WAY TO GO!

Isaacs Dad (Papa Butch) was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Yuba City Jr. College. So we made a quick trip down to California to see the big event. How excited we were for him and what a great honor. I am pretty sure he was not thrilled about having to talk at the event, but from what I heard he did a great job. Yeah... I missed pretty much the whole trip given that as soon as we got there Colt got sick with ear infections. So he and I hung in the hotel room THE WHOLE TIME! We did get to see his sweet Grandma who had never seen the little boys. I am so glad we atleast got to do that. The big boys had to stay home for school, but we flew out their Grandma Lou to stay with them while we were gone. They were thrilled to have her here. They played Just Dance on the Wii,went bowling and just had an all around fun time being together. (Thanks Mom.. We love you!!) Below is the article that was printed in the local paper in his home town... It is pretty awesome! Congrats Butch... we love you!!!










Former 49er to be honored
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February 18, 2010 12:56:00 AM
By Todd R. Hansen/For the Appeal-Democrat

Some believe Ron "Butch" Kelley was the best athlete ever produced at Sutter High School.

He wasn't too shabby at Yuba College, either.

The football star, who once held the shot put record at Yuba and went on to play two seasons at the University of Utah, will be among the seven honorees at the 12th annual Yuba College Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday.

"I think it is an honor," said Kelley, who was a four-sport star for the Huskies before dazzling the 49ers faithful from the fall of 1967 to the spring of 1969.

"I didn't even know they had an athletic foundation hall of fame going, and I had lost touch with a lot of the players out there," Kelley said. "I am hoping some of those people will be there. I am looking forward to seeing them."

Kelley, who does hunt with some of his old Sutter pals and former coach Wayne Gadberry, said when he was growing up, baseball was his true love.

"I was a baseball nut. ... We would play all day and all night," he said.

And while he was an all-league player in football, basketball, baseball and track and field at Sutter, it was on the gridiron and in the shot put circle where he did his best work.

As a senior, Kelley finished fifth in shot put at the state championships. What he remembers most about that competition, though, was the guy who finished third.

Anthony Davis, who went on to star as a running back at USC, probably weighed less than 175 pounds, but still out-threw the much bigger Kelley by more than a foot.

"He was just so quick in the circle," Kelley said.

The introduction to other great athletes — and in particular black athletes — continued during his time at Yuba College, an experience that helped shape his future.

Kelley remembers simply being wowed by a freshman running back by the name of Fred Riley, who would lead the 1969 Yuba football team to the mythical national championship as a sophomore. Riley is a member of the Hall of Fame as well.

"It was a great starting place for me. I enjoyed it for both football and track and field," said Kelley, who was selected all-conference as a fullback and linebacker his sophomore year.

That success catapulted Kelley to Utah, where he was a two-way starter for the Utes in 1969 and 1970.

Once in Utah, Kelley fell in love with the country.

"I've been here ever since, and I ended up marrying my roommate's sister," said Kelley, who resides in Lehi, which is located 12 miles north of Provo and 23 miles south of Salt Lake City.

A lieutenant in the state Department of Corrections, Kelley actually graduated with the intent of becoming a teacher, though not for long. Instead he went into iron work. But in order to spend more time with his family, he answered an ad looking for correctional officers.

To his chagrin, Kelley's son, Isaac, rejected Utah's advances and chose to play for rival BYU, where he was a starting linebacker for three years.

"I had a little problem with that at first," laughs Kelley.

Early on, he even wore his Utah red at the BYU games, something his son did not like much.

Now he will proudly display his Yuba College colors, again.

"I am looking forward to it," Kelley said.