Former Charger Plays Big Role in Eagles' Superbowl Drive

From PhiladelphiaEagles.com



One of the league's top young executives, Tom Heckert is in his fourth season in Philadelphia. He was promoted to his current role of vice president of player personnel in 2003. In this role, he works closely with Andy Reid in all player personnel matters while managing the player personnel department, which includes both college and pro scouting.

On Dec. 24, 2004, Heckert signed a contract extension through 2009.

"Tom has done an excellent job with our player personnel department over the last four years and we're fortunate to be able to keep him for the next several seasons," said Reid, the team's head coach/executive of VP of football operations. "He is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and is one of the best talent evaluators in the NFL."

Team president Joe Banner added, "I've said for many years that the lifeblood of building a successful NFL team is having a strong player personnel department, specifically their success in the draft. Tom has been a tremendous asset in that area. He's bright and is very diligent in his work and we're happy to have him on board."

There has been nothing but praise for Heckert since he joined the team.

"Tom has proven to be a tremendous worker," said Reid after promoting Heckert on May 21, 2003. "He has done an excellent job in all aspects of the football operations department. He was well deserving of this promotion."

Heckert, 37, joined the Eagles as the club's director of player personnel on May 21, 2001, after a 10-year stint as a member of the Miami Dolphins player personnel department, including the 2000 season as the club's director of pro personnel. In 1999, he served as the Dolphins assistant director of pro personnel/college scout. Heckert served as both a pro scout and as a college scout during his first nine seasons in South Florida.

Heckert's scouting talents have been valued by the NFL. In 2003, he was appointed by the league to the 12-person College Advisory Committee, which advises college football juniors on the their draft status.

Over his 13-year career in the NFL, Heckert's teams have never had a losing season, won their division six times and made the playoffs 10 times, including the last three in Philadelphia.

During Heckert's tenure in Miami, he worked under two of the most successful head coaches in NFL history - Don Shula and Jimmy Johnson - who both personally recommended Heckert for his current post with the Eagles.

Said Johnson when Heckert was hired, "Tom's smart, aggressive, and a good talent evaluator. He's a hard worker and has a strong opinion. As I told Coach Reid, if I were to come back as a head coach, Tom would be one of the first guys I'd try to hire."

A native of Adrian, Michigan, Heckert joined the Dolphins after spending two years as an assistant coach at Hillsdale College in Michigan. He also was a defensive back at Hillsdale.

Heckert's father, Tom, began his coaching career in 1961 and now has 20 years of experience in the NFL player personnel ranks, including the last 13 seasons with Miami. Recalled the younger Heckert, "I was around the football field and football offices probably more than I was home. I was always there. After school, I'd watch his practices. We'd go to every game. When I was really young, he'd be upstairs in his office working and I'd just watch tape, because it was there."

Heckert (born 7/17/67) and his wife, Kathy, have a son, Griffin (9), and a daughter, Madison (7), and reside in Glen Mills, PA.

Condolences

I would like to express my personal condolences to the entire Emery family, and the Hillsdale College family as a whole in regards to the unfortunate passing of freshman linebacker Adam Emery. Adam was highly esteemed by his friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers at Hillsdale College. He will be sadly missed.

Condolences to the Emery family may be sent to:

Mr. & Mrs. Allen Emery
4190 Indian Lakes
Cedar Springs, MI  49319

Again, all Charger fans send their thoughts and prayers

Four Charger Gridders Place Second at ND, Others Compete

Charger football fans glancing at the Hillsdale Mens Track and Field roster should see a lot of familiarity. Seven of the names listed are also on the Hillsdale football roster. Cody Senkyr, a senior from Clarkston and a Charger defensive back is the track team's captain.

Several of the "cross-overs" were in action on Saturday at the Notre Dame Irish Invitational in South Bend.

Hillsdale's 4x400 meter relay teams features Senkyr, senior db Matt Kaler and sophomore tailback Cody Calligan. That team finished second on Saturday with a time of 3:24.35

Sophomore Linebacker Greg Dixon placed 2nd in the shotput.

Also competing from the Charger football program was Andrew Daugherty who placed 4th in the men's weight throw.

Shreffler Raffle Tickets Sold Out! Dinner Still On.

Thanks to the tremendous response from the Hillsdale community, all 250 reverse raffle tickets have now been sold. Dinner tickets are still available and may be purchased at the door tonight for $25. Doors to Savarino's open at 6PM.

