Foundation honors hero of football field, combat zone

Deepa Bharath

Ronnie Lott stands for much more than what he did on the football

field.

The defensive star -- who was extremely dedicated to his team, the

San Francisco 49ers -- was known for his fierce, inspirational,

all-out style of play on the football field. But away from it, he was

a gentle giant, who was soft-spoken, was a mentor to younger players

and contributed a lot of his time and money to charities.

He’s the kind of hero a new, local nonprofit called The Pacific

Club IMPACT Foundation loves and wants the younger generation to

emulate.

So, today this group will give out the first ever Lott Trophy

posthumously to Pat Tillman, who turned down a three-year,

$3.6-million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the

U.S. Army in May 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist

attacks. Tillman was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.

His father, Pat Tillman Sr., will accept the award Saturday night

at the USC vs. Arizona State football game at the Colosseum in Los

Angeles between the first and second quarters, said John Hamilton,

chair of the board of directors for the IMPACT Foundation.

The foundation, whose name stands for integrity, maturity,

performance, academics, community and tenacity, was established in

January at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach.

Members hope that the Lott Trophy will be mentioned in the same

league as the prestigious Heisman Trophy. A college athlete,

specifically a defensive player like Lott himself, will be selected

for the award each year. This year’s award banquet, a black-tie gala

event, is set for Dec. 12. The award being presented to Tillman’s

father on Saturday is an honorary one.

The foundation will place as much importance on a player’s

strength of character as it will on his athleticism, Hamilton said.

“It stresses the skills of a football player and his character on

and off the field,” he said. “We’ll select someone based on not only

how hard he hits, but on what kind of impact he has on the

community.”

The need for this trophy comes from a lack of visible role-models

for children and young adults, Hamilton said.

“My generation did not have a shortage of heroes,” he said. “But

today, the world is hungry for heroes. We wanted to be the entity to

recognize athletes with character, so we can replace the gangsters

and criminals on our sports pages with worthy heroes.”

The award is also the first one of its kind coming from the West

Coast, and it’s only the second to be named after a black athlete,

Hamilton said.

The winner of the award and two other finalists will also be

“adopted” by the 650 members of the Pacific Club, said Robert

Cristiano, board secretary for the IMPACT Foundation.

“They will have access to call on the expertise of our club

members,” he said. “It’s an unprecedented mentorship program awarded

to the finalists. Our hope is that these kids change the world we

live in.”

The foundation will also support local charities, said board

member Jeff Bitetti.

The fact that the first Lott trophy is being presented at

Saturday’s game before an audience of 90,000 is significant, he said.

“Ronnie Lott used to play for USC and Pat Tillman played for the

Arizona Cardinals,” Bitetti said. “Although many of us are USC or ASU

fans, it’s important that we come together as Americans.”

* DEEPA BHARATH is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at

[email protected].