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| Ollie Wilson |
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| Coaches for the Atlanta Falcons |
08/08 Update - Ollie Wilson;
Came across this article by Rich Garvens in the T&G the other day. Seems Ollie, one of our class officers,
is back with the Chargers. I like the falcon picture as the charger picture of wilson makes him look like he needs more
sleep!;
Ollie Wilson has parted ways with the Atlanta Falcons and rejoined the San Diego Chargers. The former Worcester
Resident and Doherty Graduate who had coached the Falcon's running backs since 2002. When I spoke with Wilson in early
January, he was confident he'd be working in the NFL This fall. If not Atlant, then somewhere else.
Turns out to be San Diego which hired Wilson, a few weeks after our conversation to coach the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson.
This is the second stint with the Chargers for Wilson, who previously worked for this organization from 1997 to 2001.
This is Wilson's 34th season coaching, the last 17 in the NFL.
From the Chargers;
Running Backs
18th NFL Season, 6th with Chargers
A veteran coach with 17 years of NFL coaching experience on his resume, Ollie Wilson returns to San Diego after spending
the last six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons (2002-07). Wilson originally coached the Chargers’ running backs from
1997-01 and in his final season in San Diego, Wilson tutored rookie running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the runner up for the
Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Tomlinson had a monster season, setting team rookie records with 1,236
yards, 10 touchdowns and 1,603 total yards from scrimmage. His scrimmage mark was not only a team rookie record, but it also
broke Lance Alworth’s 36-year old team record for scrimmage yards.
Wilson began his coaching career at the collegiate level, spending the 1974 season as the wide receivers coach at his
alma mater, Springfield (Mass.) College, the 1975-82 seasons as offensive coordinator at Northeastern University and the 1983-90
seasons as the running backs coach at Cal-Berkeley. While coaching in college, he participated in the NFL’s Minority
Coaching Fellowship Program, spending time working with the coaching staffs of both the Houston Oilers and the Falcons. It
helped him land his first full-time NFL coaching gig in 1991 when he was named the running backs coach in Atlanta.
Wilson would spend six seasons (1991-96) with the Falcons during his first stint in Atlanta. He coached three 1,000-yard
rushers during that time, including the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, who was selected to the Pro Bowl after
rushing for 1,083 yards in 1995.
Wilson was hired by the Chargers for the first time in 1997. As a team, the Chargers rushed for more than 1,200 yards
in four of his five seasons, including 1,728 yards in 1998 and 1,695 yards in 2001.
Wilson returned to Atlanta after the 2001 season and would spend the next seven seasons coaching the Falcons’ running
backs. During those seven seasons combined, no team in the NFL rushed for more yards than the Falcons’ 13,994. By comparison,
the Chargers’ 13,157 yards ranked third. The Falcons set several team rushing records under his direction, including
single-season rushing yards (2,939 in 2006) and single-season rushing touchdowns (23 in 2002).
The Falcons’ 2,939 rushing yards in ’06 were the ninth-most for a season in NFL history and the most in the
league since the Chicago Bears rushed for 2,974 yards in 1984. In 2004, Atlanta rushed for a then team-record 2,672 yards,
the third-most single-season yards posted by a team between 1990-04. In a Divisional Playoff game against St. Louis following
the ’04 season, the Falcons rushed for a team-record (regular season or postseason) 327 yards.
Wilson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He played football, basketball, baseball and ran track at Worcester’s
Doherty High School. He went on to Springfield College where he was an honorable mention All-America wide receiver and earned
both bachelor’s (physical education) and master’s degrees.
Wilson is married to Nadine.
10/16/05; Ollie Wilson;
Running Backs, Atlanta Falcons - 2002-
Running Backs, San Diego Chargers - 1997-01
Running Backs, Atlanta Falcons
- 1991-96
A Story in the T&G on Ollie Wilson. The only question I'd have is when our former class officer attended a
Class Reunion ;-) Aside from this it appears Ollie is having (and we wish many more) the time of his life
in the NFL!
