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Welcome to the ghosts the Orange Bowl I’m Jay Rao for Miami’s community newspapers. Our guest today spent many Saturdays at the Orange Bowl as an offensive lineman for the University of Miami Hurricanes and during that time, he protected quarterbacks like Bernie Cozaar and Vinny Testaverde as a member of the 1983 National Championship team. Today, he’s protecting the rights of of accident victims. As a personal injury attorney. Please welcome to our show David Heffernan. Thanks very much. My pleasure. My pleasure, Dave, and you grew up in Miami. Tell me tell me what the Orange Bowl meant to you as a kid growing up?
Well, it was it was funny, because it really didn’t mean that much. If you look back at the University of Miami, you know, there was nobody their high school game for drawing bigger, bigger crowds, or I think Jackson played there and a few other people, you know, be a Friday night and Burger King and have a two for one, you know, Miami, you know, hurricane, you know, get a whopper and get a ticket to the game. But really, and you know, we’ve talked a lot about this year because because of the passing of Howard schnellenberger. But really, I think when Howard started to create the sort of magic city of Miami and the aura of the Orange Bowl is when a lot of that really started. I mean, at least from a college football, obviously the dolphins going there as a kid and watching the 72 dolphins, you know, that’s as special as it gets.
Do you remember the first time you went to the Orange Bowl?
Probably around that 72 season. I don’t know that I’ve been there before. But I got to a game or two during that 72 season and you know, look, growing up in Miami at that point. They were the only show in town, right? I mean, there wasn’t basketball. There wasn’t baseball, there wasn’t hockey and again, the University of Miami was not anything really in college football yet. So the dolphins were very special to this time right
now. Now when you were growing up in Miami, you went to Columbus High School. And Columbus had a you started a long pipeline of Columbus players that went to u m like your your teammates. Julio Cortez, john McVeigh, Kevin McCutcheon Alonzo Highsmith, the crystal ball brothers, Carlos Swartz, the list goes on. What was it about Columbus high and the University of Miami what drew all you guys there to Coral Gables?
Well, I can I can say for me, and it took a little longer for Julio and chandi McVeigh to figure it out. Because because they went elsewhere and came back. But but it was simple. I wanted to get out of town I wanted to get out of Miami. But again, it goes back to coach ellenberger, who recruited you and basically said, Listen, online, unlike other schools, he never bashed any of the schools, I was talking about going to all fine schools, all fine schools, but he said, Look, if you want to be part of something special, this is where you need to be. And it resonated with me. And it resonated with pretty much everybody he recruited. And obviously, you know, like a prophet, his word came true.
It’s interesting, you mentioned that because schnellenberger when you look at his older interviews, he wasn’t talking about, you know, just being able to compete. He was talking about winning national championships when the program was on his deathbed, almost, how did he How was he able to sell you on that dream?
Well, you know, he had a big Super Bowl ring on taking the dolphins THROUGH THROUGH THE ONLY perfect season even today in the NFL. And and he was a visionary. He believed in it. And, you know, you’re read all of this now and how you have to buy in the program? Well, it starts with the head coach, I mean, whatever that head coach that philosophy is, if the team doesn’t buy into that, and well, he doesn’t buy into it, you’re never gonna get your team to buy into. So Howard believed it. And then you saw it by the actions, because they were Miami was independent of time. So he wouldn’t, he wasn’t worried about home on away with Notre Dame or Bama. It’s like, fine, we’ll go play him on the road. We’ll go play this. He said you got to play the best. And so if you look at those early schedules, that’s who we were playing, right, you know, and then you start negotiating homeaway but it didn’t matter at that point. It’s
like fine, we’ll go play on the road. Hey, you mentioned that because at that time, they didn’t believe you guys didn’t belong to a conference. You want an independent team so you played teams from anywhere at any time. You can play a big big eight team or what’s the big 12 now sec team like Florida Sure. Or Notre Dame which was also an independent so you guys, you guys played like a very What? A very, very schedule at that time.
