Tag Archives: Teacher Athletes

Clarence Leon “Brick” Mitchell: High school PE teacher, football player, and coach

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Clarence Leon “Brick” Mitchell: PE teacher, football player, and coach

Many fine educators also enjoy success in professions other than teaching. One of these is Brick Mitchell, a high school physical education teacher who also earned fame as a football player and college football coach.

Brick was born Clarence Leon Mitchell, but was always known by his nickname, “Brick.” His birth year is believed to be 1894. As a young man, Brick played college football at the University of Oregon from 1915 to 1918, when World War I was in full swing. I 1916, he was selected to the All-Pacific Coast football team. He played the position of end. During his college years, Brick played three games in the Rose Bowl.

In the 1920s, Brick coached football at San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California. The school is located 20 miles south of San Francisco. In 1926 Coach Mitchell led his team to its first state championship. Next, Brick worked as a line coach at the University of California, Berkeley. From there he was hired as the Head Football Coach at the University of Nevada, Reno. He coached there from 1932 to 1935. During those years, he led his team, the Wolf Pack, to a record of 10 wins, 20 losses, and 3 ties

In 1958, Brick returned to the high school. There he taught physical education, mechanical drawing, and math at Oroville High School in Oroville, California. Oroville is a public high school located in the rural northern valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.

Sadly, Brick Mitchell passed away on October 21, 1963, at the University of California Hospital in San Francisco. He was 69 years old. To read more about this amazing coach and educator, see this link at Wikipedia.

Teacher, coach, and former pro football player Herb Banet

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Teacher, coach, counselor, and former professional football player Herb Banet

When I think of chalkboard champions, I never forget all of our nation’s talented coaches. These dedicated professionals work many long hours with our young people, teaching them the value of self-discipline, healthy competition, fair play, and teamwork, and helping them to choose a healthy, active lifestyle. One such chalkboard champion in Herb Banet, a high school teacher, basketball coach, and guidance counselor from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Herb was born in 1913 in Fort Wayne. As a high school student, he was a gifted athlete.  At 6’2″ and 200 pounds, he earned All-City Honors in both football and basketball. After his graduation from Fort Wayne South High School in 1933, he attended Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana, where he played collegiate football. While at Manchester, Herb played All-Conference Football and All-State Football in 1934, 1935, and 1936. During the 1937 season, Herb played in the National Football League with the Green Bay Packers.

As if all this were not enough, Herb was also a war hero. When World War II broke out, he served his country in the US Navy.

These experience served him well during his eighteen-year career as a coach at Central High School in Fort Wayne. While coaching there, his team made one trip to the Final Four in 1960, where they were defeated by just one point by East Chicago Washington. Later in Herb’s career he served as a guidance counselor at Northrup High School. This talented educator retired in 1979. In recognition of his illustrious career as an athlete, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Herb Banet passed away in 2003 at the age of 89 and is buried at Falls Memorial Gardens in Wabash, Indiana. It is certain that his efforts as a gifted teacher, coach, and counselor will always be well-remembered.

New Jersey PE teacher and baseball coach Frank Eufemia is a former MLB player

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Frank Eufemia

Physical education teacher and baseball coach, and former MLB baseball player Frank Eufemia

Major League Baseball is celebrating the opening of another season, so it’s fitting and proper to share the story of a hardworking teacher and coach who used to be a professional baseball player: Frank Eufemia.

Frank was born in December 3, 1959, in the Bronx, New York, and was raised in Bergenfield, New Jersey. As a member of his high school baseball team, the All-County senior was recruited as an outfielder, but before long he was shifted to the position of pitcher. In 1982, his final season, he was named a 1st team Division III All-American.

In 1985, the 5’11”, 185 pound player was drafted as a relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins during. He played 39 games, finishing the season with a record of four wins, two losses, an earned run average of 3.79, and 30 strike-outs.

This chalkboard athlete currently teaches physical education and health and coaches baseball at Pascack Hills High School, a public institution located in Montvale, Bergen County, New Jersey.

Major League Baseball player James Brideweser also taught high school math

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James Brideweser

Math teacher and Major League Baseball player James Brideweser

Many successful athletes also become successful educators. One of these is James Brideweser, a Major League Baseball player who went on to teach high school mathematics in California.

James was born on February 13, 1927, in Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio. After his graduation from Washington High School in Los Angeles, he served his county in the military during World War II. He then earned his degree from the University of Southern California.

The 6-foot, 165-pound shortstop and second baseman inaugurated his MLB career with the New York Yankees, for whom he played three years. In 1954 he played for the Baltimore Orioles, and then he was traded to the Chicago White Sox, for whom he played in 1955-1956. The last team he played for was the Detroit Tigers. In all, James’ career panned the years 1951 to 1957.

Once he completed his career in baseball, James earned his teaching credentials. He secured a job as a mathematics teacher and Title IX counselor at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California. He also served as the coach of their varsity baseball team, which logged two championship seasons under his leadership.

James passed away on August 25, 1989, in El Toro, Orange County, California. He was 62 years old.

Science teacher and former MLB pitcher Jim Morris

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Jim Morris

Science teacher and former MLB pitcher Jim Morris

There are many examples of professional athletes who also enjoyed highly successful carers in the classroom. One of these athletes is Jim Morris, a high school teacher and coach who was also a pitcher for Major League Baseball.

Jim was born January 19, 1964, in Brownwood, Texas. Because his father was in the Navy, the family moved quite often during Jim’s childhood. He spent some of his childhood in New Haven, Connecticut; Great Lakes, Illinois; and Jacksonville, Florida. When his parents finally settled in Texas, Jim attended Brownwood High School. He graduated in 1982.

All during high school Jim nurtured a dream of pitching professional baseball. His dream was nearly realized when, in the 1982 amateur baseball draft, Jim signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. However, due to several arm injuries sustained while he played in the minor leagues, Jim was released during the 1987 season. In 1989, the young ball player signed with the Chicago White Sox, but once again was released before he could make it to the Show.

Once Jim retired from baseball, he decided to go back to school. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Science, Kinesology, and Psychology from Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, in 1996. Then he became a high school physical science, chemistry, and physucs teacher and baseball coach at Reagan County High School in Big Lake, Texas.

In the Spring of 1999, eleven years after retiring from minor league baseball, Jim  was giving a pep talk to his high school team about the importance of dreams and hard work. His high school players challenged him to pursue his own dream of pitching in the major leagues, so Jim promised the students that if they won the District Championship, he would tryout for a spot in Major League Baseball one more time. When his students won the title, Jim kept his promise by attending tryouts for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The team scout wasn’t really interested in signing the high school coach, but allowed him to tryout so that he could keep his promise. To everyone’s surprise, Jim played exceptionally well, and so, even though he was 35 years old, he signed a contract with the team. He made his MLB debut in September, 1999, and 16 more major league appearances before his arm injuries resurfaced. He was released in 2000, and then played briefly for the Dodgers. Jim retired from baseball in 2001.

In 2001 Jim published his autobiography, The Oldest Rookie. The book was adapted into a film called The Rookie, released in 2002 and starring Dennis Quaid. Today Jim appears as a motivational speaker.