Sunday, October 10, 2021

WILDCAT QB DAVE WHITE (Class of 1971) TALKS ABOUT HIS LINFIELD EXPERIENCE





WILDCAT QB DAVE WHITE (Class of 1971) TALKS ABOUT HIS LINFIELD EXPERIENCE

It started with the idea of doing a Q&A/Question & Answer story with that great Linfield football “battery” – in baseball, a pitcher and catcher—of Quarterback (pitcher) Dave White (Class of 1971) and split end (catcher) Bob Murphy (Class of 1972).

Dave -- who lives on Lacamas Lake in Clark County, Washington -- and Bob, who lives in Happy Valley in Clackamas County, Oregon – said they’d do it.

Questions asked. Their answers were thorough. No reason to edit. Each gets their own Q&A. Here is it for Dave, followed by Bob’s.

Photos by Reid Blackburn (Class of 1974), Rusty Rae (Class of 1968), and Wildcatville.

 

BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OF DAVE WHITE’S TIME AT LINIFELD WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FOOTBALL

 

Freshman year = 1967-1968

Sophomore year = 1968-1969 (1968 football season)

Junior year = 1968-1970 (1969 football season)

Senior year = 1970-1971 (1970 football season) (Graduated 1971)

 

1967 academic year = JV football

1968 academic year = Injured ribs, Red shirt

1969 academic year = Back up QB to Tony Mauze

1970 academic year = Varsity football letter

1971 academic year = Varsity football letter

1971 = Graduated from Linfield with B.S. degree in P.E./Health major and Social Studies minor

1972 = Bobbie Scharf graduated with B.A. degree, Political Science/German majors

1972 = Dave White and Bobbie Scharf marry on May 27th.

1972-73 academic year = Linfield student assistant football coach 1973 season. Dave and Bobbie White were head residents of Whitman Hall at Linfield College

 

 

WILDCATVILLE – DAVE, SUMMARIZE YOUR TIME AT LINFIELD?

 

I really enjoyed all my years at Linfield College, meeting my wife, making lifelong friends, taking interesting classes, playing sports, being a head resident , working on becoming a responsible adult and to help me prepare for the future.  I am very proud of the fact that my football teammates voted me 1970 Most Improved Player and 1971 Offensive Team Captain. To this day those trophies are on my dresser. Great memories.

 

WILDCATVILLE – WHY DID YOU REDSHIRT YOUR SOPHOMORE YEAR?

 

During 1968 season practice, Dan Jones, a Linfield All-Northwest Conference end, by accident, put his right knee into my right ribs during punting practice. After that I was unable to lift my right arm up. As a right-handed quarterback, passing the ball was impossible. That put me out of commission and practice for about six weeks. By the time I could play, the season was mostly over. I consulted with Coach Rutschman and I decided to redshirt. Thirty or so years later I had x-rays taken in that area for another reason. My doctor told me that he could see where I had cracked some of my ribs in the past.

 

WILDCATVILLE – YOUR LINIFELD FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE INCLUDED A DENTAL PROBLEM?

 

Our last home game in 1970 was versus Lewis & Clark. I was throwing a pass to our left side . Their left end somehow got his right fist under my face guard and shattered my right front tooth. In the Linfield huddle for the next play, Jim Massey, one of our star running backs, said “we can't understand you, speak up." All the blood in my mouth caused a communication problem. Linfield lineman Chuck Windal just laughed. Before our next game, in Honolulu against the University of Hawaii, my dentist filed my tooth down to a peg and put on a temporary front tooth cap. It became infected while in Hawaii. Upon returning to Portland he removed the temporary cap. Eventually I needed a root canal before he put in a permanent replacement tooth.

 

WILDACTVILLE – YOUR LAST GAME AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER WAS ON THE NIGHT OF SATURDAY, NOV. 14, 1970, IN HONOLULU VERSUS THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

 

We were undefeated. If we win the game we'd likely be in the NAIA post-season playoffs. Linfield was NAIA and Hawaii, a larger school, was NCAA. We lost 19-17.  Near the end of that game, we were close to the end zone with a chance to take the lead. 19 to 17 was the score. I was running for my life around the right end and drove for the end zone and was knocked out of bounds. The next play or so I threw a pass to wingback George Fink. He caught it in the end zone. TD! No wait, the defender somehow reached around George and grabbed the ball and they fell to the ground. George caught the ball and took a step or two before they fell to the ground. The correct call was a TD! We beat Hawaii and go to the NAIA National Playoffs. But we had a horrible call from the local Hawaiian ref. He said it was an interception. No TD or a chance for golden toe Steve Davis to kick the winning field goal. I was right there and it was a touchdown! The referee came from the back corner of the end zone and had a poor line of sight. Coach Rutschman was as mad as I had ever seen him and later diplomatically called it a " home cooking " call. That “homer" call cost us an undefeated season and national playoff berth.