Well, that was that was his philosophy man who’s gonna put Miami on the map. Yeah, you got to go play the best I mean, you know, and it’s harder sometimes now with conferences and I get that but but yeah, line up with the best if you want to show me You’re the best
right now. When you were in high school, I noticed that you won the silver night. Now for those who don’t know, the silver night is is like one of the most prestigious awards a student a student can achieve in Dade County. It’s, it’s, it’s some of the past winners include Ted Hendricks. Neil cosy. I even noticed that Jeff Bezos of Amazon was a silver night award winner. How did you? How did you get involved in that? And what’s what’s involved in winning a silver night?
Well, I like to think I could have done what basis did but but I would have worked out well, I didn’t know you could take a silver night and launch it into Amazon. But But I could probably get it delivered to you overnight. No, it’s it’s the Miami Herald has run that for years. And you get nominated your school nominate you. And then there’s an application process and interview process. And, frankly, I mean, I still watch to this day, the students that win and I kind of pinch myself a little bit and go, Okay, how did I win that? Because it’s just an impressive array of what these students are doing. And, you know, we all think we’ve got time constraints and whatnot, but you look at what they donate and dedicate time to, to charities and organizations and they start organizations and they found organizations when they’re 1617 years old,
right now, because you were such a great student. You were an all county defensive lineman, we’ll get to that later. But you are a defensive lineman all county defensive lineman, great student, you obviously had your choice of just about any college. Right? I mean, who were some of the schools that offered you a scholarship?
Well, I mean, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, I was this close to going to wake forest, just because I love the school, and they had actually gone eight and three, my senior year, and it’s a beautiful campus. And john McAfee was the head coach there at the time. And I remember sitting in his office and asking, you know, sort of what is he see is the future whatnot, and whatever was a hesitation in his voice, whatever. I was worried he wasn’t gonna be there long. He left the following year, that program never really went anywhere. And again, it just it simply was coach number.
So you get to Miami, you get to the University of Miami, you use your you were a defensive lineman in high school, all of a sudden, schnellenberger comes up to you and says, I want you to play offense. What was your reaction?
Well, other than, oh my God, I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life. I mean, he’s starting training camp and you know, you got both playbooks and everything else and next thing you know, they hand me a football and take my defensive playbook and said, you’re gonna play center. Well, I was sick for I weighed 208 pounds. Never snapped the ball before my life. And then the varsity came in. Starting nose tackle was a guy by the name of Jim Burton. Okay. New York Giants. Yeah, yeah, Super Bowl winner, New York Giants. A man that terrifies me to this day, and and beat me silly every day. Really where it was, you know, we would question what we’re doing. But what Howard did, then, and it’s really a change in high school now. But he took and created an offensive line. Ian Sinclair, who ultimately wound up being our starting center was a tight end. One common Darrow, who played South Miami High School was a defensive end, Paul Berta, Sally came over was a defensive tackle. Alvin Ward was the only one on the starting line when we won the national championship that actually played offensive line in high school. And I think what Howard saw, and you saw it in his philosophy with defense and Jimmy really then incorporated that you know, was was recruiter safety and make them bigger and let him play linebacker, and then get a linebacker and make him bigger, and, and so that you keep speed and everything else. And so he did that with an offensive line. And so, you know, for two, three years, we got beat by guys like Jim Burton, Tony chicle. Oh, and Lester Williams and fuzzy Nelson. So by the time we really got to take the field on our own, we’d been season we played against the best.
So to touch on what you just said. They were they were basically recruiting offensive linemen to be more at more athletic.
Yeah, I think I think Howard, I mean, one of the key things and they told me after you know, the, in the recruiting process was they watched me play basketball, in a Christmas tournament over killing in high school, you know, and again, they were looking at sides, they were looking at feet and everything else and just kind of projecting where things could go. I think it’s a little different now because you look at some of the high school you know, these kids come out of high school and they’re six five and 300 pounds and they’re athletic, offensive lineman, so they’re gonna play offensive line, but, but Howard was just finding the right pieces.
