Vol. 8, No. 2 // Spring 2014 CHAPTER CELEBRATES 10th YEAR; JUNE 25 HONORS DINNER TO FOCUS ON COMMUNITY SERVICE Ten years of celebrating our legends … ten years of providing scholarships for students … ten years of fund-raising for charities. That’s what the National Football Founda- tion’s Joe Tiller Chapter of Northwest Indiana is commemorating in 2014 as it prepares for its biggest event of the year, the NFF Honors Din- ner “Celebrating Our Legends X” on Wednes- day, June 25, at the Purdue Memorial Union Ballrooms in West Lafayette. AWARD WINNERS: Cliff Avril, Rob Henry, Linda Rohrman and Joe Rudolph HONORS DINNER Highlighting the awards ceremony at this year’s marquee event will be the induction of school player Jack Folkers. BUTZ ELECTED TO three gentlemen into the Indiana Football Hall • The “He Played Football” Award to a for- of Fame. They are former Purdue Heisman Tro- mer football player from this region who COLLEGE FB phy runner-up Leroy Keyes, former Super Bowl has gone on to have exceptional success in champion and Boilermaker star Mike Alstott a career away from football. HALL OF FAME and long-time high school coaching great Tim Former Purdue All-America defensive Roth of Winamac. There will also be a special presentation tackle Dave Butz has been elected to the Col- This year’s dinner will also feature the pre- involving major league pitcher Clayton Richard, lege Football Hall of Fame. sentation of the following awards: who is a McCutcheon High School grad and former football and baseball star for the Maver- The Football Bowl Subdivision Class of 2014 was announced today in Irving, Texas, • Drew Brees Mental Toughness Award icks. He went on to the University of Michigan and includes 14 players and two coaches. The to former Purdue defensive end Cliff before starting his pro baseball career with the class was chosen from a national ballot of 75 Avril of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Chicago White Sox and most recently the San All-America players and six elite coaches from Seahawks; Diego Padres. Clayton resides in Lafayette, the Football Bowl Subdivision and 87 players • Bernie Flowers Award for Outstanding where he is very active in community service, and 26 coaches from the divisional ranks. Contribution to Amateur Football to and is home this spring rehabilitating from off- Butz, who played for head coach Bob DeM- Lafayette resident Linda Rohrman; season surgery. oss from 1970 to 1972, is the 15th Boilermaker • The Legends Award to Joe Rudolph, the For the 10th straight year, the top scholar- (10 players and five coaches) to be chosen for long-time executive director of the Purdue athletes of Northwest Indiana, who were college football’s ultimate shrine. Butz is the Alumni Association; nominated by their schools for the NFF’s fourth Purdue player to be elected in the last • The Citizenship Award to former Purdue scholarships, will be featured during the annual nine years, following quarterback Mike Phipps quarterback Rob Henry, Honors Dinner at the Union. in 2006, quarterback Mark Herrmann in 2010 • The Courage Award to West Lafayette high Those 22 scholar-athletes are all high school seniors who are headed to college next fall. and halfback Otis Armstrong in 2012. Academically, it is an outstanding group. Butz and Armstrong were teammates at Twelve of the 22 have 4.0 grade point averages Purdue. or better, six are ranked among the top five in “This is indeed a great honor,” Butz said. their senior classes, and three are on course to “There are a lot of great ball players in the be valedictorians at their schools. College Football Hall of Fame, and I am very Eight of those young men have been singled pleased to be a part of it. I had an outstanding out by judges as finalists for the Scholar-Athlete group of teammates at Purdue, and I’m very of the Year Award and the winner will be an- happy to represent them and the university.” nounced that evening making him a candidate Over the course of his collegiate career, for the Indiana Scholar-Athlete of the Year the 6-foot-7, 280-pound Butz became widely Award. The “competition” is based 40 percent regarded as the best defensive lineman in the on academics, 40 percent on athletics and 20 country. He was a consensus All-American percent on citizenship, leadership and charac- as a senior, the recipient of the Zipp Award ter. as college football’s outstanding player and The scholar-athletes’ names and high schools a finalist for the Lombardi Award (presented CLAYTON RICHARD - Major League pitcher who are: Ryan Ball (North White), Nicholas Bokun to the best lineman or linebacker). His career played football at McCutcheon Continued on pg. 4 Continue on pg. 2 GOLF OUTING: Ryan Kerrigan with his grandfather Vince and brother Kyle help- DODGEBALL: A colorful way to raise funds by a student organization .. Thanks ing to raise money for scholarships. Thanks, Ryan! Purdue Gold