Before he went on to fame nationally on TV, Al Michaels was calling the game for a Honolulu radio station. My Dad contacted Al asking him for an audio tape recording of the game, but Al couldn't give it out.

WILDCATVILLE – YOU PLAYED BASEBALL FOR LINFIELD, TOO?

 

I played baseball for Coach Roy Helser at Linfield for three years. Third base. My JV year my batting average was .500. Terry Durham was the JV coach. I had a challenging 1970 baseball season. I decided not to play in the 1971 season. I needed to do my student teaching and would be able to get some coaching experience with the Newberg High School baseball team. In hindsight, If I had known then that Coach Rutschman would be the Linfield baseball coach, I would have joined the 1971 baseball team.

 

WILDCATVILLE – AFTER YOU GRADAUTED FROM LINFIELD IN 1971 YOU WERE IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE?

 

I joined the U.S. Air Force Oregon National Guard for a six year tour of duty. I was stationed at the 153rd Oregon Guard Base at the Portland Airport. After six years I was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant. After active duty at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio , Texas; I returned to Linfield to do my student teaching and coaching at Newberg High School.

 

WILDCATVILLE – MENTION YOUR SPORTS EXPERIENCES BEFORE LINFIELD

 

I played flag football when I was in the sixth and seventh grade. S.J. Pounder Realty Co. sponsored my Pop Warner tackle football team in eighth grade. I was the quarterback and played safety on defense. At Madison High School in Portland I was quarterback and kicker for PATs , field goals and punter.

 

I started basketball in the 5th grade on a 6th grade team because my Dad was the coach. I lettered for two years in basketball  in high school and was a point guard. I attended Ted Wilson's basketball summer camp.

 

In baseball, I played Little League as a pitcher and second and third baseman when not pitching. I also played for American Legion (Contractors ) and Madison High School in Portland (on 82nd Avenue in Northeast Portland) for four years. I was a good high school pitcher; more control than speed. I threw a fastball, curve, slider, drop ball and a change of pace and played third base when not pitching. I usually batted third. Madison was a very good baseball area in the 1960s.

 

In the late 1960's Madison had something like 3,500 students. The school had double schedules to accommodate all the students. Madison had really good athletes and its teams were usually in the postseason playoffs.

 

WILDCATVILLEWHEN DID YOU START PLAYING FOOTBALL?

 

I started playing football before school in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade at Rose City Park School in Portland with my classmates. I was usually the quarterback because I had a good arm and could hit the receivers.

 

I played flag football for two years and then Pop Warner tackle football before high school. I was the quarterback and played safety on defense. A total of about 150 guys turned out for freshman football at Madison High in 1964. For the first two weeks we mostly ran drills and conditioning so some guys would quit because the school didn't have enough equipment for that many players. I was the starting freshman quarterback. Sophomore year I was a backup varsity quarterback. My junior year I started some games, my senior year I was the starting quarterback. My senior season, 1967, Madison was 6-2 and 2 ties. I liked football, basketball and baseball. My favorite sport was whichever season it was at that time.

 

WILDCATVILLE – HOW DID AD RUTSCHMAN IMPACT YOU?

 

He’s a great person! Coach Rutschman was an outstanding player and coach for Linfield. He won a national championship in baseball and three national football titles for Linfield. Amazing. He was an inspiration to do something with my life. I really enjoyed our private quarterback football meetings where he would explain what defenses our next opponent would probably run and what plays we should run against them. So on game day as quarterback I was prepared to call the correct plays vs. certain defenses. After my father, Coach Rutschman was the most important male role model in my life. I used many of his concepts and philosophies during my teaching and coaching careers. He was a great teacher and an even better person. Everyone should read his book, ‘WINNING with CLASS!’

 

WLDCATVILLE – DAVE, DO YOU REMEMBER ANY LINIFELD FOOTBALL GAMES IN WHICH YOU PLAYED FROM BEGINNING TO END?

