earned three varsity football letters
playing guard and linebacker while at the University of Southern
California and also earned a track-and-field letter at USC.
He was an All-American football lineman at both the U.S. Naval
Academy where he earned three letters and San Diego State
College where he earned one letter. Dr. Brown has been inducted
into the College Football Hall of Fame.
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William "Bill" Christopher
A new addition to the board and a retired high school teacher
and coach, Bill won four football letters playing center at
San Diego State University and the University of California-Riverside,
where he was named Outstanding Offensive Lineman. He is a
member of the National Football Coaches Association and Southern
California High School Football Coaches Association. Both
the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune named him
San Diego County Coach of the Year. As head football coach
at Rancho Bernardo High School, he guided his teams to two
CIF championships.
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Chet DeVore
A 10-year member of the board, and retired president and superintendent
of Southwestern College, Chet earned two varsity letters playing
end at Chaffey Junior College before attending San Diego State
University. He has been inducted into the Chula Vista High
School Hall of Fame, California Community College Hall of
Fame and Chaffey Junior College Hall of Fame. He is commissioner
of the Pacific Coast Conference, has been a high school and
college football and basketball official, and a member of
the Kiwanis Club for 35 years.
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Carole Eigner
Carole is our chapter's first woman director. She brings more
than nine years of Football Foundation local chapter experience
with her. She was the unit's co-awards banquet chairperson
for the past five years. Aside from her Football Foundation
work, she is a Public Relations and Advertising Coordinator
at Cubic Corporation here in San Diego. Carole lists her favorite
college football team as the 1997 number one ranked Michigan
Wolverines. She has lived in San Diego County for 17 years
and calls Escondido her home.
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Brian Fogarty
Brian has been a director for more than a dozen years and
an associate Director of Athletics for Development at the
University of San Diego. He graduated from California State
University-Los Angeles, where he earned three letters playing
offensive lineman on the football team before launching a
career in athletic administration. Brian was head football
coach at San Diego University for 15 years, and is a member
of the American Football Coaches Association and the San Diego
International Sports Association. In 1997, the chapter selection
committee named him Meritorious Football Coach of the Year.
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Alan E. "Spike" Harvey
A 10-year board member who operates a leading floor-covering
and ceramic-tile contracting firm, Spike earned two high school
varsity letters each in baseball and as a guard. Injuries
curtailed a football career at Palomar College and San Jose
State College, where he graduated. He was the 1964 singles
bowling champion while serving with the U.S. Army in Hawaii
and was a member of the U.S. Army All-Star baseball team in
1964-65. He is a former member of the Lion's International
and was a Vista little league manager, coach and umpire for
five years. Spike is a member and former director of the Vista
Chamber of Commerce and Santa Margarita YMCA.
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Steve Haynes
Steven has been a board
member since 2000, after serving several years with the
chapter's support group. He is founder and president of
Athletes for Education, an orgainzation of professional
athletes, entertainers, elected officials and community
leaders. Under Haynes' leadership, the organization coordinates
special events and raises funds for local youth groups.
While earnings degrees in Pychology and Physical Therapy
from Norfolk State University and Eastern Virginia Medical,
he was also a standout football player. A member of the
Los Angeles Rams and Express football teams, when an injury
cut short his pro football career. He has hosted two health
and fitness TV shows on network affiliates aside from owning
a physical therapy business.
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Barry R. Humphrey
University of California, San Diego development director and
a board member since 1994. He played right guard on his high
school football team as well as earning two varsity letters
in swimming. He received his bachelor's degree at Fresno State
College and a master's at California State University-Northridge.
He is a member of the Downtown San Diego Rotary Club and a
director of the San Diego High School Athletics Foundation.
Barry was also executive director of the San Diego Hall of
Champions for several years.
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Don Macek
A director since 1994, Don won three varsity letters as a
center at Boston College before being drafted by the San Diego
Chargers, where he played for 14 years and made two Pro-Bowl
appearances. He was named to the New Hampshire all-state high
school football team for three years, was Athlete of the year
in 1982, and was named to the All-East college all-stars for
two years. He has played in the East-West Shrine Game, the
Hula Bowl and College All-Star Game. Don has been inducted
into the Boston College Hall of Fame. Several businesses in
San Diego are owned and operated by him.
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Kevin McGarry
A new board member and football coach, Kevin was awarded four
varsity letters playing defensive back and wide receiver at
Saddleback Junior College, where he was named team MVP, and
at the University of San Diego, where he was cited as Defensive
Player of the year. He also earned two letters in baseball.
Kevin is now head football coach at the University of San
Diego and a member of the American Football Coaches Association.
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Dennis McKnight
A successful business-owner and football coach at the University
of Hawaii, he has been on the board since 1994. Dennis earned
four varsity letters as an offensive lineman at Drake University,
where he was named MVP for two years, most inspirational player
for two years, captain for two years and won All-American
honorable mention. He was an offensive lineman in the National
Football League for 10 years with both the San Diego Chargers
and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a sports-radio personality
on XTRA radio in San Diego.
