During the course of the past year, La Salle athletes had the opportunity to benefit from the insights and wisdom of three well-known professional athletes. Through the efforts of Football Head Coach Antoine Peterson and Baseball Head Coach Harry Agajanian, football greats Marcus Allen and Dwight Hicks and baseball standout and broadcast personality Jay Johnstone spoke to the Lancers.
By John Blackstock ’67
Pros Enlighten lancers
Jay Johnstone Talks Baseball
On Tuesday April 19, Lancer Baseball Head Coach Harry Agajanian invited former Dodger great Jay Johnstone (pictured above) to speak to our baseball players about the game and opportunities offered for future athletes. Johnstone’s baseball career stretched from 1966 to 1985. During that time, he played for the Angels, White Sox, Athletics, Phillies, Yankees, Padres, Cubs and Dodgers. Jay shared some great stories with the team and coaches as well as giving important training and preparation insight to our athletes. Johnstone was a versatile outfielder with a good sense of humor, known for keeping clubhouses loose with occasional pranks and gimmicks.
His career highlights include the day as an Angel, he preserved Clyde Wright’s no-hitter against the Athletics in the seventh inning by catching a Reggie Jackson fly ball 400 feet in straightaway center field, just a few feet from the wall on July 3, 1970. As a Dodger, he hit a pinch two-run homerun in Game Four of the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees. The homerun rallied the Dodgers from a 6-3 deficit to win 8-7. The victory also enabled the Dodgers to tie the Series at two games each; they won the next two games to win it all! Jay later served as a radio color commentator for the Yankees (1989–1990) and Phillies (1992-1993). He presently works for the Angels.
Marcus Allen Talks Football
Adding a new perspective to what teamwork and playing together is all about, College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen spoke to La Salle’s varsity football team at a special team meeting in September, organized by Head Coach Antoine Peterson. At the closed meeting, Allen, the first pro football player ever to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his 15-year career with the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, shared his views on what it takes to create a winning attitude and successful season. In addition to a grueling physical conditioning and training schedule that everyone must undergo, Allen emphasized that players must also focus on working together as a team, look out for and encourage one another to succeed and think positively that no obstacle is too great for them to overcome. With that recipe for success, everyone is a winner!
Dwight Hicks Talks Perseverance
Two-time Super Bowl champion Dwight Hicks spoke to the Lancer football team about leadership and the advantages of never giving up. Until the San Francisco 49ers called and offered him a provisional spot on their roster, Hicks tells his story of stocking shelves after failing to make a pro team following college. Hicks then joined the 49ers and became a four-time Pro Bowl selection from 1981 to 1984 as a safety and cornerback, and was a key player on the 49ers dynasty in the 1980s, assisting his team to NFL Championship wins in Super Bowl XVI and XIX. Hicks currently assists Coach Peterson with the Lancer defense. SPRING/SUMMER 2011
15