 

I remember parts of some of our games key situations. I recall things that I did, some good and some not so good. For example; we were on the four yard line ready to score. The Willamette defense was stacked off tackle where we were going to run, so I audibled a QB sweep around the right end. At the goal line I lowered my head and hit helmet to helmet and stalemated with a defensive player. Unfortunately another defensive player hit me on my left ear hole and sent me flying out of bounds. I went back to the huddle with head hurting. All I saw was red and blue flashes. I couldn't think of a play to call. So, I called timeout and went to the sideline. Coaches asked me what's going on. I said something like I have to wait for the shooting stars to stop. After the timeout, I went back out and called a play for Dennis Davidson off tackle and we scored.

 

WILDCATVILLE – YOU WERE A QUARTERBACK THROWING THE BALL TO BOB MURPHY AND OTHER RECEIVERS.

 

Bob was the star receiver when I became the starting quarterback in 1970. Among reasons I had success throwing to Bob:

 

#1 We had an awesome defense, kickoff and punt return  teams. Our offense usually had great field position. A short field.

 

#2 We had all-conference linemen to block for me. I had time to look for an open receiver and  throw the ball without a defender in my face. It’s very hard to throw a good pass if you are lying on your back.

 

#3 Bob Murphy and Ray Congdon were tall and they ran great patterns and had very good hands. Sonny Jepson and George Fink seemed to be always open in play action passes and were easy targets.

 

Bob was special. He was always open. When I made a poor pass he would always catch it anyway. True story; of all the hundreds of passes I threw to Bob, I remember him only dropping a catchable ball once. Amazing!  Bob caught every good and poorly thrown pass. It didn't matter.

 

WILDCATVILLE – YOU WERE THROWING THE BALL EVEN THOUGH AD RUTSCHAMN TEAMS OF THE LATE 1960s and EARLY 1970s WERE RUNNNNG TEAMS?

 

Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s Linfield was a running team. I think about 80 percent of our plays were runs. With all-conference linemen and Jim Massey, Mike Achong and Dennis Davidson running, why not! Jim was fast, strong and hard to tackle. Mike was sneaky fast, nimble and could fake you out of your jock. Whenever we had a short yardage situation, Dennis got the call and he never ever lost a yard. He was a brick wall and tacklers would bounce off him. Defenses would then stack the box, crowd the line of scrimmage to try to stop these guys. I’d call “red” (a play action pass) and fake the run. Usually our receivers were wide open and it was easy to pass the ball to them. Upon occasion we had to drop back pass, usually third and long. I frequently looked to Bob or Ray because they would probably get open and catch the pass for a first down.

 

In the game against Pacific, I called a pass play to our left with Bob going down and flag (outside ). I noticed that the defender was on Bob's outside and that the safety had moved over to guard our tight end. That left a gap in the middle of the field. I audibled, changed the play at the line of scrimmage , so Bob would run a ‘skinny post; It worked for a 42-yard touchdown!

 

WILDCATVILLE – WHY DID YOU WEAR FOOTBALL JERSEY #15 FOR LINFIELD?

 

In high school my football number was 12. I wanted something different in college. I picked 15 because it was Bart Starr's number; he was the  quarterback of the Green Bay Packers . I read his book and used some of his QB drills.

 

WILDCATVILLE – DID YOU CONSIDER ATTENDING OTHER OR ANOTHER SCHOOL IN THE NORTHWEST CONFERENCE?

 

I always knew I was going to go to college. My grandfather, the Rev. William Sherman Burgoyne, received the Thomas Jefferson Award For the Advancement of Democracy for his commitment to helping the Japanese-Americans ( Nisei ) in Hood River, Oregon, during World War II. (Google his name for the story ). Most of his material was donated to the Oregon Historical Society in downtown Portland. He graduated from Willamette University. My parents graduated from Willamette. I thought that I would probably go there. My high school senior year, after football season, I visited Willamette and didn't receive much encouragement or any scholarship support from the coach. The facilities there looked old after compared to Madison, which was built in 1957. I visited Pacific, Lewis & Clark, OCE. I didn't check out the University of Oregon or Oregon State  because I wanted to play football and baseball and they wanted you to pick one sport. I visited Linfield with my father and talked with Coach Paul Durham. I applied at Linfield and Willamette. At this time I didn't know that at NAIA schools (at least Linfield, Willamette, L&C and Pacific among them) didn't give athletic scholarships; just funding based on need and credit based on working on campus. Linfield accepted me before Willamette did.

 

WILDCATVILLE – WHAT WERE YOUR MAJORS AND MINORS AT LINFIELD? AN ADVANCED DEDGREE, TOO?