Here is the T&G Story from Rich Gaven T&G) followed by Ollie's exploits over the past "few" years:
You can take him out of Worcester, but you’ll never take the Worcester out of a grateful Ollie Wilson.
Wilson has been coaching football for 32 years, the last 15 in the NFL. He’s in his fourth season and second tour in
Atlanta, teaching the finer points of the running game to the likes of Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett.
Coaching
in general, but particularly at the professional level, isn’t so much a profession as it is a lifestyle. Workdays are
ridiculously long, the season a blur of day and night.
At one point early in his career, the 54-year-old Wilson went
two years without taking a vacation. As one might suspect, planning a trip home is tricky.
Wilson, a card-carrying
member of Doherty High class of ’69, generally gets home once a year. But not a day goes by he doesn’t think about
his hometown.
“That city is really important to me,” the affable Wilson said Friday during a lengthy phone
conversation that was devoted as much to the state of public school athletics in Worcester as it was to the prowess of Tom
Brady and Michael Vick.
Wilson, whose parents still live in Worcester, was a multisport standout for the
Highlanders, competing in football, basketball, baseball and track. In the summer, he played American Legion baseball for
Main South and caddied at Worcester Country Club.
“I never got home before 8 o’clock,” Wilson recalled.
He was both taught and coached by John Flaherty and John Whalen at Doherty, and claims both as chief
influences on getting from there to here. Wilson considered attending Holy Name, but took a pass because the school didn’t
offer football at the time.
Interesting note No. 1: Despite being a football coach, Wilson’s favorite sport
as a teen was baseball. Interesting note No. 2: Wilson’s brother, Mark, went on to become an outstanding catcher for
the Naps and is currently serving as an assistant football coach at his alma mater.
Wilson soon made the short trip
down the Mass. Pike to attend Springfield College. He graduated in 1974, having earned a degree in physical education and
All-America recognition for his play at wide receiver.
The next two years saw Wilson commute between Central Mass.
and Springfield as he earned a master’s degree from SC while teaching phys-ed in Worcester. It also saw Wilson enter
the coaching field as he took up buddy Mike Fields’ offer to become an assistant at Oxford High.
“It
kind of intrigued me because I liked the sport,” Wilson said of coaching and football, “but I never thought it
was going anywhere.”
The next fall saw Wilson land a grad assistant position at Springfield. After the season,
he sent out resumes — “one-finger typing” — to about 80 schools. A friend recommended him for an opening
at Northeastern and Wilson’s career was off and running.
Wilson would spend seven seasons on Huntington Avenue
before landing his first out-of-state job as running backs coach at Cal. Wilson, who has had a stable lifestyle by his profession’s
standards, settled in Berkeley for eight seasons, including four for one-time Patriots quarterback Joe Kapp.
While
at Cal, Wilson entered the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship program. During the college offseason, he worked with
Bum Phillips, first in Houston and then in Atlanta. Thus the no-vacation period.
After two nonstop years, Wilson’s
candle had nearly burned out when Phillips mentioned he might have a spot or two available on his staff. Wilson pulled the
equivalent of a college all-nighter prepping for the upcoming interview, only to discover Phillips was a tad more unconventional
than he realized.
Just as Phillips walked out of a staff meeting, he turned and asked, “Anybody here have a
problem with Ollie being the running backs coach? No problems? OK, Ollie is the running backs coach.”
And, Wilson
recalled, “that was it.”
That was 1991 and Wilson has been an NFL assistant ever since. He has coached
running backs for the Falcons (’91-96), San Diego Chargers (1997-2001) and the Falcons again (since 2002).
Wilson
has worked for, among others, Kevin Gilbride, June Jones, Dan Reeves and, currently, Jim Mora. He has coached
1,000-yard rushers Jamal Anderson, Craig Heyward, Eric Pegram, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Dunn.
With a resume
like that, it might seem strange to some Wilson has remained a position coach instead of pursuing a more high-profile offensive
coordinator’s post. Strange to everyone except Wilson, that is.
While the levels of competition are certainly
different, the game is the same for Wilson whether he’s dealing with Oxford Pirates or Atlanta Falcons.
