Doug Blevins, nominee for the American Association of Community Colleges Outstanding Alumni Award Nomination compiled by Anne Dunham
Accomplishments & Contributions
2014 Outstanding Alumni Award This is your opportunity to make your nominee shine—in your own words. Maximum pages: 2. Remember the criteria: nominated by AACC-member CEO; attended a community college for at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours; achievements in his or her field; philanthropic contributions to his or her community; national recognition; and inspirational impact or significance. To give your nomination the most positive consideration, be sure to address all eligibility criteria.You may include additional materials or documentation to highlight or support your nomination, but be advised that first-round selections will be made on the basis of this form and the resume/biographical sketch. Cerebral palsy may have kept Doug Blevins from becoming a football player, but it couldn’t keep him out of the NFL. From his motorized wheelchair, he gained notoriety as the National Football League's first handicapped coach when he joined the New York Jets in 1994 and has since earned a well-deserved reputation as one of football’s premier kicking experts. And last year, his overwhelming success at molding spirited kickers into professional football players earned him a nomination to the Pro Football Hall of Fame A native of Abingdon, Va., Doug realized at a very young age that others were sometimes quick to underestimate his abilities. He won his first battle in elementary school after fighting for the right to attend public schools, quickly proving that his crutches could not prevent him from keeping pace with his fifth grade classmates. He began talking about a career in professional football while still in elementary school, and ignored the confused stares of those who thought his dreams impossible. Since Doug knew he couldn't play, he began searching for another way to get involved. Much of his teenage years were spent writing letters to NFL coaches, begging for information about special teams coaching. When the coaching staff of the Dallas Cowboys replied with a stack of playbooks and notes, Doug carefully reviewed every word. He also began watching game tapes intently, and soon discovered he had a knack for predicting the outcome of a kick and determining how an athlete could improve his performance. He knew then that he could make it to the NFL as a kicking coach. His first coaching job came as a student assistant football coach at Abingdon High School. His success there helped him land an athletic scholarship to the University of Tennessee - an honor usually reserved for football players – where he served as a student coach under Head Coach Johnny Majors. He returned to Southwest Virginia two years later, took a coaching job with Emory & Henry College, and enrolled at nearby Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC). The welcoming environment and encouragement Doug received at VHCC gave him renewed confidence that anything was possible. He earned an Associate's Degree in Police Science from VHCC in 1985, then transferred to East Tennessee State University. He joined the ETSU coaching staff while earning a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Following his college graduation, Doug continued to coach locally and started a private consulting business that allowed him to work with high school and college athletes from throughout the nation. Before long, he had earned a reputation as a top-notch kicking coach. Doug made history in 1994 when he was hired as a kicking consultant for the New York Jets, officially becoming the first handicapped coach in the NFL. Although the entire Jets' coaching staff was fired later that year after a dismal season, Doug refused to get discouraged. He continued operating his consulting business and enjoyed stints with the New England Patriots, Canadian Football League, the World League and NFL Europe while applying for jobs with other NFL teams. He joined the Miami Dolphins in 1997 after Coach Jimmy Johnson hired him, sight unseen, based on his impressive record. Doug likes to tell the story about his first day on the job, when Coach Johnson mistook him for an overzealous football fan. He showered Doug with souvenirs and invited him to watch the team practice, never suspecting the young man in the
Page 1
Deadline for reciept of entries: September 13, 2013
Accomplishments & Contributions
2014 Outstanding Alumni Award wheelchair was his new kicking coach. When he discovered the truth, he made Doug return the souvenirs. Doug remained a member of the Dolphin’s coaching staff for six seasons. Some of his greatest success, however, has been a result of his private consulting work. He met a promising athlete from South Dakota in 1995, who moved to Abingdon and worked odd jobs for a year while Doug helped him perfect his kick. Adam Vinatieri joined the New England Patriots the following year and, after 10 seasons, was signed by the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in five Super Bowls and kicked the game-winning field goal in two of them (Super Bowl XXXVI in 2001 and Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003). Doug still gets emotional when he recalls that first Super Bowl win, explaining that Vinatieri's game-winning kick was from 48 yards - just the way they practiced it together so many times. On the field, Doug has worked with dozens of professional football players, including Kyle Richardson, Matt Turk, Josh Miller, Chris Hanson, Darren Bennett, David Akers, Joe Nedney, Olindo Mare, Shayne Graham, Kris Brown and Aaron Elling. Hundreds of other young athletes have attended his summer camps or hired him as a private consultant. They all agree he has a special gift that allows him to see a kick - almost as though it is in slow motion - and then suggest ways to improve it. His amazing career has earned him press coverage in dozens of national publications, including USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, People, and Sports Illustrated. His story was featured