Despite the big snow sweeping through southern Michigan, the benefit will continue as scheduled. If you are unable to attend and would still like to contribute to this great cause, send checks payable to John Waldvogel at 204 Barnard St. Hillsdale, MI 49242

NCAA Sacks Proposal to Reduce Scholarship Limits

Tuesday January 11, 2005
By Wayne Nelson
Grand Forks, ND Herald Staff Writer

The NCAA on Monday rejected a proposal to reduce the allowable number of Division II football scholarships from 36 to 24. The vote failed by a 97-46 margin.

The proposal, had it passed, could have forced UND to take a closer look at moving its athletic programs to the Division I level.

UND, which offers the full complement of 36 scholarships, opposed the proposal, which was sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Sioux athletic director Roger Thomas said the proposal's defeat doesn't mean there won't be future talk about restructuring NCAA football.

"There are a few ideas floating around out there," Thomas said from Dallas. "Is there some other way we can do this to resolve these problems?"

Those who supported the proposal claimed that 24 scholarships are more in line with what most Division II schools currently offer. Approximately 50 percent of Division II schools offer fewer than 24 scholarships.

The proposal, however, came to the 2005 NCAA Convention without the support of the Division II Management and Presidents councils. Opponents claimed the reduction was too severe.

For now, at least, it will be business as usual for UND football.

Sioux coach Dale Lennon said the proposal did not affect UND recruiting.

"It had our attention," Lennon said of the proposal. "But it's always been business as usual. You can't let it hinder anything you do.

"None of the recruits thought it was that big of an issue. Everyone was under the assumption that it wasn't going to pass."

Veldheer to play Division II football at Hillsdale College

Thursday, January 13, 2005
By Kelly Hill

The Grand Rapids Press

Offers came from Notre Dame and Western Michigan University, but Jared Veldheer already had made his decision.

Veldheer, a 6-foot-7, 270-pound senior at Forest Hills Northern, has decided to continue his football career at Hillsdale College.

An offensive and defensive tackle for the Huskies the last two seasons, Veldheer announced last week that he has accepted a scholarship to play offensive tackle at the Division II school.

"He's good," said Brent Myers, who coached Veldheer during his two varsity seasons with the Huskies.

"His biggest plus is that he has great feet and great mobility for a guy his size. He can pass block and run block, obviously, since that's what we did here at Northern."

Veldheer, 17, was recruited by Notre Dame and WMU, but chose Hillsdale, in part because his brother, Aaron, played basketball at Hillsdale, prior to graduating in 2001.

"My brother went there and played basketball for a couple of years an he liked it there," Veldheer said last week. "I have been down to the campus a lot and I like the fact that it's a smaller school."

Full Story

Moore and Hillsdale's Mudd are Colts' bedrocks

Coordinator and O-line coach are two of the longest-tenured and most-revered assistants in the NFL.

By Phil Richards
phil.richards@indystar.com
January 13, 2005

Conversation concluded and pleasantries exchanged, the visitor rose to leave. Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer stopped him at the door with a final thought.

"Let me tell you something," Coyer said. "That offensive coordinator in Indy, he's the best. You match wits with him, you lose."

Three days later, the Broncos lost spectacularly. The Colts scored seven touchdowns in 10 offensive possessions Sunday to dismiss Denver 49-24 in an AFC wild-card game at the RCA Dome. It was 35-3 at halftime.

Quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Edgerrin James, wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley and the rest get the credit, and rightly so. The NFL is a players' game. You win on talent. You lose on the lack thereof.

But if you're looking for the twin rocks upon which the league's most dominant offense is founded, look deeper. Look at offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd.

Only Dick Hoak, in his 33rd season as Pittsburgh's running backs coach and 43rd season overall, is senior among NFL assistant coaches. Mudd, 62, is in his 31st year as a league assistant. Moore, 66, is in his 28th. Each is in his seventh year with the Colts. They are close friends, tough-minded brothers in philosophy and expectation, and if Moore is highly regarded, Mudd ranks right with him.

"If Howard isn't the best," Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil said, "his name is going to be one of the first in the conversation."

Full Story

Commentary: Scholarship Reductions Hurt Division II

By Brandon Misener
D2Football.com

It seems that there is a discussion about scholarship reductions in Division 2 every year. Unlike then years ago, when a 10% across the board reduction was legislated by the Division 2 membership as an across-the-boards cost reduction, lately scholarship reductions tend to focus exclusively on football.
Football is an easy target. Some administrators salivate come reduction time when they see that football can offer 36 scholarships.


It is the premier sport at many institutions and sets the tone for the entire athletic year. A good football season can have a spillover effect to the other sports. A bad season can have a negative effect on the other sports.


Football usually receives the greatest amount of publicity from the local media as well. The Denver Post or the Rocky Mountain News is more likely to do multiple stories on great RMAC football teams than they would on great RMAC basketball teams.


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