“One
thing I always thought I could do was teach,” Wilson said. “And whether you’re in high school or the NFL,
you’ve got to be able to teach.
“I never imagined myself getting this far, I really didn’t. But
as I tell guys all the time, don’t worry about getting to a (higher) level, just do a good job where you are and you’ll
get there.”
The Falcons, who are in San Antonio to face the traveling Saints today, fell one win short of playing
the Patriots in the Super Bowl last season. They’re 3-2 and coming off a loss to the Patriots in Atlanta last week.
Last Sunday, Wilson watched from the Georgia Dome sidelines the way a fan watches from the stands — that being
with a mixture of awe and appreciation — as Brady drove the visiting Patriots to victory in the final two minutes.
“I
knew how good Brady was, but I stood and watched some of the throws he made,” Wilson said, his voice trailing off. You
couldn’t see it, but you could tell Wilson was shaking his head in amazement.
Seated in the stands were lifelong
Worcester buddies Rich Silkman, Charlie Horan and Mark Von Mayhauser. The Friends of Ollie had made the trip
to Atlanta to catch up with Wilson.
The foursome spent the night before the game looking at their high school yearbook
and sports scrapbooks Silkman’s mom had put together when they were at Doherty. A good time was had by all.
You
can, after all, take Wilson out of Worcester, but you can’t take the Worcester out of Wilson.
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From the Falcons:
Ollie Wilson's running backs were responsible for putting their name in the Falcons record books in 2004 in a big way.
On the heels of an extremely strong running game under Wilson 's direction, the Falcons led the NFL in rushing for the first
time in team his tory and set a franchise record with 2,672 yards. The 2,672 yards represented the third-highest rushing total
in the NFL since 1990. They also established a new team record, boasting a 5.1 yards per carry average, to eclipse the old
mark 4.5 yards per carry in 2002. It marked only the ninth time since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978 that a team
averaged 5.1 yards or more per carry.
In addition, Wilson 's runners finished with 327 yards rushing in the 47-17 NFC Divisional Playoff win over St. Louis ,
the fourth-highest postseason rushing total in NFL his tory . It was also the highest single-game (regular season or postseason)
total in team his tory . Among the many highlights of the hugely successful season with Wilson at the helm included Falcons
runners leading the NFL with 22 runs of 20 or more yards and tying a team record by rushing for more than 200 yards six different
times. Consistent with a team that runs the ball well, the Falcons were among the best teams in the NFL when it came to time-consuming
drives which resulted in scores. The Falcons scored 13 touchdowns on drives which last five or more minutes, the second most
of any team in the NFL.
Individually, Wilson took special pride in a 1,000-yard rushing campaign for Warrick Dunn (1,106), the third of his career
and first since the 2000 season, and his 4.2 yard average after he fought back from foot surgery that ended his 2003 season
prematurely with five games left. T.J. Duckett also put his stamp on the successful running back tandem by averaging 4.9 yards
per carry, third-highest in the NFL, and setting team records for most rushing touchdowns in a game (4), most touchdowns in
a game (4) and most points scored (24) in a game against Oakland.
Wilson is a 14-year NFL coaching veteran who begins his fourth season on the Falcons staff and second stint as the Falcons'
running backs coach.
In 2003, under Wilson's direction, Dunn and Duckett distinguished themselves as one of the best one-two combinations in
the NFL as the Falcons finished with at the time their fourth-highest per-carry average in franchise his tory (4.480). Dunn
was averaging 5.4 yards per carry, a full 1.5 yards above his career average, before he was lost for the season with a foot
injury in the season's 11th game against Tennessee , while Duckett rushed for a career-best 779 yards and set a franchise
record by scoring a touchdown in seven straight games.
In 2002, the Falcons averaged 148.0 yards rushing per game (fourth in the NFL), the fourth-highest mark in team his tory
. In addition, they also established team records for most rushing touchdowns in a season (23) and best per-carry average
(4.528 yards).
Wilson returned to Atlanta in 2002 after spending five seasons as the running backs coach with the San Diego Chargers.
