FORMER 49ERS' GREAT DELVIN WILLIAMS TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

OAKLAND - The African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, which is dedicated to honoring black and other ethnic sports legends, will induct former 49ers great, Delvin Williams and six other retired professional athletes at its Annual Bay Area Induction Ceremony at The Temple on the Hill 4620 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland 94602 on Saturday, February 7, 2009.


A native of Houston, Texas, Delvin Williams was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1974, after graduating from the University of Kansas with a BS in Education. During three of his four years with San Francisco he led the team in rushing yards, setting the 49er's rushing record (1203 yards) for a single season in 1976. In a single game during that season, he had 34 carries and 194 yards and was named NFC All-Pro.


In 1978, Williams was traded to the Miami Dolphins, were he set their single season rushing record with 1258 yards; a record that stood for 25 years. When he was named First Team All-Pro, he became the first player in NFL history to:

· Rush for 1000 yards for two different teams,

· To set rushing records for two different teams, and

· To be named to the Pro Bowl for both an AFC & NFC team.


After retiring, Williams turned his energy and experience as a professional athlete to helping underprivileged youth by promoting sports and developing drug abuse prevention programs, including founding and running, including founding and serving as executive director of "Pros for Kids," which pairs professional athletes and young drug offenders. He organized a consortium of community, private and public sector organizations to create an employment clearinghouse called Jobs for Youth. Williams has also served on the boards of several organizations in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Alameda counties.



Among the community leaders who will be honored at the AAESHOF event will be Barbara Rodgers who will receive the Wendell Smith Media Award for outstanding contributions as a journalist. For nearly 30 years, Barbara Rodgers was one of the most recognizable newscasters on CBS 5 Eyewitness News. Starting in 1979 Rodgers quickly became a popular, award-winning anchor, reporter and show host and was the co-anchor of CBS 5's popular weekend newscasts with the late Doug Murphy from 1987 to 2000.


Before leaving in 2008, she was co-anchor of Eyewitness News at Noon and host of Bay Sunday, a weekly public affairs program where she interviewed dozens of newsmakers, community leaders and celebrities, including Spike Lee, Terry McMillan, Delroy Lindo and Jamie Foxx. She also was a reporter for the Jefferson Awards, given weekly to citizens for their outstanding public service.

Rodgers has received numerous honors for her work and community service, including the Frederick D. Patterson Outstanding Individual Award from the United Negro College Fund (2008), seven Emmy Awards from the Northern California Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS); five Excellence in Journalism Awards from the National Association of Black Journalists; and awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, the (San Francisco) Peninsula Press Club and The Society of Professional Journalists. In 2004, she received the "Pioneer Award" from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Governor's Award from NATAS, the highest local award a journalist can receive.

The complete list of inductees and other honorees will be announced on December 1st and can be viewed at www.afrosportshall.com.


The Annual Bay Area Induction Ceremony will begin with a "VIP Reception with the Stars" at 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 8:00 p.m. This is the AAESHOF's major annual fund-raiser proceeds of which fund the Hall of Fame's After School Youth Intervention Program. It helps students from economically challenged backgrounds fund their education through our "Academia Achievers Award Program." The AAESHOF has assisted over 350 students to date through this program.

The AAESHOF is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, and is dedicated to the development of opportunities for young, less fortunate youth to gain exposure to positive aspects of life.



Sponsored in part by:
Ethiopian Airlines
Amtrak
PG&E
Wells Fargo
Comcast
LaHitz Media
Outback Steakhouse.


Tickets can be purchased at http://www.afrosportshall.com.


For more ticket information: Kim Meltzer at 818-516-1459, KidKesty Productions, kim@kidkestyproductions or Arif Khatib, afrosportshall@aol.com, 510-508-3309. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Contact Jackie Wright at 415 824.3990 or jackiewright@wrightnow.biz.