Standard! DODGEBALL & GOLF RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS Fundraising for the chapter’s scholarship of the funds will go for scholarships – the 12th and silent auction during that event and also commitments started with a student-oriented Boiler Fund in the John Purdue Club, helping engages in selling sponsorships and program Color Dodgeball Tournament April 12 at to endow a Purdue football scholarship, and the advertising. And, of course, contributions to Purdue’s Horticulture Park, and continued NFF Scholarship Fund for high school seniors. the 501 c-3 foundation are also encouraged and May 9 with the Ryan Kerrigan/12th Boiler Golf The fundraising continues with the NFF appreciated. Outing at Purdue’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Honors Dinner as the chapter stages a raffle Complex. NFF Advisory Board & Committee Members for 2013-14 The dodgeball event was staged by a student - President - organization, Purdue Gold Standard, which has Bart Burrell also helped to provide personnel for other NFF- - Board of Directors - related events. Treasurer - Jeff Love; Tiller District Membership Chair - Kelly Kitchel; Lake Michigan District Membership Chair - John Friend; Collegiate Program Chair - Tom Schott; Scholar-Athlete Program Chair - Randy Truitt; Youth Football Program Sponsoring the golf scramble was the Tiller Chair - David M. Williams; Dream Season Chair - Chris Oppy; Events Chair - Nate Barrett; Communications - Alan Kar- Chapter of the NFF and Purdue’s Trademarks pick; At-Large - Joe Bennett, Orlando Itin, Bob Hagen, David McGaughey, Brad Smith, Jon Speaker, David R. Williams Licensing Office. It featured former Purdue - Additional Committee Members - All-American Ryan Kerrigan, now a defensive Drew Brees, Jordon Bruner, Aaron Cook, Lane Custer, Sandra Dukes, Joe Gord, Dwayne Greer, Mark Hoffman, Andy Hosier, David Huckleberry, Rob Hughes, Leroy Keyes, Brooke Kitchel, Noble Kizer, Tom Kubat, Jim MacDonald, Glenn standout with the NFL’s Washington Redskins. Marini, Leroy Marsh, Craig Meinhart, Denny Miller, Kyle Newman, Jim Priest, Levi Riggs, Cindy Robertson, Tim Roth, Many of the participants in the golf outing John Sautter, Adam Scott, Janet Schweiker, Jim and Barb Siegfried, Phil Steele, Calvin Williams, David Wilson, George were vendors, retailers and licensees of Purdue Wodicka - Interns - University, along with several NFF chapter Mike Asem, Travis Baugh, Alex Hegg, Clay Oppy, Ryan Spesard and members of Purdue Gold Standard members. Once all the bills are paid, it is - Chapter Director - - Sales Managers - expected that these two events (dodgeball and Jim Vruggink Dana Smith and Travis Baugh golf) will have cleared nearly $5,000, with some - Newsletter Designer - - Webmasters - of the proceeds going to the Purdue Center for Jonathan Gandolf Jon Goldsberry and Clay Oppy Contact Us - Cancer Research and Dream Season while most Phone at 765-427-3303, Email at [email protected], or Postal at NFF, 3672 Farnsworth Dr., W. Lafayette, IN 47906 BUTZ - FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK BECAME 16-YEAR PRO Continued from pg. 1 Butz earned the reputation as the NFL’s up in recognizing statistics included 108 tackles, 21 tackles for ironman, missing merely four games over the our greatest play- loss and eight pass breakups. Butz was named course of his career that included 216 contests. ers. This is a great Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Senior Butz was named NFL Defensive Player of the accomplishment for Bowl and also played in the East-West Shrine Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl after Dave Butz and all Game. In 1987, Butz was chosen to Purdue’s recording a career-high 11 sacks in 1983. Boilermakers.” All-Time Team spanning its first 100 years of Butz played in three Super Bowls with The Class football, and he was inducted into the Purdue Washington: XVII, XVIII, and XXII. of 2014 will be Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. “We are excited for Dave and look forward inducted at the 57th He is enshrined in the Senior Bowl Hall of to his upcoming induction into the College NFF Annual Awards Fame, as well. Football Hall of Fame,” said Bart Burrell, Hall of Fame inductee Dave Dinner on Dec. 9 at Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the president of the National Football Foundation’s Butz the Waldorf-Astoria first round (No. 5 overall) of the 1973 NFL Joe Tiller Chapter of Northwest Indiana. “We in New York City. Draft, Butz enjoyed a 16-year professional also are thrilled to know that all the hard work The inductees also will be honored at the Na- career with the Cardinals (1973-74) and Wash- of starting and sustaining our NFF chapter is tional Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar ington Redskins (1975-88). He was named to accomplishing what we had hoped it would do, Bowl in New Orleans on Jan.