Sports at Lunch, Leigh Steinberg
- 10-26-2004
- By Tom Shanahan, San Diego Hall of Champions
Leigh Steinberg, one of the sports world's first Super Agents, had stories to tell about players, owners and the people who run professional leagues when he came to San Diego to speak at Sports at Lunch..
It all started with Steve Bartkowski, a Cal quarterback Steinberg met when he was a law student and dormitory residence advisor at Cal. Bartkowski hired Steinberg to negotiate his first contract as the first pick of the draft by the Atlanta Falcons in 1975.
Three decades later Steinberg's list of clients, mostly in football, have included some of the biggest names in the game, such as quarterbacks Steve Young and Troy Aikman. Steinberg offered anecdotes about negotiating Aikman's contract with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Steinberg also gave his perspective on the sports world, including prospects for an NFL franchise in Los Angeles and his view of the hockey lockout that eventually led to the NHL season being canceled.
"Hockey is committing suicide," Steinberg said. "It's unbelievable."
But San Diegans had a few other questions about some of his infamous clients.
One was about Ryan Leaf, the Chargers' 1998 first-round draft pick as the second choice of the draft.
The other was about Ricky Williams, the Patrick Henry High alum who walked away from millions of dollars as a running back with the Miami Dolphins at the start of the 2004 season.
"Thank you, San Diego, for giving me so many interesting challenges," Steinberg said, before offering an insider's look at his two perplexing clients.
(Leaf) was the most disappointing ahtlete I've had in 31 years," Steinberg said.
But Steinberg also talked about one of his first philanthropic clients, Rolf Benirschke. The Chargers kicker, with a degree in zoology from UC Davis, established Kicks for Critters, a program that raised money for endangered species from field goals he made.
He told an amusing tale about after an Oakland Raiders games, when Benirschke had missed two field goals in a loss. Steinberg consoled Benirschke over dinner. In the same restaurant that night was Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts. As Steinberg tells the story, Fouts came over to their table with what turned out to be some biting humor.
“Well, Rolf,” Fouts said, “two more species just bit the dust.”
Kicks for Critters was just the beginning for Benirschke, who is honored tonight as Community Champion by the San Diego Hall of Champions for his continuing work for causes in San Diego and beyond.
The La Jolla High alumnus has been inducted into the Breitbard Hall-of-Fame, in 1999, and the Chargers Hall-of-Fame, in 1997. Upon retirement, after playing for the Chargers from 1977-86, he had finished 16 team records and ranked third among NFL kickers in career accuracy.
Benirschke’s causes have included serving as the National Spokesman for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Following the success of Kicks for Critters, Benirschke established Cans for Critters, an environment and wildlife education program that has been ongoing at San Diego schools.
Benirschke’s association with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation began after he was struck with ulcerative colitis, an intestinal illness that required emergency surgery following the start of the 1979 season. When he almost died from complications during two surgeries, the Chargers started a blood drive with the San Diego Blood Bank to aid their kicker and others. The Chargers Blood Drive celebrated its 26th anniversary in December, 2004.
Although it’s now common for athletes to establish foundations, Benirschke was a pioneer in such endeavors. Steinberg has since required his clients give back to their high school, college or community upon signing in this age of multi-million dollar contracts.
“One of the first programs we ever did was with Rolf, who drove down to San Diego from UC Davis in a VW,” Steinberg said. “Rolf’s passion was endangered species, so we approached the San Diego Zoo and set up a program.”
Benirschke donated money for each field goal he made and sought matching donations in the community, ranging from a nickel from little kids to a $1,000 from businesses.
“He took his vision of something and his passion for it and was able involve his community behind him,” Steinberg said. “One young man, through his social visions, was actually able to save species. We took those basic organizational principals and have spawned many programs with other athletes since then.”
Benirschke was named the NFL Man of the Year in 1983 for his work in charitable causes in the community and two other times he was a finalist for the award. After his comeback in the 1980 season, he began collecting honors as Hero of the Year from the NFL Players Association, Most Courageous Athlete from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association and Headliner of the Year by the San Diego Press Club.
In one of the most memorable moments in Chargers history, Benirschke, whose weight had dropped from 173 pounds to 123 while recovering from his surgeries, was named an honorary captain for the Chargers’ home game against the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He spoke to the team in the locker room and was escorted to midfield by defensive tackle Louie Kelcher, who was recovering from a season-ending knee surgery. The crowd offered a rousing ovation of encouragement, and the Chargers upset the Steelers, 35-7.
On the field, he is best remembered in his career for kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime in a 1981 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Miami. Benirschke’s 29-yard field goal 13:52 into overtime gave the Chargers a 41-38 win in what many consider the greatest game played in NFL history.