You mentioned guys like Ian Sinclair, one common Darrow, Paul Berta. solian, yourself and Alvin ward. You guys had an interesting nickname. You guys were called United Nations offensive line. Talk about how you guys got that nickname and how that came about.
Well, I you got a Cuban guy in one we got a Canadian guy and he and Alvin Ward was an African American from Chicago. Paul Berta, Sally’s an Italian American and I was an Irish American. And so we just sort of became known as the melting pot. And, you know, for, to me for an offensive line to be successful, you’ve got to have five guys that are on the same page. I mean, unlike any other positions in football, everybody’s got to work together. But if those five guys don’t work together, and so we had sort of been through the battles together, I’m still friends with every one of those guys today in group group chat. As a matter of fact, there’s a group chat going on because Ed Davis who was one of my backups, his daughters are starting softball player at Florida State. So all of a sudden now we’ve got all these canes guys cheering for Florida State although they lost last night, so we got to come through the loser’s bracket now.
Oh, wow. Okay, so you you were part of the United Nations offensive line now. For the first couple years, your as you mentioned before you were getting your brains beaten by Jim Burt. But now is your time to shine 1983 comes you become the starting right tackle. And the major focus of the media is who’s going to be the quarterback Jim Kelly had just left. All of a sudden you have a three way competition between Bernie cozaar, Vinny Testaverde and Kyle Vander When did you guys know that Bernie was had what it took to be the starter?
Probably in hindsight, I mean, you know, look, the problem is the eye test. Bernie didn’t pass, right. I mean, Vinnie six, five, chiseled, he was like 235 and Bernie was tall and gangly. But But you saw he had a grasp for the game. And again, to Howard’s credit, Howard sod. And once Howard sort of said, Here’s your guy, then he was our guy. I mean, you know, it wouldn’t have mattered to us, but But yeah, Bernie had that quality of understanding the game and really just being a leader. And it’s not to say that Kyle had more experience at the time, Vinny had more athletic skills. Obviously, you saw that really go on to shine in his time. But again, I think it was when you look at the plan when Howard sort of anointed Barney as the one then then that was it. I mean, nobody was gonna question the coach.
Now, the 1983 season, you guys start out with a freshman quarterback, Bernie cozaar. You guys were unranked to start the year, you go up to Gainesville, and you get your brains beat in by the Gators. 28 to three, and everybody’s wondering what’s is this team? Is this team any good? What How did what happened after that Florida game? How did you guys turn it around?
Well, what happened after that Florida game was was going into that Florida game, we were going through three days, which came have two days anymore. I mean, that was just just really going through it. And so when we lost to Florida, we came back and thought, that’s it. Like I mean, they’re going to, they’re going to run us they’re going to beat us, you know. And across the board, everything was positive. Okay, and we turned the ball over four or five times, Bernie threw for close to 300 yards, but, but all they did was take the positive of that. And so there was no negativity that came up game, it was more like look at these things we did and if we do these things, and so it was a total different message than we anticipated as players. And we thought, okay, you know, we had three days going into this, like, we just may never, never leave the practice field, we’ll practice 24 seven. And instead, it was a very positive attitude, build on all of the things you could take out of that. And then it just started from there. Each game you sort of saw the momentum build as the season went on.
From an outsider’s point of view. I always felt like your team kind of turned it around with the Notre Dame game. That was the turning point to me. Anyway, as an outsider looking in. I remember you guys played Notre Dame on primetime game. CBS, I think it was and you guys shout them out. 20 to nothing, I think it was. What what game to you? Did you think you guys kind of turned the corner a little bit?
