5/1/01 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 JAGUAR MEN’S SOCCER PROGRAM “ENDANGERED BUT NOT EXTINCT”

CONTACT: Matt Smith

MOBILE, Ala. – “Endangered but not Extinct.”

That was the slogan this past weekend as many of the University of South Alabama men’s soccer alumni returned for a reunion to the USA campus.

Close to 80 former players and coaches were in town for a fun-filled, three-day weekend that included a reception, a full day of pick-up soccer games at “The Cage” and a golf outing.

A reception was held Friday night in the John Counts Room of the Mitchell Center to kick off the weekend’s festivities. Players, who represented countries from many parts of the world, shared a few interesting stories.

Student-athletes as far away as Iceland and South Africa were in attendance. And it was all made by possible by one man, former letterwinner Marcus Underwood, who now lives in Atlanta. The Birmingham, Ala., native started the first of many reunion phone calls and e-mails less than two years ago. His message spread quickly, worldwide in fact. Underwood was honored for his accomplishments during Friday’s reception and was thanked numerous times throughout the weekend for pulling together an event, that some thought was impossible. The event received rave reviews from all that attended. Many of the players shared their views concerning the program.

“Even though the program has shut down, the South Alabama spirit still lives,” said former player Goggi Rognvaldsson, a member of the USA Athletic Hall of Fame who lettered from 1987-90.

Rognvaldsson, one of two Jaguars to earn All-America status, led the nation in scoring and set school records in 1989 with 61 points (24 goals, 13 assists). Rognvaldsson is one of the more recognizable figures in Jaguar soccer history. He was one of several players from Iceland to make the journey to Mobile.

“This is unbelievable, to see all the guys who played soccer for South Alabama for so many years,” Rognvaldsson said. “Coming back to Mobile is just like coming home again. I really have a great appreciation for this weekend.”

His message was reciprocated by all, including long-time soccer director Roy Patton, who was described as a father figure by most players.

“This is incredible,” Patton said of the reception turnout Friday night. “It’s really great to see these guys again. It means a lot to me.”

The number of players who returned even surprised USA Director of Athletics Joe Gottfried, who was on hand to dedicate a soccer collage that will be displayed in the Mitchell Center.

“It’s the most incredible event I’ve ever been involved in,” Gottfried said. “To see this many former student-athletes return, it’s really a tribute to Roy Patton. In speaking with many of the former players, they spoke so highly of their experiences here and the camaraderie they had as a team. I was overwhelmed.”

Patton, who became the program’s second head coach in 1980, performed one of the more remarkable coaching jobs ever at USA. After a 1-11 inaugural season, Patton guided the Jags to a 15-2-2 mark the following season. And from there, Patton registered 13 winning seasons in the next 14 years and finished his 16-year Jaguar coaching career with a 202-81-20 record, a winning percentage of .700. He left for a similar position at the University of Vermont in 1996 and handed the reigns over to one of his pupils – Stuart Fitzsimons.

The many who are familiar with Patton know him as a great leader and a caring man. He helped turn a sport, rarely played in the Mobile community before he arrived, into one that is now one of the more participatory sports among the local youth groups. He was also responsible in establishing community involvement with his players.

“Roy was the individual who initiated the soccer players becoming involved in the community as high school coaches,” Gottfried said. “The increase in soccer in the Mobile and Baldwin County area, I feel, is the result of Roy Patton and his efforts at South Alabama and what he accomplished. Last night was an indication of what his legacy really is.”

A key soccer community figure – Henry Papa -- says the players’ relationship with the Mobile community was second to none.

“The city of Mobile is the one that really gained the most out of these young men,” said Papa, who is the Southeast Coordinator of officials for the NISOA. “They gave so much to the community. In fact, when I arrived in Mobile in 1978, there were only two teams in the Mobile-Baldwin County area that had soccer. And because of (South Alabama men’s soccer), every high school now has a men’s team and a women’s team. We have more kids playing soccer in the city of Mobile than any other sport. Now, if that’s not a tribute to these young men, then I don’t think we could give a better accolade.”

Papa also elaborated the fact the student-athletes served as head coaches and referees during the off-season.

The program was discontinued two years ago due to financial reasons, gender equity and non-affiliation with a conference. After a 19-year association in the Sun Belt and a two-year membership as associate members in the Big South, the Jaguars no longer had a home and in the winter of 1999, men’s soccer was no longer a varsity sport at USA.

Soccer is still alive at USA, however. The women’s soccer program, which Patton started in 1994, continues to build a strong tradition. Mike Varga, who will be entering his third season as head coach when the 2001 season begins in August, is much appreciative of the standards the men’s program set.

“I’ve told the girls about the tradition here, but they’ve never seen it,” Varga said. “Of everyone on my team, only one player has ever seen a men’s game played on campus. It’s very important that they see the tradition of soccer at South Alabama. If it’s possible to take more pride in our program, I think (the reunion) will help do that. But I think they already take a tremendous amount of pride in playing here at South.

“I just want the guys to know, that there is still soccer at South,” Varga continued. “It’s unfortunate that there’s no longer a men’s program. But soccer is still here and it’s striving. We’re trying to keep up the tradition of winning Sun Belt Conference titles. We just want to try to keep it going in what they established.”

Many of the former players and acquaintances of the men’s program spoke about how the team was a family. Since leaving South, many have started families of their own.

Former women’s player Jenny Ware is someone who can very much relate to the term “family.” She married soccer lettermen Kenny Erdoes.

            “I think the men’s program was legendary even before I got here in the fact that they carried themselves with such class and had such an impression on the community,” said Ware-Erdoes, who lettered for the Jags from 1994-96 and was on the inaugural women’s team. “That really gave them the freedom to start a women’s program. The guys are still much a family.

            “Roy (Patton) always preached for us to stick together. I think it’s really neat that so many people could come back for this reunion.”

            Stuart Muirhead, a member of the last Jag team, is one of the few that decided to continue his education at USA following the final season. Muirhead now serves as a student-athlete in another sport – cross country and track.

            “It’s good to see a lot of the former players come back,” Muirhead said. “Being on the last team that played at South Alabama, I was disappointed to see the program (drop). When I got here, what I really didn’t understand was the sense of pride and commitment that South Alabama soccer teams had. That was evident at the reception. Just the camaraderie that I saw was just incredible.”

              Nearly 200 young men lettered during its existence from 1978-1998. On Saturday, when more than a third of that group donned T-shirts that read “Endangered but not Extinct”, they knew South Alabama soccer was still alive and that the future looked bright.