GERRY BERTIER Football T.C. Williams 1972 the Captain of The
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GERRY BERTIER Football T.C. Williams 1972 The captain of the 1971 State Championship team, Gerry was a dominant defensive presence. He recorded a phenomenal 142 solo tackles and 42 quarterback sacks and earned First Team All-Region, First Team All-State and National Prep Player of the Year honors. Paralyzed in an automobile accident during the summer following his senior year at T.C. Williams, Gerry went on, under the guidance of Bill Yoast, his defensive coach at T.C. Williams, to be a National Champion Para-Olympic athlete. RODNEY BRIDGES Track and Field T.C. Williams 1989 A standout performer for the 1989 State Championship team, Rodney capped his brilliant high school career by winning the 100-meter dash in 10.51 seconds (a Virginia state record and T.C. Williams school record that stood until 2014) and the 200-meter dash in 21.47 seconds (a T.C. Williams school record that stood until 2013) at the State Championship meet. Rodney went on to excel in the sprints at George Mason University. KEITH BURNS Football T.C. Williams 1990 A three-sport star at T.C. Williams, Keith was named First Team All-Met, Northern Region Defensive Player of the Year and District Player of the Year for his performance on the gridiron his senior year. After high school, Keith made First Team All-America at Navarro College, and then played two seasons at Oklahoma State University, where he was an All-Big Eight pick each season. He went on to play 12 seasons for the Denver Broncos, with whom he won two Super Bowls and was honored with the 2002 Ed Block Courage Award given by each NFL team to the player most respected by his teammates. He also played for the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and coached for seven seasons in the NFL. TYNITA BUTTS Track and Field T.C. Williams 2009 Ranked first in the nation in the high jump and second in the long jump her senior year, Tynita was honored as The Washington Post’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year, as well as Gatorade Athlete of the Year. She was a two-time Virginia State Champion and two-time Penn Relays Champion in the jumping events. Tynita attended East Carolina University, where she was a five-time NCAA All-American in the high jump, a three-time NCAA All-American in the long jump and Conference USA Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She competed in the 2012 Olympic Trials in the high jump. ED DORAN Basketball Francis C. Hammond 1959 The leading scorer for the 1959 Admirals Northern District Championship team, Ed was named First Team All-State and First Team All-Met his senior year. Ed went on to star at Carson-Newman University. Following college, Ed returned to his native Alexandria, where he served the public schools as a teacher and guidance counselor for 30 years. STEVE DOUGLAS Baseball T.C. Williams 1975 A three-sport star in high school, Steve is generally recognized as the greatest baseball player ever produced at T.C. Williams. As a senior, he made First Team All-Met and First Team All-State in baseball. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft, Steve played in the Twins’ organization from 1975-82, advancing to the AAA level before his career was ended by injury. Steve ended his career with a lifetime .290 average, including the 1978 season where he hit a career best .343 with 19 home runs and 106 RBI in Class A. MICHELLE GRIGLIONE Swimming T.C. Williams 1986 A First Team All-Met swimmer, Michelle also excelled in the classroom. At T.C. Williams, she graduated second in her class, and then went on to study chemical engineering, earning her undergraduate degree at Stanford University and her Ph.D. at the University of Florida. At Stanford, Michelle was NCAA Champion in the 400-yard Individual Medley. A qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996, Michelle went on to medal in her specialties, the butterfly and individual medley, in numerous international competitions, including a gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1994 Goodwill games. CATHY GRIMES Basketball T.C. Williams 1981 While at T.C. Williams, Cathy was a four-year starter, MVP for three seasons and an Academic All- America her senior year. Cathy went on to star for the University of Virginia, where she received First Team All-ACC honors, was a finalist for National Player of the Year and NCAA Scholar Athlete of the Year. Cathy ended her career as UVA’s all-time leading scorer and was the first woman in UVA history to have her jersey retired. Cathy went on to earn her law degree from UVA and continued