In San Diego , Wilson helped tutor rookie runner LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 and saw the fruits of his labor pay immediate
dividends when Tomlinson established a Chargers rookie record of 1,236 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns scored. The 1,236
yards stood second only in San Diego 's team his tory to Natrone Means' 1,350 yards in 1994.
In addition, through Wilson 's guidance, Tomlinson also broke a 36-year old team record by totaling 1,603 combined yards
from scrimmage with another 367 yards receiving on 59 receptions. Tomlinson finished second in the Associated Press' balloting
for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year to Chicago Bears RB Anthony Thomas.
In his first stint in Atlanta (1991-96), Wilson 's three running backs rushed for 1,000 yards or more, including Jamal
Anderson (1,055 in 1996), Craig Heyward (1,083 in 1995) and Erric Pegram (1,185 in 1993). Heyward's productive 1995 season
made him the first Falcons runner to be voted to the Pro Bowl since 1988.
Wilson 's first taste of the NFL came as p art of the league's successful Minority Coaching Fellowship program with the
then Houston Oilers and also with the Falcons. The native of Worcester , Mass. , boasts a college coaching background that
includes the University of California-Berkeley (1983-90), where he coached running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs.
He also served as the offensive coordinator at Northeastern University for eight seasons (1976-82) and his first coaching
position was wide receivers for Springfield College in 1975.
Wilson was an honorable mention All-America wide out for Springfield College . He was born on March 3, 1951 in Worcester
, Mass. He and his wife, Nadine, reside in Suwanee , Ga.
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12/19/12 we have another publisher in our midsts
there were three when I just looked. Now there are two! Linde if there are math word problems as in Mr. Allard
Geometry type you are getting a bill, lol!
Based on the science that shows that people middle-aged or older who solve word games and brainteasers have a significant
cognitive advantage over those who do not, 399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges is the illustrated game book
specifically created to cross-train the brain. Here are 399 games to stretch, challenge, and push the reader, all of which
stimulate the formation of neurons—literally, regrowing the brain.
.
9/10/01 - Walter Karcheski who spent many years at Higgins Armory is now the head Curator at Owsley Brown Frasier Historical
Arms Museum in Louisville Ky. Walter J. Karcheski Jr. has been affiliated with the Higgins Armory Museum for more than 20
years. He was appointed Curator of Arms and Armor in 1985, and named Senior Curator in 2000. He has served as consultant to
several museums, including The Art Institute of Chicago since 1992. He is co-author, with Thom Richardson of the Royal Armouries,
of The Medieval Armour from Rhodes, has written or co-authored nearly fifty articles and catalogues, lectured in the United
States and abroad, and is a member of several international arms societies. In 1993 he was elected United States representative
on the executive committee of the International Association of Museums of Arms and Military History (IAMAM.
The primary
collection, formed by Mr. Frazier a quarter-century ago, includes weapons that belonged to President Theodore Roosevelt, General
George Armstrong Custer, and the late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. The Museum was Built in the 1870s, the historic Doerhoefer
Building, at 833 W. Main St., will house the Owsley Brown Frazier Historical Arms Museum, set to open in the spring of 2003.
It will showcase Frazier's personal collection of 19th-century presentation arms, one-of-a-kind firearms and edged weapons,
including documents establishing their authenticity and historical importance.
Stephen Pitcher, President of the Higgins
Armory Museum's Board of Trustees, said, "Chip Karcheski has been a fixture at the Higgins for as long as I can remember.
His international reputation and tremendous expertise have helped to shape the Higgins Armory into one of the leading institutions
in the world. I know he will be an enormous asset to this new museum venture in Louisville".
ed note: we are sorry to report that Chip has left us for the museum in the sky. Guess they needed another
great Curator. See the memorial page.
Our very own Beth & President Bill on the Golf Course at Martha's Vineyard in 1997
2/24/01; Wow Beth Goldman hit the big time with this article from the Worcester T&G. Beth, I am sure there is nothing
to this story. However how about supporting the upcoming 50th birthday bash reunion. It only costs $75.00 per couple and
it is cheaper than a library ;-)
Dozoretz made $1 million pledge
Saturday, February 24, 2001
Worcester native Beth Dozoretz, the widely known Democratic fund-raiser, has been implicated in the controversy
surrounding President Clinton's pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.