Well, that that was clearly pivotal because that was a national spotlight game. I mean, I think, you know, the, the corners were turning as it went on. And we had some big wins. But this was the national stage. And this was a chance, you know, Notre Dame’s Notre Dame. And this was the chance to really make a change. And so I think that’s the one. We’ve sort of been creeping up in the rankings and whatnot. But but that’s the one that people all of a sudden went, Oh, wait a minute, you know, these guys can play.
Right and you guys kept just winning and winning week after week. I think the West Virginia game you another rank team, you beat them but they You had a couple of close calls at the end against East Carolina. They almost beat you. Little East Carolina and then then Florida State was a game you had to win. Pull it out with the last second field goal.
Yeah, it was it was. East Carolina was a better team than a lot of people thought. And and yeah, that Ernest byner was on that team. Yeah, that was that was, that was a very, very close game. And again, credit to Bernie. I mean, big pass at the end, you know, and our coaching staff for seeing what needed to get done. And then, you know, Florida State, it doesn’t matter. I mean, you know, if their own Tanner were Oh, and Tanner, they’re both 10. And, oh, that game is going to be a tough one. I always give Jeff Davis a hard time because Fli was our kicker, you know, and he gets a lot of accolades for winning the game, except he missed two before. Okay, so we’re in the whole thing. Forget it. Don’t bring the kicker in, just let us run this in you know, which, which is why we don’t get to make decisions. But you know, give him a hard time afterwards, I go, Hey, you got one for three. Now you’re the hero, but he was the hero in that game. Wow. So
you guys run the table. Now all of a sudden, you’re invited to the Orange Bowl classic. And you’re going to face the number one, not just the number one team in the country, a team that people were saying at the time, was the greatest team of all time, that Nebraska had the Heisman winner, they had the Outland winner, they had the first pick of the draft Irving fryer, and they have one of the great option quarterbacks of all time turner Gill, were you guys at all intimidated going into that game?
Not at all. And again, you know, I’m going to sound like a broken record. But it goes back to coach schnellenberger and and Coach schnellenberger orchestrated everything leading up to that game of, of what we were to say. And we were just to praise Nebraska, tell them we’re humbled to be out there hope we don’t embarrass ourselves on the field, and to buy into all of the hype about them. To the extent My oldest brother, who was my biggest fan, you know, I had a beer with him the night or two before the game, he came out the hotel we were at. And he’s like, do you guys have a chance and I laughed, and said, have a chance to so we’re gonna beat these guys. Because the way it was all painted was to let let them believe that they are the greatest team and everything else. But from the get go. We had schemed and everything else and knew they hadn’t seen a passing game like ours, they hadn’t seen speed like ours. And our defense was was tenacious. And so you know, you look at what the defense did in that game and and how they kept coming up. The stop that they need, it was it was unbelievable. But yeah, at least for the guys in that locker room, there was never a doubt that we were going to win that game. But you
guys, you guys came out like gangbusters, you jumped out to a 17 to nothing lead, then all of a sudden, they hit you with that fumble brewski. And the momentum started to shift around to their side a little
a little bit. But the thing is, if you were on the sideline, our defense was actually fired up, that they had to run it. Here’s the greatest offense, okay, in college football, and they got to run a trick play to get their first score. So they were mad that they gave him the trick play and and our coaches had talked to him about it. And we knew about that plan everything else but but our defense actually came off the field, like really, that’s what they’ve got to do. And then, you know, look team like that. They got some momentum going. And you know, they’re tough to stop.
Bernie cozaar said something interesting. And Billy Corbin documentary, The you, he said that. One of the weaknesses of the Nebraska team was their defense was quote, unquote, prehistoric. And never see, they’d always played against option teams in the big eight and they never really played against a pro style passing attack. And you guys really took it to them the whole game. If Nebraska converts that two point conversion, there was still 48 seconds left on the clock. A
lot of people forget, forget about that. And Bernie and I have talked about that a lot. You know, because they think oh, that’s the end of the game. No, we had and I think we had two timeouts. So that game was was far from over. And Bernie was already plotting on the sideline, getting us ready to go, you know, when it gets bad in a way. And you know, thank god Kenny, did what he did, but, you know, if we had to get we still had a shot.