 

I graduated in 1971, P.E./health major and social studies minor. Bobbie Scharf and I married in May of 1972. While teaching and coaching at Jackson High School in southwest Portland I worked on my master’s thesis and earned my Master of Education degree in 1976. Bobbie and I were head residents at Linfield of Whitman Hall, an all-womens dorm, and I worked on my master degree program and was a student assistant Wildcat quarterback football coach for the 1973 season.

 

WILDCATVILLE – DETAIL YOUR CAREER

 

My first full time teaching job was at Jackson High School in southwest Portland. I was at Jackson for 10 years. I was an Activities Director, Social Studies teacher, Rally advisor, assistant varsity football and JV baseball coach. During the summer I coached Jackson’s American Legion baseball team (Jake’s Famous Crawfish )

 

After Jackson was closed, I transferred to Wilson High in Portland. I was at Wilson for the next 20 years. I was an Activities Director and a Social Studies teacher. Later I was a Physical Education and Health teacher for about seven years. I was an assistant varsity football coach; JV baseball coach and Winter Assistant Athletic Director. I coached Jakes's Famous Crawfish American Legion baseball team during the summer. I also taught summer school in Portland at either Lincoln High or Roosevelt High. Also I went to Portland State University to qualify  for a vice principal's license.

 

WILDCATVILLEWHERE DID YOU GROW UP IN PORTLAND?

 

We lived on Northeast 62nd & Thompson Street, across the street from Rose City Park and Rose City golf course. I went to Rose City Park primary school for grades 1-4 and Rose City  Park Elementary for grades 5 -8. Because I lived on the school border line I could have gone to Grant High or Madison High. I picked Madison because it was newer (opened in 1957) and because my sister went to Madison.

 

WILDCATVILLE – DAVE, TALK ABOUT YOUR PARENTS AND SIBLINGS?

 

My Dad, David Robert White, was a center on offense and linebacker on defense and  was on the Willamette football team that played the University of Hawaii in Honolulu on Dec. 6, 1941; the day before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He witnessed the attack. He is in the Willamette Athletics Hall of Fame. For many years my Dad - nickname “Pat” and, in the Marine Corps during World War II he was “Doc” - was a truant officer for Benson and Washington High Schools in the Portland School District.  Later he became the Work Experience Coordinator for those schools. For many summers he worked at the Multnomah Kennel Club (Greyhound races) in Fairview, Oregon.

 

My mother Ruth H. White attended Willamette University. When my sister Bonnie and I were in high school she became an elementary school teacher's aide. She was an accomplished singer who would often sing with the church choir.

 

My Sister Bonnie D. White graduated from Oregon State University and became an elementary school teacher. Most of her teaching career was teaching 5th and 6 th grades  in St. Thomas and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

# End of Dave White Q&A. What follows is Bob Murphy Q&A

 

WILDCATVILLE – BOB MURPHY, WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING FOOTBALL:

I grew up in Milwaukie, Oregon. and started playing football in the 8th grade (Pop Warner) in Milwaukie. Greatly influencing me was my brother, Mike. He was an all-league football and basketball player at Milwaukie High School. He was a constant inspiration. But he also liked to taunt me. Mike would say “a brother who did not play football was not my brother.” I assumed that he was talking about me since I am his only sibling.

 

WILDCATVILLE – BOB, ATTENDED MILWAUKIE HIGH SCHOOL, TOO?

In 1963 Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie opened. I was fortunate to be part of the first freshman class at this new school. I graduated from Putnam in 1967.

 

WILDCATVILLE – WHY LINFIELD?

After high school I set my goals high. I was all-league in football and basketball in the tough Metro League. The possibility arose that I might have an opportunity to play at a large school. However, no large schools came knocking at my door. I did visit Oregon State. During my visit to campus in Corvallis, OSU provided good sandwiches and I got a nod from the “Pumpkin,” head football Coach Dee Andros. But, nothing materialized. In addition, I was invited to visit Willamette. After reviewing all the information, I decided to go to Lower Colombia College, a two-year college, in Longview, Washington. I was going to play basketball; for Coach Don Porter,  an all-American basketball player at Linfield and a McMinnville High School graduate.

