Former Dolphins star helping kids

[Wise Young]

http://www.nfl.com/ce/feature/0,3783,5605291,00.html

Former Dolphins star helping kids

By Gil Brandt
Special to NFL.com

(Aug. 13, 2002) -- According to the 2002 Rand McNally Road Atlas, the town of Big Sky, Mont., boasts a population of 1,221. On Aug. 19, that number will temporarily swell to include probably the biggest selection of sports celebrities ever assembled in one spot in the state of Montana. Call it big doings at Big Sky.

The event is a golf tournament at Big Sky Golf Course that will raise money for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Montana, an organization that helps single-parent families in the area.

Among the football stars in attendance will be Hall of Famer Bobby Bell and former players Billy Joe Dupree, Chris Doleman, Archie Manning, Rex Kern and Phil Olsen. Also on hand will be Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight, Montana basketball coach Pat Kennedy, golfer Tom Weiskopf, former major league pitchers Jack Morris and Jeff Ballard and former Tour de France winner Greg LeMond.

On the eve of the golf event, there will be a dinner at the Summit Hotel in Big Sky in which former Miami Dolphins defensive end Doug Betters will be honored for his charity work. A native of Whitefish, Mont., Betters has helped raise more than $1 million over the years with his annual "Doug Betters Winter Classic." This event, held on behalf of his charitable organization -- For the Children, Inc. -- provides money for pediatric care in area hospitals.

Betters, who was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1984 when the Dolphins reached the Super Bowl, is richly deserving of this honor. Not only has he done so much for his charity, but he continues to do so while overcoming personal obstacles of his own.

Betters, who was part of Miami's "Killer B's" defense in the early '80s and once recorded a total of 30 sacks over a two-year span (1983-84), has been paralyzed since 1998. He suffered a spinal injury in a skiing accident. But that has not stopped him from working with other spinal-injury patients over the years, in addition to his youth charities.

When I was still working with the Dallas Cowboys, I remember when Betters and the Dolphins knocked us out of playoff contention with a 28-21 victory late in the '84 season. I wasn't too happy with Doug back then, but this sort of event changes one's perspective. It's a perfect example of how guys who might have hated each other in the heat of competition can form a bond in later years and come together for a good cause.

[Chris Chappell]

I'm sure he does a lot of work with MP as well.

Onward and Upward!