Scholarships Created by Lindsey, Razorback Foundation, 1979 Football Seniors Awarded

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Five students from the College of Education and Health Professions’ athletic training graduate program at the University of Arkansas have received scholarships created in honor of Dean Weber and Bill Ferrell. The awards were presented Saturday, Nov. 1.

The Razorback A Club — a group comprising former athletes and lettermen — and Jim Lindsey worked together to raise money in memory of Ferrell, the longtime athletic trainer and head baseball coach at the university.

Lindsey, chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees and a member of the 1964 National Championship football team, agreed to match the money raised by the club members.

“We contacted former athletes who played during Bill’s time at the university,” said Harold Horton of the Razorback Foundation. “We raised $110,000, and Jim matched our total. I guess you could say we wanted to make it as hard as we could on Jim by raising as much money as possible. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the former players of the Bill Ferrell era and for Jim Lindsey. His match was a great incentive for others to give, but I think the main incentive for the former athletes was knowing they were doing something to honor Bill.”

 “Bill Ferrell was a great man,” said Lindsey. “He was not only a great trainer, he was also every player’s friend and father confessor. He was an integral part of our success. And, I believe we would not have won 22 straight games and a national championship in 1964 without his powerful presence.”

The Razorback A Club and Lindsey were inspired to create this scholarship after the seniors from the 1979 Razorback football team raised money for a scholarship to honor Weber, also a former athletic trainer for the University of Arkansas who is now the director of equipment operations for the athletics department. With 100 percent participation from the senior class, their achievement was truly unique to the University of Arkansas campus and set a standard for others to follow.

The 1979 Razorback football team had one of the great seasons in school history. They were called “a team without stars” because of their focus on team accomplishments rather than individual recognition.

At their 25^th reunion celebration in 2004, the seniors decided to commit themselves as a group to a project that would have a lasting effect and further strengthen their bond. They established three goals for their project, and all three were met: to continue their practice of achieving 100 percent participation as a group of 14 teammates, to give back to the University of Arkansas, and to honor their good friend Weber for his friendship and his years of service and dedication to the university and the many student-athletes under his care.

To date, $53,846 has been raised for the fund, including pledges.

“We in the College of Education and Health Professions are very proud of this collaborative effort,” said Reed Greenwood, dean of the college. “It has made possible a vitally important gift that will help promote a nationally visible athletic training education program, and I can’t think of anyone better to honor than Dean Weber and Bill Ferrell. I’m particularly pleased for Mrs. Ferrell and her family that Bill is being honored in this way.”

One student, Robyn Meyers, received both the Weber and Ferrell Scholarships. The other four who received the Ferrell Scholarship were Austin Kerkhover, Takao Konda, Sheena White and Anna McCain.