Ted Zetterberg (Linfield graduate, English teacher at Rex Putnam) and Ben Gehlen (Linfield graduate and teacher at Clackamas) contacted me about visiting Linfield to talk with football Coach Paul Durham. I accompanied them when they drove to McMinnville to attend their summer classes on campus. They introduced me to Coach Durham. For two-and-a-half hours Coach and I went around campus and the city of McMinnville. If we weren’t walking he was driving. He introduced me to town people, coaches and school officials. This experience sealed the deal for me, and I made my decision to attend Linfield. I was going to be a “Wildcat.” In addition, Linfield let me play both football and basketball.

 

WILDCATVILLE – TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A LINFIELD FOOTBALL PLAYER

In 1967 I began my freshman year at Linfield. I and we (other players on the team), didn’t know the 1967 season would Coach Durham’s last leading Linfield football. (He coached 1948-1967, 20 seasons. After the 1967 season, Ad Rutschman was named football coach and then Coach Durham left Linfield to become University of Hawaii athletic director. I was fortunate to have made the Linfield football varsity travel squad as a freshman. I’d run in plays during games on Saturdays and play in the JV games on Mondays. As a freshman, I played behind John Sadowski. I’d get in about 15 to 20 plays a game, depending on the score, certain situations, and injuries/dings. Linfield had a very strong team, losing only to Lewis & Clark at the end of season. (The 1967 Linfield team is best known for upsetting the University of Hawaii by 15-13 in the first game of the 1967 season.) There was a large group of graduating seniors, especially offensively on that 1967 season. In 1968, my sophomore year and Coach Rutschman’s first season, I recall we had three or four starters returning on offense. Our defense was going to be solid/outstanding, but offensively we had a mess of shoes to fill. We were going to have to do that with a few starters, backup players, JC transfers, or first year players. Add to that the fact that we had Coach Rutschman’s new system and new expectations.

WILDCATVILLE – HOW MANY SEASONS DID YOU AND QUARTERBACK DAVE WHITE PLAY LINFIELD FOOTBALL TOGETHER?

One. The 1971 season. Dave and I got on the ‘same page’ quickly. But, we also had to do well in practice and games for Coach Rutschman. I didn’t want to make mistakes, including dropping passes. That would mean running extra 240-yard dashes on Maxwell Field.

WILDCATVILLE — DAVE WHITE SAYS YOU CAUGHT VIRTUALLY EVERTHING BALL HE THREW YOU

That’s nice compliment. Dave threw catchable balls. I’m fond of the statement, "You touch it, you catch it" This was not unique, but a comment by the great Raymond Berry, NFL Hall of Fame split end for the Baltimore Colts, made in a book. He wrote, knowing that because he wasn't blessed with great speed, it was imperative to run good routes and if he touched the football he had to catch it. I tried to do the same thing when I player.

WILDCATVILLE – WHY DID BOB MURPHY CATCHING THE FOOTBALL FROM DAVE QUITE WORK

Dave and I bought into Coach Rutschman’s system—footsteps, routes, timing, and the demand for excellence through repetition. The other key to our success was that we practiced every day against defensive personnel that inspired us to be excellent: Tim Arthur, Carl Lavier, Bob Hill, Don Ng, Steve Johnson, Jim Bailey, Virgil Ripley, Roy Umeno, Mike Cahill, and countless others.

The most fierce battles we had all season were running routes against our own defensive backs and linebackers in each practice. I say here that the OFFENSE won most of those battles. But, I’m only kidding. Offense and defense did equally well. Dave had a strong arm and his timing was amazing. We had an excellent run game with Jim Massey, Mike Achong, Sonny Jepson, and crew. The thoughts that continually ran through our minds were: Keep moving the chains. First downs. Control the game. Keep our outstanding defense off the field. Move the ball, don’t turn it over. Dave and I contributed to that philosophy. Execution, don’t deviate, “you touch it, you catch it.” Most importantly, it was  always fun.

WILDCATVILLE – YOUR LINFIELD FOOTBALL NUMBER AND WHY/

I was number 35. I was assigned a duplicate number, 83, as a freshman for our first game of the year at Hawaii, but didn’t make the trip due to a sprained ankle. A couple of players did not make the return trip, and I was assigned a new number, 35. NO more “asterisk” by my name.

WILDCATVILLE –BOB,  MEMORIES OF LINFIELD FOOTBALL GAMES?

*Getting off the Linfield bus before our first game my sophomore year 1968 at Boise State. Boise. We flew from Portland to Boise on that Friday before the game and rode in our bus on that Saturday from the hotel to the stadium. Boise had just moved up from being a two-year program to a four-year program. As we unloaded the bus, their players came out of their commons/cafeteria on the Boise campus. All of them were wearing short-sleeve white shirts buttoned up to the neck. My thighs were not as thick as any of their necks. We won 14-7.It was Coach Rutschman's first game as Linfield football coach.

