Belle Vernon football inducts six into HOF
The Belle Vernon Football Hall of Fame inducted six more members as part of festivities for the Belle Vernon-Albert Gallatin home opener at James Weir Stadium. The Leopards notched a 29-6 win.
The tone for the evening was set by one of the inductees, Eric McElvenny, a high school senior when the organization presented its “inaugural class.”
McElvenny played defensive back on three of the best-ever Belle Vernon teams, who compiled a record of 30 wins and four losses in the final years (1998-2000) under Coach Gary Dongilli.
McElvenny went on to the U.S. Naval Academy and a military career that ended when an IED explosion in Afghanistan cost him his lower right leg. He conquered adversity to become an amputee endurance athlete and a sought-after motivational speaker.
McElvenny, Belle Vernon Class of 2001, will receive the Belle Vernon Football Hall of Fame’s special recognition award for his outstanding high school play in football as well as baseball and for setting an example of inspiration, determination and leadership.
“I was surprised and very honored and humbled,” McElvenny stated. “I loved playing football at Belle Vernon, and it’s something that I always think about, and to be selected was such an emotional experience.”
McElvenny was deployed overseas three times to Southeast Asia, and then to the Middle East. The third time was cut short. U.S. Marine Corps Captain McElvenny was leading four fellow Marines embedded with an Afghan group of fighters in Dec. 2011, when he stepped on the LED (improvised explosive device) that would forever change his life.
“It was hard,” McElvenny said. “It was a big change in my life when I lost my leg. There’s a couple of different ways you can react to it. I didn’t want to waste my future, this is my situation, and I just wanted to make the best of it and move forward and get past it and begin to enjoy my life. This has been such an amazing journey that I never would have expected, but I think when you have an opportunity to make a decision like that to continue to live your life to the fullest or not. It’s important to recognize that some things shouldn’t change the way you live your life.”
He discovered the Challenged Athletes Foundation in San Diego, which supports people with physical challenges, and which he still serves as a special “ambassador.” The group sponsored his triathlon training that combines long-distance swimming, bicycling and running.
Only months after he was carried off the battlefield, he participated in his first triathlon. Since then, he has completed several dozen triathlons as well as four full Ironman Triathlons that consist of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycling race and 26.2 full marathon.
He shared his story and became a riveting motivational speaker.
“I didn’t expect to ever be a motivational speaker,” McElvenny explained. “But after I was injured and started started running triathlons a lot of people asked me to come and share my story, and when I did that I realized I was having a positive impact on people and when you’re doing something that has an impact on people, I feel like you are doing something larger than yourself. It has been very rewarding for me to do this.”
Joining McElvenny as inductees will be the 171st, 172nd, 173rd, 174th and 175th former players, coaches and contributors to a football program dating back nearly a century.
They are Pat Gimbara (Rostraver Class of ’63), an aggressive lineman who played on both sides of the ball for the 1962 Rostraver team that captured a WPIAL co-championship.
“I’m happy with the honor,” Gimbara stated. “The 1962 team was undefeated and we played Carmichaels in a tie game for the Class A Championship. We played that game in mud up to our knees. Our whole team was talented, several of my teammates are already in the Hall of Fame.”
Tim Susick (BVA Class of ’72), a consummate scholar-athlete and standout linebacker who went on to play and coach at the college level.
“We had a lot of talent on our team,” Susick recalled. “We also had some great coaches and I was honored not only to be a player for Coach Dick Fields, but I also had the honor of being an assistant coach with him at California University of Pennsylvania as a graduate assistant coach.”
After receiving his master’s degree, Susick was hired at Lock Haven State College as the Assistant Director for Upward-Bound and served as assistant coach for linebackers and special teams under Head Coach Jack Fisher. During his first year as assistant coach, Lock Haven won the PSAC Championship.
After 12 years at Lock Haven, Susick returned to California University of Pennsylvania, where he’s Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.
“Football was a big part of my development,” Susick opined. “The coaches not only emphasized excellence on the field, but also off the field, in the classroom and also in our community.”
Jim Cicchini (BVA Class of ’87), a heavily-recruited, all-star running back who also led the Leps in basketball and track.
Larry Callaway (BVA Class of ’88), a three-year letterman, team captain for two seasons and all-around player offensively and defensively.
Ron Clawson Jr. (BVA Class of ’97), a center who anchored an explosive offensive line that opened doors for backs and paved the way for the Leps to achieve 12-1 and 11-2 records.
“I was very excited to be part of this class,” Clawson said. “It was quite an honor to be even considered given some of the very good players we’ve had come through Belle Vernon.
“Throughout my career there I was on some very good football teams without being too verbose and it was quite an honor to be considered for the Hall of Fame with some of those great players that I played with.”
Members of the Belle Vernon Football Hall of Fame date back to the 1920s when components of today’s school district played against each other: Marion Generals, Fayette City Bulldogs, North Belle Vernon Jackrabbits, Belle Vernon Wildcats, Rostraver Leopards and Bellmar Hurricanes.
George Von Benko’s “Memory Lane” column appears in the Monday editions of the Herald-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.