The Ninth Annual Driller Football Hall of Fame will take place May 22 at the Marriott on Truxtun Avenue. Social hour begins at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., and induction ceremony at 8 p.m.
The 2014 class of inductees is one of the most prestigious in Driller history. Congressman Kevin McCarthy along with Jeremy Staat, Chad Manning, Tharrell Ming, Jack O’Brien, Jerry Marion and Bill Van Osdel Jr. will add their legacies to the Driller Hall of Fame.
Also being inducted are the 1945, ’47 and ’48 Valley Championship teams. The 1947 Bakersfield High School Valley team was led by National Football League Hall of Famer Frank Gifford.
BHS and Bakersfield College alumni have always had connections as far as football and community service is concerned and the 2014 class of inductees will add to that tradition.
Chad Manning attended BC from 1992-94. He played for the Renegades as an offensive tackle from ’93-’94. He was awarded the JC Grid wire Honorable Mention All-American; JC Grid wire First Team Academic All-American and All-Western States Conference. He currently is on the Board of Directors of the BC Helmet Club and has been stellar in helping the Renegade football program.
Jeremy Staat attended BC from ’94-’96 where he received a degree in criminal justice. He received numerous awards while playing football and participating in track for the Renegades. He was chosen as first-team WSC; honorable mention All-American by J.C. Grid wire; recipient of the Matt Poole Award in football and the Bakersfield College Coaches Award; Most Outstanding Male Athlete at Bakersfield College and numerous other awards in track.
He was a member of BC’s ’94-’95 football championship teams (in ’95 the ’Gades won the Potato Bowl). He is a U.S. veteran and received the 2011-12 MOPH Veteran of the Year Award. He played three years for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is in the BC Athletic Hall of Fame.
Jack O’Brien is currently an assistant football coach for the Renegades. He has been an assistant for BC for 13 years. He states, “These years were highlighted in 2012, when the Bakersfield College football team won the State Championship.”
Tharrell Ming attended Bakersfield College for a year and then transferred to San Jose State. He currently lives in Bakersfield with his wife Dinah where he has worked for the Alliance Appraisal Company for 41years. He has spent 10 years with The Appraisal Foundation, serving as chairman in 2001. This is a quasi-governmental body authorized by the U.S Congress. He has spent years helping kids (Driller supporter and booster) within the community as well.
Kevin McCarthy attended BC for two years (’84-’85) before transferring to California State University Bakersfield where he earned a degree in marketing. He currently serves in Congress as Representative for the 23rd District (which includes Bakersfield) of California and is the House Majority Whip for the Republican Party.
Bill Van Osdel Jr. played one year, 1960, as a running back and punter for the Renegades. He went on to play for the University of Houston in ’61-’62. While at Houston, the Cougars won the Tangerine Bowl, which was a highlight in Bill’s life. He signed and played for the Denver Broncos in ’63- ’64. Sadly, Bill passed away at the early age of 44.
Jerry Marion did not attend BC but received a split scholarship to play both football and baseball for the University of Wyoming.
He started as a running back, but changed to the wide receiver position while at Wyoming. The 1966 Wyoming football class was inducted in to the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame.
The 1947 BHS Valley Championship was led by NFL Legend Frank Gifford. Gifford played for BC for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California.
There he became an All-American tailback and was drafted by the New York Giants. He did broadcast work as a Wide World of Sports commentator and was later inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
For more information please call (661) 342-8356 or 393-4027.