*Tim Arthur’s game-saving tackle of the Lewis & Clark quarterback on the 3rd or 4th yard line to seal our win and the Northwest Conference championship my senior season. What a great way to conclude my Linfield football playing career.

*Going to the sideline, during our last game my senior year in 1971 in Honolulu against Hawaii. I told Coach, “I can beat their cornerback deep. After uncontrolled laughter for a couple minutes, on the next series we called the play. “Touchdown” 6-foot-3 me versus the 5-foot-9 defender. I knew my own abilities.

WIDCATVILLE – HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LINFIELD EXPERIENCE?

Every second! I know it’s easy to say now. Being part of something that epitomizes excellence and has continued to do so for many decades is truly a blessing and a legacy. From the athletics, to the education that I received, to the friends that I met, and,  most importantly, to my wife of 49 years, Chris (Meyers) Murphy, Linfield class of 1972,  I owe it all to Linfield!

WILDCATVILLE – WHAT WAS IT LIKE PLAYING FOR COACH DURHAM AND COACH RUTSCHMAN?

Playing for Coach Rutschman was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. No question, there was a huge philosophical difference between Coach Durham and Coach Rutschman. On one hand you had Coach Durham who would come into our freshmen health class, held in the old Frerichs Hall (not to be confused with the dorm of the same name), and sit down at the piano and play a sing-along-song to begin class.

Coach Rutschman, on the other hand, was the first person to play the famous “Dueling Banjos” song on a coaching whistle. That song was made famous by the 1972 movie “Deliverance,” but the song existed before the movie.

All kidding aside, Coach Rutschman was and still has a phenomenal coaching mind and command for the game. Football was about perfect execution. Exactness and effort would get you to the winning side. It wasn’t always fun or easy. No. It required strong discipline and commitment. If our attention waned, he would find meaningful ways for us to refocus. He also believed in the “next man up.” It not that he lacked compassion or that he didn’t show compassion, he believed that you must always be prepared so when it’s your time to enter the game, you’re ready to perform.

WILDCATVILLE – OTHER SPORTS FOR YOU IN ADDITION TO FOOTBALL?

I played football, basketball, and baseball growing up. I loved baseball, but as soon as the baseball started spinning and curving I started spending more time in the other sports. They didn’t have all defensive first baseman. You had to hit the ball. I played basketball for three years at Linfield. Redshirted my junior year. Coach Ted Wilson was the head basketball coach. I played JV my first two years. Redshirted. Played varsity my senior year, the 1971-1972 season.

WILDCATVILLE – BOB, TALK ABOUT YOUR FOLKS AND BROTHER.

 

My parents: Gordon and Dolly. Brother: Mike, five years older than me. My parents both worked. Their greatest enjoyment in their spare time was watching their sons play sports. They never missed a Linfield football game, except Hawaii. So, that included trips to Spokane to play Whitworth, Walla Walla to play Whitman and Caldwell to play the College of Idaho. They attended all of my youth and Rex Putnam High School of Milwaukie games. Mike played football, basketball and baseball at Milwaukie High School and was an outstanding football and baseball player. At Milwaukie High, he played basketball with Rick Whelan, who went on to fame playing basketball for Oregon State. After graduating from high school, Mike attended PLU for two years and played football and baseball. He left after his sophomore year, got married and served in the National Guard. In 1968, Mike returned to PLU and played football and baseball again. Before you ask, yes we played against each other in the 1968 in Tacoma. The score was 7 to 7. Yes! It was a variation of the saying that ties are “just  like kissing your sister.” In this case it was my brother. The 1968 game was pretty exciting for the family.

 

WILDCATVILLE – AFTER YOU GRADUATED FROM LINFIELD IN 1972 WITH AN EDCUATION DEGREE, THEN WHAT?

I was hired as a teacher and coach at Rex Putnam High School (North Clackamas School District). I taught a variety of subjects: Geography, Personal Finance, PE and Health. I coached several sports: Football, boys’ and girls’ basketball, baseball, and golf. I became the Athletic Director at Rex Putnam in 1986 and moved to the Athletic Director’s job at Milwaukie High School in 1996. I accepted an offer to move to Clackamas High School in 2000 where I spent my last five years in education as a Student Government Teacher and Attendance Advisor.  That tenure concluded my 32 years in education.

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