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Mark Allen Osman, Esq.
Mark has been a member of the board for four years, and is
an attorney in private practice who played quarterback at
his alma mater, Boston College. He earned three additional
varsity letters in basketball and also made the dean's list
for eight consecutive semesters. Mark is on the permanent
committee of the Lawyers Referral Service, and a member of
the various bar associations, including the Association of
Business Trial Lawyers and Consumer's Attorneys of San Diego.
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Jerry Ralph
Jerry, is the head football coach at Santana High School,
was elected to the chapter's board of directors in 1997. Ralph,
who also teaches math, was an outstanding high school football
player and scholar in high school and college. In 1980, he
was selected by the chapter as a scholar-leader-athlete from
the then City Conference. At 5'9" and 170 pounds, he
played offensive guard and defensive tackle for Coach Dan
Ramos at University High School. He was named all-league that
year and elected the team's most valuable player. He also
carried a 3.47 grade point average to the University of San
Diego, where he played football on the Toreros offensive line.
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Mike Riley
Mike was elected
to this chapters board of diredtors in 1999 after joining
the San Diego Chargers as head football coach. He brings an
outstanding football coaching record to san Diego, having
made Oregon State beaver football program into a PAC-10 powerhouse
after many years of average play. His more than 24-year football
coaching experience was also visible at USC where he was an
assistant. As a coach at the professional level, he guided
his teams in the Canadian and World Football League with championship
success.A student-athlete himself, Riley earned a football
scholarship at the University of Alabama under Coach bear
bryant. he led the Crimson tide to four SEC titles and a national
crown. He graduated from his alma matter with a bachelors
degree in social science.
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John
Rozar
A board member
since 1998, John is a financial officer for Scripps Clinic.
He is a 1980 graduate of Morse High School, where he was an
All-Eastern league player in football. He continued his education
at Mesa College where he also played linebacker for two seasons.
John earned a scholarship to San Jose State University and
played linebacker there for two years. He graduated from San
Jose in 1988 with a B.S. degree in finance.
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Brian
Sexton
A San Diego native
and University City High School graduate, was elected to the
Walter J. Zable/San Diego Chapter Board of Directors in 1997.
While in high school, Sexton lettered in football, baseball
and basketball for the Centurions. He earned a bachelor of
arts degree in economics from Saint Mary's College in Moraga,
California in 1991, where he was a four-year starter at wide
receiver on the school's football team. During his four years,
the team had a 31-10 record. The team went 10-0 in his sophomore
year. Sexton is Saint Mary's second best all-time receiver.
He was named the team's outstanding receiver in his junior
and senior years. Currently, he is a financial consultant
with Merrill Lynch in La Jolla. He is single and enjoys sports,
particularly golf.
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Stephen C. Smith
A board member since 1995, he is a graduate of San Diego State
University. He played on CIF championship golf teams at San
Marcos High School in Santa Barbara in 1980, '81 and '82.
He is assistant manager of the San Diego Padres professional
baseball club's Compadres Program and is a former secretary
of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.
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John D. Shacklett
A San Diego board member
since 2000 when he was elected as a director. Primarily
a teacher, he has taught at the high school and university
level in san diego since 1964. He is coordinator for athletics
for City of San Diego, Head Football Coach, and athletic
director at Morse High and president, California Coaches
Association. He is also a board member of the Hall of Champions:
president, Pop Warner Council: past president of the High
School Sprots Association of san Diego and former coach
of bobby sox Softball. An author and lecturer, he has written
more than 12 books and articles while delivering 9 major
talks in the field of education. Shacklett, however, is
best known as a high school head football coach. His record
in san Diego is 233 wins, 92 losses and 9 ties. His Morse
Tigers have won eighteen Estern League titles and five CIF
championships. He has botha masters and bachelors degree.
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Ted Tollner
A board member since 1995, Ted is the
head football coach at San Diego State University. He earned
three letters in both baseball and football, where he played
quarterback before graduation from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
He was named PAC 10 Coach of the Year in 1984 while at the
University of Southern California, and Region 5 Coach of the
Year in 1995 at San Diego State. He has been inducted into
the Cal Poly Hall of Fame. In 1998, Ted was selected WAC (Pacific
Mountain Division) football coach of the year. That same season,
the NFF San Diego Chapter picked him as their coach of the
year.
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Walter
J. Zable
Vice President
Walter has been on the board, which he co-founded with past-president
Bill Mast, since its inception 25 years ago. He is chairman
and chief executive officer of Cubic Corp. He attended the
College of William and Mary, where he was named to the All-South
Atlantic first team, receiving All-American honorable mention
in football. He was the Southern Conference low-hurdle champion
before going on to play semi-pro football with the Richmond
Arrows. In 1962, Sports Illustrated named Walter Zable to
its Silver Anniversary All-American football team. He is enshrined
in the William and Mary Hall of Fame and the College Football
Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. He has also been the
recipient of the prestigious NCAA Teddy Roosevelt Award and
the national Management Association's Golden Knight Award.
In 1975, Walter was named San Diego's Man of the Year.
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