I think what a lot of people don’t understand is you guys win the game. And people automatically assume Well, they’re the national champions, but a lot of things had to go your way the number two, you guys were actually number five going into that game. The number two team Texas lost in the Cotton Bowl. The number three team Auburn, barely got by Michigan and the number 14, Illinois got destroyed in the Rose Bowl. So everything had a line up perfectly for you guys to get the national championship
100%. But But the beauty of that day, and again, it’s sort of the magic of this city and maybe the magic of the orange ball. We were the last game. So those things were occurring. While we’re at the hotel getting ready for the game. We’ve got headphones on You see, sort of the dominoes fall, so that by the time we tee that up, we know we got a shot at being national champs if we beat Nebraska.
Right. And you guys, you guys win the national championship, you accomplish the dream that Howard’s sold you on when you were coming out of high school. Mission accomplished. Now schnellenberger announces that he’s going to leave and take an USFL job, how did you find out that schnellenberger was leaving.
He had he had called a team meeting at that point, and you got to remember that the timing of it was odd because we went through spring practice with him. Okay, so, you know, we were, you know, it was start of summer for a few months off and, and, and it was, it was a financial decision that that he made what he felt was best for his family. And, you know, you, you have to understand that.
And then incomes Jimmie Johnson, an unknown from Oklahoma State. He shows up and there’s there’s a little bit of a tension between him and he had to he had to inherit Howard’s staff. Jimmy kept the offense going the way it was. But though because Jimmy had a defensive background, there was a little bit of tension between him and say, guys, like Tom Oliver Dotty and Bill trout, Alva Dotty ended up leaving. Talk about what your first impressions of Jimmie Johnson and the change to the Johnson style of coaching.
It was an interesting transition and you sort of hit on it. Okay. So Jimmy was hamstrung in that. Because it was after spring, they came in, and I think he was told you can’t fire anybody. But you know, people on that staff wanted the position. And so when Tom Oliver that he doesn’t get it, he leaves so you lose your coordinator. The offensive staff stayed intact. And so if you look offensively that year, I mean, we’re still in the record books in a lot of things. But obviously, you had a huge shake up in the defense, and it took a while Jimmy is a totally different style of coach than Howard was. And so I look at that program in the in the Miami program and going through different head coaches going through different abs, everything, that’s a formula. an anti success formula is amazing, because they won in spite of it, you know, and so Jimmy, you know, year two, puts his mark on it, and you look at what he does, and then Dennis comes in and what he did, and all of those things, you know, the most successful programs are continuity of having people there forever. So it was an adjustment to Jimmy cuz it was just it was a different style of coaching. I mean, you know, Howard was old school Bear Bryant, you know, Jimmy was a more modern psychology type guy like an Urban Meyer and that type set, you know, and a motivator in that end of things, you know, not necessarily an overall X’s and O’s guys Howard on the X’s and O’s, you know, knew everything. But Jimmy was a phenomenal coach in his own right. And obviously, I got theirs look back at what he did.
I look at that 1984 season, you guys played an insanely difficult schedule. You start out with number one, Auburn, then you play in Florida in Tampa, you beat both of them, and it looks like Wow, you guys might repeat again and then all of a sudden, you hit a buzzsaw at Michigan, but it was just and then you get all the way to the end. And you have the Maryland game the the the Boston College game. Talk about that roller coaster season of going from the extreme highs, extreme lows.
I mean, it was a tough year because like I said our offense was was really firing on all cylinders. We started out I mean, we had three games in the first 11 days. But jack going up and playing Auburn and Bo Jackson in that and doing well. Michigan was just a stumble with a bunch of turnovers and Glen Dennison are starting to or Willie Smith are starting tight end was out. And it was tough. But But yeah, the end of the season was was extraordinarily tough. Thank god there’s been a few games since then. But you know, the Maryland game for the longest time and that was Frank Reich. You know who was the quarterback there who’s who’s gone on and had other comebacks and is now coaching in the NFL. You know, we were up 31 nothing halftime, you lose 40 to 40 So, last three games were up 31 nothing halftime, we lose 40 to 40 we lose to Boston College 4745. And we lose to UCLA 3937. So you’re scoring 4045 and 37. And you go and three of those games. So it was a little frustrating.
