He transferred to Kansas State University, majoring in agricultural economics. Billy Graham at the White House. He was instantly knocked unconscious and was blown through the roof of the building. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. As a motivational and safety speaker, Saunders speaks to different audiences, including corporate clients, non-profits, and students on topics ranging from motivation and peak performance to workplace safety and the importance of education. By continuing to browse, you consent to our use of cookies. [5], Also in 2000, Kevin Saunders was nominated by Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas, and received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Washington, D.C.[23]. In 2013, Kansas State University picked Kevin Saunders and a handful of other outstanding alumni to represent the University in its Wildcat Way campaign. You cannot paste images directly. They went on to win that game. 2020 Copyright by Saunders & Associates. [13] Saunders faced a difficult transition to life as a paraplegic, experiencing bouts of depression and emotional distress. And if youre wondering how someone rises from those depths to become a champion, hes been there, too. About the experience, Saunders has said, I didnt even know how long the course was. If it is, player interest will erode over time. SO, i was reading the morning that KEVIN SAUNDERS (FORMER JJ KELLY, GRETNA COACH)had parted ways with GILMER HIGH SCHOOL as football coach.He has a reputation for rebuilding former powerhouse programs including GA. PEBBLEBROOKE H.S (6A). He grew up in NFL locker rooms his father Cedric a former vice president of football operations with the Detroit . Saunders was named head football coach at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi in 2003 and held the . By 87Tiger, November 2, 2016 in SWVA Football. The change in the program was later dubbed the greatest turnaround in college football history.. That's really more of a Wednesday kind of thing in my place of work. In 2009, Kevin returned to Kansas State Football on a part-time basis, furthering his work with the team. By sharpening his body and mind together, he became a world class competitor. Ronald Harrod. Coach Snyder asked Kevin Saunders to work as the motivational coach for the Kansas State football team, and he did from 1991 until 2005, during whats been referred to as the greatest college football turnaround in history'. The Wildcats won an Alliance Bowl bid from the Fiesta Bowl. [22] Saunders has also been recognized among Kansas State's 30 most famous alumni. WLJA is your home for the best in Southern Gospel music. Clear editor. 2020 Copyright by Saunders & Associates. Cayden Saunders was always following in his father's footsteps. Kaden Saunders (7) WR - 2022 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON Season: Redshirt season.Appeared in three games.Named the coaching staff's Developmental Squad Offensive He has also been featured in over 50 TV commercials promoting safety, fitness, education, sports and wellness. In 1995, Saunders was named a Top 100 Motivational Speaker, alongside notable people Donald Trump and Katie Couric. In 1989, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole nominated Saunders to serve on the Presidents Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN). At 32-years-old, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders is trying to create his own legacy while honoring his late . Kevin Saunders resigned from his position as Gilmer High Schools football head coach last Wednesday. And, in a matter of seconds, it did. You can be "old school" and be successful. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Saunders faced a difficult transition to life as a paraplegic, experiencing bouts of depression and emotional distress. [19] He served on the council until 2000. He pushed his racing wheelchair across the US, covering over 2,500 miles under his own power. 4h Kevin Seifert. Everybody wants their son to play for Bobby Knight until theson becomesthe next Neil Reed! All rights reserved. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. After meeting with President George H. W. Bush, Saunders became the first person with a disability to serve on the council, working alongside Chairman Arnold Schwarzenegger and other notable health and fitness experts. Friday's 70-7 loss to . All Rights Reserved. Extreme Motivator For over a decade, Kevin worked alongside Coach Bill Snyder, head football coach at Kansas State University, to assist in "the greatest turnaround in college sports history." In 1989, Saunders worked alongside Tom Cruise and Oliver Stone as a principal actor during the filming of the Academy Award-winning film "Born on the Fourth of July." Recommended Posts. Kevin Saunders (Kevin Vaughn Saunders) was born on 8 December, 1955 in Smith Center, KS, is a Motivational speaker, paralympian, author. From tragedy to triumph, Kevin Saunders has risen to become one of the world's greatest wheelchair athletes and top inspirational speaker and motivational coaches today. When I was Powell Valley Middle Schooler and High Schooler, my dad umpired softball. He was instantly knocked unconscious and was blown through the roof of the building. Along the way, Saunders received over 100 official mayoral and gubernatorial proclamations declaring Kevin Saunders Day for his work in promoting greater health and fitness across the nation. He would go on to win hundreds of medals in both domestic and international competitions. Join Facebook to connect with Kevin Saunders and others you may know. Paramedics found Saunders over 300 ft away, a crumpled mass lying in a pool of blood on a concrete parking lot. All rights reserved. Mailing Address: Saunders signed up, though he had only participated in wheelchair basketball and had never trained for a wheelchair race. Coach Leavitt was the co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State and Kevin Saunders was the motivation coach for the team. In 1985, Saunders donated a new track and field facility (Saunders Track) to Downs High School, replacing what was previously a dirt path with a regulation track. He was the first person with a disability appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and remains the only person to serve two consecutive terms unde Some of my duties as motivational coach included speaking and working with the team giving inspirational goal-setting talks. There was massive loss of life as many grain elevator employees were either killed by the blast instantly or succumbed to fatal injuries in the moments that followed. While visiting the university, Saunders was introduced to newly hired football Head Coach Bill Snyder. Later, Coach Snyder asked if Id be interested in staying on as motivational coach for the team, says Kevin. Saunders became a motivational speaker and consultant in 1984, shortly after winning the bronze medal at the USATF Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee. Some, like Kevin, are old school and still a great coach. He submitted recommendations outlining a temporary shutdown of the facility, and necessary repairs to resolve problems with the failing dust collection system. He won every race he competed in at the National Wheelchair Games, including distances from 100m to 5,000m. After four seasons as Pebblebrook's head football coach, Kevin Saunders is leaving the program in better shape than it was when he first arrived. Many others suffered severe, life-altering injuries requiring extended hospitalization. Kevin Saunders's net worth When rescuers found him, he was over 300 feet away in a parking lot, bent and broken at the chest. Gilmer finished that season 4-6, ending up 5th in the region standings. This national distinction was the culmination of nominations from over 1,500 member community colleges across America.