her involvement in athletics as a volunteer coach and mentor for young athletes. CHARLOTTE HOLLINGS Crew T.C. Williams 1982 A First Team All-Met rower at T.C. Williams, Charlotte rowed in boats that garnered three national championships as well as a Stotesbury Cup title. She continued to row competitively after high school, competing in five World Championships, including a gold medal in the women’s lightweight 4 in 1994. Charlotte has continued her involvement in the sport as a coach at T.C. Williams and also at the collegiate level, as director of the Florida Rowing Center and founder of Calm Waters Rowing Camp. WILLIAM “RED” JACKSON Football Parker-Gray 1948 A three-sport star at Parker-Gray, Red played collegiately at North Carolina A&T State University, where he was named to the Black College All-America Team in 1949 and 1950 and quarterbacked the Aggies to a Black College National Championship. He played professional baseball in the Negro League as well as professional football in the Canadian League. After his playing days, Red enjoyed a successful collegiate coaching career. SORI KANU Football T.C. Williams 1995 At T.C. Williams, Sori competed in indoor and outdoor track, but his passion was football, where he earned First Team All-State and First Team All-Met honors. Sori went on the play safety for four years at Michigan State University, followed by a professional career with the Detroit Lions. A first-generation American, Sori has consistently given back to the community as a volunteer youth coach and through his sponsorship of athletic camps in the Detroit area. EARL LLOYD Basketball Parker-Gray 1949 The driving force on the Parker-Gray “Dream Team” in the late ‘40’s, Earl went on to star at West Virginia State University, where he was named CIAA Player of the Decade for the 1940’s. Earl was the first African-American player in the NBA as a member of the Washington Capitols. Following a 10-year NBA career, including playing on the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals, Earl became the NBA’s first African-American coach with the Detroit Pistons . In recognition of his skill and barrier-breaking achievements, Earl is a member of the NBA Hall of Fame. WALTER “CHIP” LUBSEN Crew T.C. Williams 1971 As stroke of the Varsity 8 at T.C. Williams, Chip led the Titans’ crew in numerous state and national competitions, including the prestigious Royal Henley Regatta in London. Chip continued his rowing career at Cornell, then on the international stage. Chip was a member of three Olympic teams and was on the U.S. team that won a silver medal in the Heavyweight 8 at the 1984 Olympic Games. MIKE MANSY Track and Field T.C. Williams 1979 The first of a long line of outstanding T. C. Williams distance runners, Mike was undefeated in cross country his senior year, including a victory at the State Championship meet. He capped his high school career by winning the Outdoor State Championship in the mile with a time of 4:13.3. Mike went on to compete for East Tennessee State University, where he was a three-time First Team All-Southern Conference selection. JOHN O’CONNOR Baseball Francis C. Hammond 1970 A three-sport star at Hammond, John is the only player ever to be named First Team All-State in both football and baseball. He is also the only player to be honored by the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club as one of the top 100 players in Alexandria history in two sports. John went on play baseball at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, where he earned All-America honors, then at the University of Georgia. Drafted twice by the Washington Senators and once by the Baltimore Orioles, John elected to forgo a professional career and returned to Alexandria, where he became a successful independent State Farm Insurance agent. LaCHINA ROBINSON Basketball T.C. Williams 1998 A three-year starter at T.C. Williams, LaChina received All-Met recognition her junior and senior years. She went on to start all four years at Wake Forest and was named to the 1999 All-Freshman Team. LaChina went on to work with the basketball program at Georgia Tech and then as sports commentator for Fox Sports and ESPN. In 2009, she was the recipient of the Atlanta Dreams Women of Inspiration Award for her inspirational work in the community. TIERRA RUFFIN-PRATT Basketball T.C. Williams 2009 The most decorated player in T.C. Williams history, Tierra was named First Team All-America, the ninth ranked high school prospect in the nation, two-time Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, four-time All- Met (including two-time Player of the Year) and First Team All-State for two years.