Former NFL player Doug English to speak to Marble Falls athletic boosters
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — Recent Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee and former NFL player Doug English will be the special speaker at the next meeting of the Marble Falls Athletic Booster Club.
“(English) is one of the all-time greats,” said Todd Dodge, the Marble Falls Independent School District athletic director. “He’s one of the all-time great icons.”
The event, which is free, is 6:30 p.m. March 17 at Max Copeland Gym on the high school campus, 2101 Mustang Drive. The public is invited.
Also speaking at the event are head coaches J.T. Blair of the baseball team, Trey Young of the girls soccer team and Jeff Savage of the tennis team. They will give an overview of their seasons.
In addition, Dodge will talk about offseason football.
English, a defensive tackle, was the 38th pick of the Detroit Lions in 1975 and spent 10 years with the organization. He and Al “Bubba” Baker were the cornerstones of the “Silver Rush” defensive line. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
He played at the University of Texas for legendary coach Darrell K. Royal and was teammates with Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell.
Dodge said English will reflect on his playing days at every level and will tell how booster club members helped him along the way.
“He’s a big supporter of high school athletes and high schools in general,” Dodge said. “Doug is still around the Austin area.”
Because of chronic injuries, English left football for a year in 1979 but returned prior to the 1981 season.
He recorded 13 sacks in 1983, helping the Lions to win the Central Division of the National Football Conference. Detroit lost 24-23 to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs.
English is the latest icon to address the booster club. Two weeks ago, former Texas Tech University head coach Spike Dykes spoke to members about the positive impact they have on athletics.
“We have a lot of famous coaches and outstanding players we can reach out to,” Dodge said. “They are interested in helping us.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com