Yeah. When you get down to the end of that season, there was a lot of heat on Jimmy. And was there any thoughts that was Jimmy going to make it in the future? Were there any doubts about Jimmy at that point?
I don’t think so. I mean, and again, I was I was out at that point, you know, and and and done, but Don’t think so. I mean, you’ve got to give people some time to come in. And really, he hadn’t had a spring with us. I mean, so this is a guy who’s got a few weeks of fall camp, and putting a team together with a staff. That doesn’t really want to be there, some of them. And so the fact that we got through and did as well, as we did, is a credit to Jimmy and then you look at what Jimmy did from there. It’s just tremendous.
Yeah. And your career obviously ended after the 84 season, and you go on to get drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round. Talk about that experience of, of going into an NFL training camp. And what was that like?
Well, here’s, here’s the interesting footnote on that. JOHN McAfee, who was the head coach at Wake Forest. He recruited you recruited me to Wake Forest, I opted not to go there was a head coach Kansas City when I got drafted. So I guess he got to spray back when he finally released me, but it was it was a it’s a whole different transition. I mean, we came out of a very successful program, and we’re prepared in that regard. But just the the level and ability, you know, you go from having, you know, a handful of great guys on both sides to everyone, you know, 22 deep on both sides are all all Americans and tremendous athletes. And, but it was it was a great experience. And you you kind of bounced around a few NFL camps, but you, you kind of hooked on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. You were a member, actually of their replacement team during the 1987 players strike. Talk about what it was like being a replacement player.
And did you guys face any animosity from the players that were picketing?
Yeah, it was, it was a difficult decision. Um, you know, I mean, up until that point, yeah, I, as I tell people, I was hard knocks before they filmed it. You know, I got a lot of, you know, coach wants to say, See and bring your playbook in Detroit, it was down to literally the final cut. They kept an offensive lineman who had played for Darryl Rogers at Arizona State and things like that. But it was a tough decision. And actually, Marc trestman, who was a coach at Miami when I was there had called me and said, Look, you know, you’ve been training this hard and trying to maintain, you know, why wouldn’t you because I didn’t want to go play at first. And this is an opportunity and there was some pushback from players out there. But it was, you know, it’s a tough, tough situation. You know, but it was still an opportunity to try and go play in the NFL.
And you after your after your playing career. You got your law degree ran you also dabbled in broadcasting you did you were the radio color commentator along with sunny Hirsch, on the hurricane broadcast in the 1990s I believe I talked about that.
Well, listen, working with with was sunny. I mean, the the true voice of the Miami Hurricanes was just a joy. my undergrad degree was in communications. And after having packed my stuff in my car and moved from city to city with NFL teams, I sort of came to the realization that if I was going to get into radio or TV, generally you got to go Market to Market I mean, you don’t normally stay in progress in a market you started a smaller market. And that’s why I decided to go to law school and then an opportunity opened up where they were looking for play by play people Josie gakki actually got seriously hurt in a in a plane accident. And so I saw the opportunity so what they just want somebody to do football. So we did a live audition during while a dummy audition during a dolphin game. One of getting the part and working with sunny was was one of the most joyous experiences I could ever had. I mean, one of the greatest ambassadors for college football and the EU, and for the radio industry, Sunny, new everybody. Everybody loves sunny and just an absolute joy. And, you know, I was practicing law, what better hobby to have? You know, in other words, I was gonna go to the games, drink beer and talk to my friends about the game. You want to put a microphone in front of me? Why not?