[5]. In 1984, Saunders won the bronze medal in the National Wheelchair Athletic Associations Track and Field competition in Johnson City, Tennessee. While at KSU, he joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and continued to play sports until graduating from the university in 1978. David "Sarge" Saunders (born April 6, 1958) is an American football coach and educator. He was the first person with a disability appointed to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, and remains the only person to serve two consecutive terms under different administrations, first under President George H. W. Bush, and later reappointed by President Bill Clinton.[1]. Other donations to Downs High School included computers, shop equipment, audio-visual equipment and typewriters. I accepted, and worked as the motivational coach with the Kansas State football team from 1991 until 2005, during whats been referred to as the greatest college football turnaround in history. Some of my duties as motivational coach included speaking and working with the team giving inspirational goal-setting talks to help them break barriers, transcend limitations, and reach for new levels of excellence, and achievement.. During the tour, Saunders also visited over 50 childrens hospitals. Kevin Saunders was just like any other young man from the Kansas countryside. 2y Kevin Pelton "Chris brings a wealth of basketball experience from his time in the NBA, G League and Internationally. Saunders & Associates Speaking Management representatives met with the head engineer and declined to act on the inspection report, opting instead to continue normal operations. Kevin Saunders is a Head Football Coach at DeKalb County School District based in Dunwoody, Georgia. He served on the Council until 2000. In 1993, Saunders was chosen as the outstanding Alumnus and given the award from Pratt Community College, Pratt, Kansas, where he played for the football team on scholarship. During the 2012 season, Coach Bill Snyder asked Kevin Saunders after his presentation to the football team to come back to be the motivational coach as he had done in the past for the team. In 1991, Saunders began a collaboration with the Kansas State University College of Engineering aimed at prototyping a faster and lighter racing wheelchair. [citation needed]. Kevin is old school and most parents and kids can't handle that. Red Sanders. Kevin Saunders SALES, MARKETING & OPERATIONS LEADER: Consultative Sales | Strategic Planning | Channel Partnerships | Team Building Greater Boston 835 followers 500+ connections Join to view. Deion Sanders' last game as Jackson State University's head football coach may end today (Dec. 3) after the Tigers take on the Southern Jaguars in the SWAC Football Championship title game.. Albeit unconfirmed, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Sanders is expected to accept a position as head coach of Colorado University's Buffaloes football team. [7] The suspended grain dust particles instantly ignited, producing a series of powerful explosions that ripped through the facility at a speed calculated by experts at Texas A&M University to be in excess of 1,082ft per second.[8]. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. His excellence is. About the experience, Saunders has said, I didnt even know how long the course was. Management representatives met with the head engineer and declined to act on the inspection report, opting instead to continue normal operations. He was the first person with a disability appointed to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, and remains the only person to serve two consecutive terms under different administrations, first under President George H. W. Bush, and later reappointed by President Bill Clinton. I thought we were going to his office or to the field, but instead we made our way around a couple of corners, down a short hallway, and then to an unmarked door in a long hallway. At graduation in 1974, Saunders met U.S. Paralyzed from the chest down, he struggled to find a new meaning and focus for his life. Saunders faced a difficult transition to life as a paraplegic, experiencing bouts of depression and emotional distress. Some say this 2012 season for the Kansas State University Wildcats has been the 2nd greatest turnaround in college football history. Kansas State University finished the regular season with its first ever #1 BCS ranking and an 11-1 regular season and winning the BIG XII Championship. Followers 0. Some say this 2012 season for the Kansas State . . Saunders attended college on athletic scholarships for football, track and field, and soccer. He inherited a program on a 30-game losing streak and posted a 7-12 record in two seasons as the Bobcats head coach. In 1983 (two years after his injury) Saunders was persuaded by his brother, Gerald from Greenville, South Carolina to try entering his first wheelchair race, the Peachtree Road Race held in Atlanta, Georgia, every year on July 4. P.O. In 2016, Saunders was inducted into the Hall of Fame, recognized for his outstanding achievements as a multiple World & International Champion, multiple Paralympic medalist, multiple Pan American Games medalist and World and Paralympic record holder. His body was broken over at the chest like most people bend at the waist when they bend to touch their toes. In 1988, the City Council in Downs, KS voted to proclaim Downs the Home of Kevin Saunders World Champion Wheelchair Athlete, erecting signs on Hwy 24 East and West. When he opened it, there were over a hundred young players facing us on the other side. Kevin Saunders. The rising volume and tremor of the floor told an unmistakable truth that the building he was standing in would soon burst into flames. If there's someone Allar should have strong chemistry with, Saunders is a likely pick. I would even say that some of these kids now days need some "old school" in their lives. Kevin Saunders (left) was the kicker & punter for the Downs Dragons football team all four years of high school. The grain elevators silos (14-stories tall, 40 ft in diameter with reinforced walls up to 3 ft thick) were destroyed in seconds. A searching essay appraising the man and the football wizard whose sudden death shocked the sports world. I couldnt imagine a better treat. Penn State coach James Franklin talks to defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton during the second quarter of the NCAA college football team's Blue-White spring game Saturday, April 15, 2023, in State . While at KSU, he joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and continued to play sports until graduating from the university in 1978. The Blue-White game is set for Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. 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