RISING MOON: WARREN MOON GIVES BACK

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and nine-time Pro Bowl selection Warren Moon has always been generous with his time and resources. On Tuesday that generosity was once again on display as the former Oilers, Vikings and Seahawks quarterback announced a rededication to his non-profit organization, the Crescent Moon Foundation.

“From its inception during my time in Houston, the Crescent Moon Foundation has always been extremely special to me,” said Moon. “Our nation’s youth deserve every opportunity to succeed and the foundation gives hard working children a chance they might otherwise not have.”

Established in 1989, the Crescent Moon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for educational pursuits that will benefit children most in need who have displayed a commitment to their community, as well as other charitable causes. As part of the Crescent Moon Foundation’s mission, the Rising Moon Scholarship Program awards ten scholarships of up to $5,000 annually to students that demonstrate a commitment to their community, excel in leadership and academics, and who are in need.

“My mother taught me at a young age the importance of giving back,” said Moon, a Los Angeles native and Washington Huskies alum. “Unfortunately, not all kids today have someone guiding them or providing them with the means for success. It is my sincere hope the Crescent Moon Foundation can assist in that regard.”

  ABOUT WARREN MOON

Warren Moon is a nine-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. A native of Los Angeles, Moon attended the University of Washington where in 1978 he led the Huskies to a Rose Bowl Championship and was subsequently named the game’s MVP. Following a standout collegiate career, he would spend six seasons with the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos, leading them to five Grey Cups in six seasons. From there, Moon would join the NFL’s Houston Oilers where he racked up numerous awards including the NFL’s Man of the Year Award in 1989, the Walter Camp Man of the Year Award in 1993 and the Bart Starr Man of the Year Award in 1994. Following the 2000 season, Moon retired from the NFL after a decorated career.

JERRY LEVIAS: A MAN BEFORE HIS TIME

SMU fans gather today in Dallas to honor a football legend in the Sixth Annual Jerry LeVias Mustang Golf Classic…

College Football Hall of Fame Inductee Jerry LeVias, the golf tournament’s namesake, will forever hold great significance within the walls of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and to all those within the college football community.

On September 24, 1966, LeVias forever changed college football’s Southwest Conference (SWC) when he started as an end for SMU in its game against the University of Illinois. He was the first African-American to receive an athletic scholarship in the SWC.

“Being first I compare to being like a windshield,” LeVias told the Houston Chronicle for a profile in 2008. “You always get the bugs.”

Despite rampant racial indignities from opposing teams, his own teammates and other supposed luminaries, LeVias would go on to become an All-American wide receiver and kick returner, leading the Mustangs to the 1966 Cotton Bowl and ensuring his 2003 enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame. The verbal assaults and slurs, the threats of physical violence … while all of it was painful, none of it would deter this man from greatness.

In the Houston Chronicle article, LeVias recalled a 1968 contest versus TCU in which he was spit on by one of the Horned Frogs’ defenders. His spirit momentarily broken, LeVias retreated to the sideline for a coping session with then SMU head coach Hayden Fry before declaring he would return the next punt for a touchdown. His prediction proved accurate as the 5’9 native of Beaumont, Texas took the very next TCU punt 89 yards to the endzone and gave the Mustangs a 21-14 fourth quarter advantage. Still, for all this, LeVias would come to regret the manner in which this particular score was attained.

“That was the first time I openly hated,” LeVias told the Chronicle. “When you let hate get into your system, your mindset, it’s terrible. That’s why that one touchdown, I’m more ashamed of than anything else. That kind of broke me. That let hate into my system. Once you let the taste of hatred into your body, it’s like a poison. Like that vampire when it gets a taste of blood.”

Now 67-years-of-age, LeVias’s journey and accomplishments are celebrated within the college football community. His story was also featured on the HBO documentary Breaking the Huddle: The Integration Of College Football.

Prior to the 2009 season, SMU Mustangs head football coach June Jones announced a deserving football student-athlete would be chosen annually to wear LeVias’s number "23" to honor his contributions to America, the sport of football and SMU.

“Not only did he change football, Jerry LeVias was at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement in Texas and the South,” said Jones. “He is an exceptional human being and I’m proud to call him my friend. Allowing one of our players to wear his number 23 will serve as a constant reminder of Jerry and everything he stands for.”

Over the years, the gentle spirit of Jerry LeVias has made an impact on a number of lives. After a decorated professional career with the Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers, LeVias left football to pursue personal business ventures outside the white lines. More recently, he has been involved with a Boys & Girls Harbor of Houston, a 501(c)(3) non-profit home that welcomes children in need regardless of race, creed, color or financial status. And while LeVias continues to make an impact on others, it’s clear he’s already achieved more than some men will in a lifetime.

“I’ve had a lot of wonderful things happen to me,” Coach Fry told the Chronicle. “The greatest thing that happened to me was getting Jerry LeVias.” 

Article references…

http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/043012aaa.html

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10491694/meeting-martin-luther-king-remains-smu-jerry-levias

http://www.nfl.com/player/jerrylevias/2519402/profile

http://www.chron.com/sports/college/article/LeVias-now-making-a-difference-off-playing-field-1782142.php