How FAN Began.

The concept for FAN, Inc., the "Foundation for Athlete's in Need", has in it's inception the need for former collegiate athlete's, having definable and significant conditions and injuries of a severe debilitating nature, to, through a strict application process, receive needed medical assistance.

To properly justify the merit of such a foundation I would like to take you back in time using my own personal experiences as a means of clarification.

Since the age of six I had been involved in sports with a heavy emphasis on football. For the next 17 years I participated in organized, padded football. Taking my personal involvement to the highest level possible. The NFL.

Outside of an occasional sprained ankle, I incurred few injuries until I began participating on a collegiate level. As a First Team Scholastic Coach All-American at Lemon Monroe High School, Monroe, Ohio, I was fortunate to be recruited by many of the top schools in the country. I decided to play for "Bo" Schembechler at the University of Michigan. It was 1971 and the Big Ten's "three yards and a cloud of dust" offensive strategy was well entrenched. Suffice it to say the "dust" was vanishing as artificial turf was being intstalled at major university stadiums throughout the country. Needless to say joint injuries, especially knee, abounded.

I was part of four great teams never ranked lower than 6th in the nation. We were 40-3-1 over the four year period that I participated. My senior year at the position of Middle Linebacker I was voted MVP by my fellow team mates. As a senior participating at this high profile university, football was everything. The popularity of collegiate athletics and it's love affair with television was in it's infancy. We have witnessed the culmination of that love affair as college football and the advent of ESPN, has dominated the fall television sports landscape.

During the fifth game my senior year, while playing Stanford in Palo Alto, I dropped back to the underneath zone coverage on a wide out curl pattern, the ball soaring by my outstretched hand I turned to look-up the receiver. Our cornerback had made a terrific mid-air tackle as I planted my right foot into turf. His body, along with the receivers, came crashing down directly on my fully extended right knee. They said you could hear the pop throughout the stadium. I was stretchered off into the locker room and immediately had my knee packed in ice. Upon returning to Ann Arbor I was evaluated by the Orthopedic Specialist for the team. Dr. O'Connor informed me that I had severely sprained my ACL and tore my Medial Meniscus Cartilage. I was given two choices. I would have to make a decision as to whether I wanted to have surgery immediately or wait until the end of the season. Playing on a potential National Champion team and knowing if I did not complete the season the NFL would probably pass me up, I chose to put off the operation.

I completed the season having my knee aspirated and shot up with cortisone on a regular basis. In addition I went through a 15-20 minute taping procedure before every practice and game. On numerous occasions I had to exit the game because of pain and I remember having to have the knee re-taped at halftime on several occasions.

I completed the season breaking the University of Michigan single season tackle record and was chosen to participate on two All Star Teams, the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl.

In Hawaii, on the Thursday prior to a game, I came out of the shower and my injured knee had an exorbitant amount of fluid build-up. I was rushed to a local orthopedic specialist, and the fluid was removed from my knee. The game was the following Saturday and because of the limited "bodies" available at my position, I proceeded to have a double tape job and found myself starting in the Hula Bowl. I simply could not run. The additional tape constricted me and I found myself having the worst game of my career. So bad that the color commentator, former NFL Quarterback John Brodie, questioned the merit of my being chosen to play as an All Star.

I was downgraded in the draft and was finally chosen by the Detroit Lions in the ninth round of the 1975 NFL draft. I signed with a $2500 bonus and a $25,000 a year salary. Conditional upon having knee surgery performed by the University of Michigan team Orthopedic Surgeon the aforementioned Dr. O'Connor. The surgery apparently went as planned and I was placed on the teams Injured Reserve-Physically Unable to Play list. When returning for my second camp in 1976, I found that I could not keep fluid off of the knee and It was determined to be a degenerative joint and I was placed on waivers after about 3 weeks.

I subsequently sued the Detroit Lions in 1977 as my attorney realized that I had been involved in "full-contact" practice during the 1975 season. My status, according to the NFL, prohibited "full-contact" participation. We sued for $15,000 and settled out of court for $2,500.

Fast forward 30 years. It's 2005 and I discovered a serious gap in services. There is no assistance available from the NFL as my participation does not qualify for help. Players like myself, who have suffered specific injuries directly associated with their participation on a collegiate level, have nowhere to turn. Surgery and rehabilitation is simply unaffordable.

It would seem logical that Sports Networks, the NCAA and the respective Universities would want to endorse an organization dedicated to filling this need. That they would consider designating a fraction of their gross incomes to help these suffering athletes. When you consider the vast amount of money produced by NCAA Athletics, College Football in particular, it is a travesty that qualified and deserving former student athletes, who have sacrificed their bodies in the endeavor to bring success and notoriety to their respective schools, have nowhere to turn for help. They are forced to suffer through the pain or settle for subsidized care.

FAN, Inc., wishes to solicit your support. We will be initially creating a FAN BASE to include anyone who is sympathetic to our cause. Next we will create an advisory board to direct the organization and it's initial fundraising efforts. Finally, a Board of Determination will be established through the nomination of former athletes, Business and Medical professionals whose sole responsibility will be to evaluate the merit of applicants seeking assistance.

I you or someone you know has been injured while participating in an NCAA sanctioned activity and that injury has become debilitating, we need to hear from you today. Click on the "Contact Us" button and take action now.

Thank you,