At the banquet, Carl Heisler (left) and Tim Schauermann, a FGHS football teammate who nominated him for the Hall of Fame. Photo provided by Kathy Heisler and edited by Wildcatville.
Linfielders Carl Heisler (as an athlete) and the late Jeff Durham (honoring his time as coach) were among the seven first inductees of the Forest Grove, Ore., High School Hall of Fame. They were honored during a Sept. 11, 2010, banquet in Forest Grove. Their citations (with some editing by Wildcatville):
CARL HEISLER (Class of 1961) Football, Basketball, Baseball - Carl was an outstanding three sport athlete. In 1960 football, he led the state in yards gained and touchdowns and was named the TYV Scholar-Athlete of the year. He went on to be a four year starter at Linfield College in football. Carl is an outstanding community leader who officiates basketball and football as well and was an instrumental committee member responsible for construction of Forest Grove's Dick Hendricks Stadium, home of Jeff Durham Field.
JEFF DURHAM (Coach) - Head football coach from 1968-1979. Jeff won an unprecedented seven consecutive league championships from 1973 thru 1979. His football team was the semifinalist in the state playoffs of 1976. Jeff was voted state Coach of the Year that same year. Jeff taught U.S. History and later became the athletic director at FGHS. Like Heisler, Jeff was a graduate of and played football for Linfield College. Jeff's widow, Amy, accepted his award.
A story, “Remembering what’s good about sports,” in the Sept. 15, 2010, Forest Grove News Times included this about Jeff Durham:
With his Little Guy football program, former varsity head coach Jeff Durham brought the joys of the sport not just to local youths, but to kids across Oregon when the program became a state model.
Having died in 2008, Durham was represented by several family members Saturday evening. In a way though, he still spoke for himself. In the video introducing him, his inscription in the 1976-77 yearbook was quoted. That fall, the football team reached the state championship final. He regarded that season as “the greatest athletic experience of my life.”
He also called his group that year “great athletes and great gentlemen” (my emphasis added). That probably speaks to what kind of man and coach Durham was as much as anything.
Linfielders Carl Heisler (as an athlete) and the late Jeff Durham (honoring his time as coach) were among the seven first inductees of the Forest Grove, Ore., High School Hall of Fame. They were honored during a Sept. 11, 2010, banquet in Forest Grove. Their citations (with some editing by Wildcatville):
CARL HEISLER (Class of 1961) Football, Basketball, Baseball - Carl was an outstanding three sport athlete. In 1960 football, he led the state in yards gained and touchdowns and was named the TYV Scholar-Athlete of the year. He went on to be a four year starter at Linfield College in football. Carl is an outstanding community leader who officiates basketball and football as well and was an instrumental committee member responsible for construction of Forest Grove's Dick Hendricks Stadium, home of Jeff Durham Field.
JEFF DURHAM (Coach) - Head football coach from 1968-1979. Jeff won an unprecedented seven consecutive league championships from 1973 thru 1979. His football team was the semifinalist in the state playoffs of 1976. Jeff was voted state Coach of the Year that same year. Jeff taught U.S. History and later became the athletic director at FGHS. Like Heisler, Jeff was a graduate of and played football for Linfield College. Jeff's widow, Amy, accepted his award.A story, “Remembering what’s good about sports,” in the Sept. 15, 2010, Forest Grove News Times included this about Jeff Durham:
With his Little Guy football program, former varsity head coach Jeff Durham brought the joys of the sport not just to local youths, but to kids across Oregon when the program became a state model.
Having died in 2008, Durham was represented by several family members Saturday evening. In a way though, he still spoke for himself. In the video introducing him, his inscription in the 1976-77 yearbook was quoted. That fall, the football team reached the state championship final. He regarded that season as “the greatest athletic experience of my life.”
He also called his group that year “great athletes and great gentlemen” (my emphasis added). That probably speaks to what kind of man and coach Durham was as much as anything.