on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in 2000, and his recent nomination to the Pro Football Hall of Fame has resulted in a whole new round of press coverage. He enjoys talking about his talent as a football coach, but he also talks candidly about those things he cannot do. Doug refers to himself as handicapped, noting that a more politically correct term won’t change his circumstances. He has trouble tying his own shoes and might ask for help with other everyday tasks from time to time, but he doesn’t want sympathy. Instead, he wants the respect he has worked so hard to earn. In fact, when not coaching, Doug travels the country as a motivational speaker. He talks about his passion for football and his desperate need to be part of the game he could never play. He tells the audience how he discovered at a very young age that he would have to try harder and be better than everyone else to accomplish his goals. He explains how he chose to ignore those who said he couldn’t and prove to them that he could. Today, Doug lives in Abingdon with his son, Roman. He continues to operate his private consulting business and stays busy with clients who play football for professional, college, and high school teams across the country. He is also coaching for Emory & Henry College, and would like to be a head football coach for a university team some day. He enjoys the excitement of game day and the opportunity to mentor young people. Additionally, he serves as the national spokesperson for Moral Kombat, a nationwide youth services program that works with at-risk youth, the courts, and law enforcement agencies to teach young people how to effectively take responsibility for their actions. Asked about his greatest accomplishment thus far, Doug points to the relationships he has with those he has coached. He remains close to Adam Vinatieri, who is his son's godfather, and keeps in touch with hundreds of other young men he has met on the football field over the years. Congratulatory phone calls and emails poured in last year when he was nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and come every year on his birthday and Father's Day. That's when he realizes how meaningful his career has been and that Coach Doug Blevins has, indeed, made a difference. Page 2
Deadline for reciept of entries: September 13, 2013
Virginia Highlands Community College • P.O. Box 828 • Abingdon, VA • 24212 • www.vhcc.edu Anne Dunham • Coordinator of Public Relations, Marketing & Alumni Development • 276.739.2456 • adunham@vhcc.edu
For Immediate Release Dec. 2, 2013
VHCC Grad Doug Blevins to Receive National Alumni Award Doug Blevins, a 1985 graduate of Virginia Highlands Community College who has gained national recognition for coaching professional football’s premier kickers from a motorized wheelchair, has been selected to receive the 2014 Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges. Blevins is among six community college alumni from across the nation who will receive the award in April during the AACC’s 2014 Annual Conference in Washington D.C. He was nominated by the VHCC Alumni Association Board and VHCC President Ron Proffitt. “Doug’s impressive career and inspiring story remind us all to dream big and work hard,” Dr. Proffitt said. “We are delighted that AACC will recognize him with this prestigious award and proud that VHCC played a part in his extraordinary success.” An Abingdon native, Blevins was born with cerebral palsy and a passion for football. He spent much of his childhood watching Monday Night Football and writing to his favorite NFL teams. When Coach Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys responded with a stack of playbooks, Blevins studied each one carefully and ultimately decided to pursue a coaching career. His first coaching job came as a student assistant football coach at Abingdon High School and his success there later landed him successive coaching jobs at the University of Tennessee, Emory & Henry College, and East Tennessee State University. And then he made history in 1994 when he was hired as the kicking consultant for the New York Jets, officially becoming the first handicapped coach in the NFL. He also enjoyed stints as a kicking consultant for NFL European League and the New England Patriots before beginning a sixseason career as kicking coach for the Miami Dolphins in 1997. He later worked as the special teams coordinator for the Florida Bobcats and spent the 2004 season with the Minnesota Vikings. But Blevin’s greatest coaching success has come as a result of Doug Blevins Kicking & Punting, a private consulting firm that allows him to train gifted athletes from throughout the nation. His long list of impressive clients include NFL greats Kyle Richardson, Matt Turk, Josh Miller, Chris Hanson, Darren Bennett, David Akers, Joe Nedney, Olindo Mare, Shayne Graham, Kris Brown, Aaron Elling, and Adam Vinatieri. In fact, Vinatieri spent a year in Abingdon training with Doug before he began an NFL career that has earned him four Super Bowl rings. When not coaching professional athletes, Blevins hosts football camps and works one-onone with middle school, high school and college players from across the country. His story has been featured in national publications including USA Today, People Magazine, and Sports Illustrated, and last year earned him a nomination to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Blevins earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Administration of Justice at VHCC before transferring to ETSU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He credits the faculty and staff at VHCC with giving him the confidence to pursue his dreams. “I have often told people across the country that the quality education I received at VHCC was the very best of my entire college experience,” Blevins said. “I am extremely honored, as well as humbled, to receive this national alumni award from the American Association of Community Colleges. I am very flattered that Dr. Ron Proffitt and the VHCC staff thought enough of my professional accomplishments to nominate me for this very prestigious award.” --END--