Celebrity Dinner Auction Archive of Past Events
Celebrity Dinner Auction
Dan Fouts Helps the Knights!
(Redding-4/11/08-Jeffrey Jen) Dan Fouts can add effective -- and humorous -- speaker to his Hall of Fame resume. The former San Diego Chargers great was the celebrity guest at the 14th annual Shasta College Celebrity Dinner Auction at Win-River Casino on Friday. A few of the sellout crowd came for the chance to support Knights athletics at their annual fundraiser. Others came to hear Fouts, who spent all 15 years with Chargers, and worked with everyone from Keith Jackson to Al Michaels to comedian Dennis Miller for the past 20 years as a broadcaster of pro and college football games. Fouts had his witty moments during his speech midway through the live auction event. Whether it was poking fun at fellow former quarterbacks or imitating some of his pro football coaches, there were times he had the attendees in stitches. In other moments, he was humble. "I'm not a motivational speaker," Fouts said. "I'm a father of four, a former football player who was at the right place at the right time. I learned to take advantage all that was there for me and used it the best I could.” On a serious note, Fouts did have a message to student athletes of today and about trying to stay positive in life. In regards to the student athletes, he told them, “Fans love to watch you guys play. People like you. But, you have to make the right decisions so they continue to like you.” As for the belief in positive thinking, he referred to the difference between two former pro coaches in Tommy Prothro and Don “Air” Coryell. Prothro, a coach in his early pro days, was more negative and eventually fired in 1978. That’s when Coryell became the Chargers head coach and Fouts was effusive in the praise for him. He brought out the fact that San Diego led the NFL in passing yards for six straight years in 1978-1983, something no other team has ever done, during Coryell’s years. Fouts related a story about how once he started a game poorly with missed passes and interceptions. When Coryell asked him what’s wrong and Fouts said “I couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn,” the coach’s response was “Don’t worry. You’ve got 40 more throws to go.” As for the auction items, it didn’t seem the economic downturn had much of an effect on both the 115 silent items and the 27 live auction items.Among the items was four Dan Fouts memorabilia (a youth playing jersey, a full-sized Chargers jersey, a football and a Chargers helmet) which Fouts himself signed, all going
for a combined $3,250.
Dan Fouts Comes to Redding!
APRIL 11th @ WINRIVER
(Shasta College-3/6/08-Jeffrey Jen Redding Record Searchlight Article) It's the Week of the Quarterback for me. Monday, on an off day, I rented the DVD movie "The Gameplan," in which Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson plays a pro QB named Joe Kingman. Tuesday, the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay may have finally started with the announcement that legendary Brett Favre was retiring. That moved the Pleasant Valley and Cal Golden Bears quarterback from three years on the pine to No. 1 on the Packers' depth chart. So Wednesday, when Shasta College Athletic Director Gary Houser eagerly asked me to step into his office to deliver some news that came through the evening before, I should have seen it coming. The annual Knights dinner auction had finally found its guest speaker, and yes, it is a former NFL quarterback: San Diego Chargers great and Hall of Famer Dan Fouts. Fouts will be the celebrity speaker at the 14th annual Shasta College athletics dinner auction at 5:30 p.m. April 11 at Win-River Casino. The event has drawn its share of notable speakers -- Ronnie Lott and Harmon Killebrew -- but Fouts' name is near the top of the list. Favre was a true gunslinger, breaking the passing records of famed Dan Marino. But before there was Marino, there was Fouts. Prior to Fouts, the only 4,000-yard passing season in NFL history was by Joe Namath with the New York Jets in 1967 (4,007). But, in 1979, Fouts shattered that barrier for the first of three straight 4,000-yard seasons. He went on to become a six-time Pro Bowler, the 1982 NFL Player of the Year, and a member of the NFL 1980s all-Decade team. He remains the only QB to lead the NFL in passing yards in four straight years (1979-1982). Over his 15-year career, all with the Chargers, Fouts threw for 43,040 yards, eighth most in NFL history (No. 1 retired on Tuesday), just ahead of a couple of guys named Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas. He also ranks 10th in completions (3,297) and 12th and touchdown passes (254).Oddly enough, one of Joe Montana's favorite targets, Dwight Clark, was initially the target for this year's event but he backed out a month ago. That set up a scramble as usually the event takes place in February or March. "It was really unnerving," Houser said. "We were just holding things until we could get someone like Dan Fouts, but it took a lot longer than we wanted." So now, Knights athletics has a little over a month to start selling tickets at $65 a person or $600 for a table of 10 for the event that always includes live and silent auctions, featuring golf trips, sports memorabilia and tickets to pro sporting events around Northern California. Those interested in ordering tickets can call Shasta College's athletic department at 225-4833. The good thing is that Shasta has a partner this year in Win-River Casino, which is hosting the event for the first time. In recent years, the athletic department has been at the Holiday Inn convention center. But with the recent remodeling at Win-River, the casino has a backroom that will be used as the auction site. Holiday Inn usually could bring 350-400 attendees, but Houser said Win-River can hold up to 500. "It does have a larger seating capacity," Houser said. "That's part of the reason for the move, but also to try something different. Win-River wants to be a supporter of community events like these." So now that Fouts has stepped up to the podium, all that is left for the event organizers is sell tickets, gather auction items and figure out a way to usher in those Knights athlete/volunteers under the age of 21 past all those slot machines. "Perhaps we can blindfold them and herd them through," Houser joked. "Or maybe there's a back way in." Reporter Jeffrey Jen's notebook runs every Thursday. He can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Celebrity Dinner Auction Archive of Past Events