Newsweek Magazine reported yesterday
that Ms. Dozoretz, who asked Mr. Clinton to pardon Mr. Rich, promised to raise $1 million for the William J. Clinton Presidential
Foundation overseeing the former president's proposed Arkansas library.
The House Government Reform Committee
has obtained records of Ms. Dozoretz's pledge. The House committee also has obtained records showing that Denise Rich, another
Worcester native and friend of Ms. Dozoretz, contributed $450,000 to the library foundation. Ms. Rich is the former fugitive's
ex-wife.
Ms. Dozoretz's lawyer, Thomas Green, has denied any connection between the fund-raising pledge and
the pardon of Mr. Rich. He said Mr. Clinton and his client had no more than three conversations about Mr. Rich.
In a 1999 interview with the Telegram & Gazette, Ms. Dozoretz said she had been a reluctant spectator at the 1992
Democratic National Convention, but was won over by Bill Clinton's acceptance speech. She had attended at the behest of her
husband, Ronald Dozoretz, who already was a major contributor to political campaigns. And at the time she considered herself
apolitical.
The Dozoretzes moved to Washington, D.C., and Beth Dozoretz began fund-raising for the Democratic
Party, she said in the interview two years ago. She was even photographed with President Clinton in a golf cart on Martha's
Vineyard.
I was awed by his ability to really touch people, she said. At smaller parties, women are often weeping
when he is done talking. And Hillary's the same way.
Ms. Dozoretz took over as unpaid chairwoman of the Democratic
National Committee finance committee in April 1999.
Beth Dozoretz grew up in Worcester as Beth Goldman, the
daughter of Dr. Melvin and Sylvia Goldman. Her father, a dentist, college professor and inventor, died in 1997.
She is a 1969 graduate of Doherty Memorial High School. She described herself in the T&G interview as an anti-war
hippie with little interest in politics when she was a high school student.
Marching to a different drummer
2/23/01; THere are some people that did not make the pomp & circumstance of '69. While we were marching
down the aisle they for a variety of reasons were marching to a different drum. What is important to remember is that regardless
of which path they took - they were our neighbors, running buddies & friends thus they are still highlanders in spirit.
Here is one of them; Larry Fleming;
I have enjoyed reading your up keep of the class site. I signed in
on it about a week ago looking for people I haven't seen since the 60s most had just finished their Freshmen Yr. at Chandler
Jr When I last saw them. My parents had gotten this great Idea to have me go out of district to South my 10th yr. even though
I lived in W. Tatnuck up on the Paxton line. I would see everyone around the neighborhood yet because of the school thing
started lossing that being a part of feeling.. So that summer when everyone was getting ready to be a Jr. I enlisted in the
Marines I Grad. from Parris Island Dec 21, 67 and got home in time for everyone to be home on Christmas vacation. I also ran
into another Marine that week he was in school 2 years ahead of us and well known, George F. Adams he would be dead 10 weeks
later in V.N.
I was Proud to have been a Marine at that time yet always felt it cost me something that you all
have Classmates, the Prom. etc. I moved to the West Coast after the Marines until 1989. When I got back I worked for a few
years at Adcare Hosp. I was to find several people from school there as patients. When I talked to them I asked if they knew
of others and found how some are no longer with us, some that days are numbered do to life styles and others that made it.
Yet there are so many that have faded, moving, names changes etc. your list wasn't past the letter F on the missing colum
. Some I don't know if they even Grad. with class at all. One that I knew well and have lost track of was in the site Paula
Moran if you know how to contact her please forward my address. I know Candy Hamp lived in worcester on xxxx St a few years
back. Wendy Clark can also be found through Candy they keep in touch last I knew Wendy lived in Princeton. Barry Freeman was
in the Tatnuck Squ. area too.
ed.note; semper fi; from one Marine to another.
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