Well, let’s talk about more about that what you’re doing now you’re obviously a personal injury attorney from a from an attorney’s point of view. How do you view the game of football and, and in terms of personal injury? Do you feel that the game is safe to play for high school, college and even Pop Warner kids now?
I do. I think and And the important thing is these issues have been pushed to the forefront. And and I think that’s predominantly concussion. Okay. Other injuries and everyone’s but really, really I think the primary concern and focus is concussion and because it’s in the forefront, I think and they’re addressing it. Yeah, it’s it’s got inherent risk in the game. I also think it’s it’s the greatest sport you can play and it’s the greatest team sport. There’s so much you can learn and build from so I am an advocate of football, but with the appropriate training with the appropriate instruction, I mean, I laugh about not having three days and all of that. But it is important that the medical end of things monitor things that kids don’t play hurt, you know, some of that philosophy of, you know, suck it up, rub dirt on it, you’ll be fine, you know, has changed. And and I think really the concussion and having concussion protocol, and recognizing it early and protecting players is critical. And so the fact that that’s a discussion with the equipment changes and everything else. I am an advocate as for
Are there any lessons that you bring from your days as a football player to what you do today as an attorney
every day? I mean, it’s, it’s, I like and, and one of the things when I got into law school, because I got on the trial teams. You really can analogize it to sports. I mean, you know, Game Day is that trial, but but that trials not gonna go well, if you don’t put in all of the work to get it ready for trial. And that’s the training camp. And that’s the two days and that’s you know, and so really, that’s the approach with everything is Yeah, it’s nice. And, you know, we all want to be on the stage at the end. But but it’s the work you got to put in and that’s the one thing you have 100% control over is how hard you’re going to work
now for for those who don’t know, David has a show on this channel. Talk about the name of that show and how it came about?
Well, it’s it’s a it’s a quote from Shakespeare, the line was first off, let’s kill all the lawyers. And and it gets misquoted here and there and everything else. But you know, a lot of people think about that. And so well, that’s, that’s a good start. Bottom line is lawyers until you need one aren’t generally well liked. Okay, and I get it, you know, I’m, I’ve been doing this for 30 years, I don’t have a billboard, I don’t have things out there, you know, telling you how great I am. But you’re barraged with it. And so I think there’s a certain image that people have, particularly with personal injury lawyers, and so the thought was, let’s have a show, let’s bring on other local lawyers in different areas, and maybe one by one, we can take some of those lawyers off that list, and and educate some people on these type of things that lawyers do. And that lawyers, these are, you know, these are the people that, you know, are my friends that I work with and other areas that I work with.
Now, lastly, you’re also a member of the Orange Bowl committee and have been for the last 10 years. Yes, right. Yep. Talk about some of the things that you do with the Orange Bowl committee.
Well, I’ve been fortunate now I was on the board of directors for a while. I got nominated and elevated. I’m Secretary now. So I’m sort of their chief legal officer on the executive committee, so we see the workings of it. And it’s, it’s fascinating one, it’s fascinating to see what the Orange Bowl committee really is. And it’s so much more than just a game. I mean, what we do for the community, we build projects within the community. And it’s really our big push is is to be an integral part of the South Florida community. And and by supporting that community. Yes, we put on a game and yes, we want to do all those things. So just it’s a tremendous organization is it’s a joy to serve on and then and then look, I love college athletics. So you know, to be able to spend a week with a team that comes down and get to know the coaches and get to go out and watch practice and and assist them to make sure that they’re having the best experience they can in South Florida. It’s a joy but but the charitable end of the orange ball committee is is something I’m really, really proud of.
Oh, Dave, thanks for joining us, your very first guest and it’s really a pleasure to have you here on our show.
My pleasure. I appreciate you having and yeah, talking about the Orange Bowl. That’s an easy thing to do. Thanks. Thanks. Got it. Thanks.
I’m Jay Rao. To go see Orangeville on mine is community newspapers. See you again soon.