
n one sense these men and women are representative, vicars of all athletes who give of themselves unto others...they are not merely symbolic; they are very much flesh and blood, and this: They are the worthiest.
Illustrations by Mark Hess
Reggie Williams, a veteran linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals who is also partially deaf, won the NFLPA's Byron R. White Humanitarian Award in 1985. He was a trustee at the Cincinnati Speech and Hearing Center and a sponsor of the Reggie Williams Scholarship Fund to help inner-city Cincinnati high school kids go to college. After 13 years in professional football, Williams retired from the Bengals. Now 43, Williams is vice president of sports development for Disney.
By 1987, Patty Sheehan had won 18 LPGA tournaments and was the benefactor of Tigh Sheehan, a group home for 13- to 18-year-old girls who have been abused and neglected. Inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 1993, Sheehan, 51, is still a member of the LPGA Tour.
Bob Bourne played center for the Los Angeles Kings. Bourne helped raise thousands of dollars for a school for handicapped children. Bourne, 42, is currently an assistant coach for the Utah Grizzlies of the International Hockey League.
Kip Keino, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1500-meter run, has been the "father" to more than 100 orphaned children in Kenya over a 23-year period. Keino, 56, has retired from competitive sports. Keino and his wife still parent and teach orphaned children in their farmhouse and run the Kip Keino Sports House and Bookshop in Kenya. Keino coached Kenya's best runners in the 1996 Olympics, is the spokesman for the Bread and Water for Africa project and was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 1996.
In 1987, Rory Sparrow was the point guard for the New York Knicks and founder of the Rory Sparrow Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that enhances the quality of life for hundreds of high school-age kids in New York City and in his hometown of Paterson, N.J. After spending 12 years in the NBA, Sparrow retired from professional basketball. Now 39, he is the Director of Basketball Operations for the NBA.
In 1987, Chip Rives was a Wake Forest fullback and the creator of Santa's Helper, a program in Winston-Salem, N.C., that provides toys for needy children. Rives, now 33, works for a sports marketing firm in New England. His Santa's Helper program continues its work in Winston-Salem.
In 1987, Judi Brown King, then the American record-holder in the 400-meter hurdles, volunteered with programs for abused children. After retiring from competition, King became a track and field coach at Michigan State. Now 36, she left the university earlier this year.
Dale Murphy, an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, won the 1985 Lou Gehrig Award as the major league player who best represents the character and sportsmanship of the late, great Yankee slugger. Murphy was spokesperson for several charities. After retiring from baseball in 1993, Murphy continued his charity work. He was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 1995. Now 41, Murphy directs a program for Mormon missionaries in the Boston area.
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