College of the Desert Roadrunners Football: A Legacy of Spirit and Service

The College of the Desert (COD) Roadrunners football program has a history woven with athletic achievement, community spirit, and profound remembrance. From its humble beginnings to its present-day standing within the Southern California Football Association (SCFA), the program has consistently aimed to instill values of dedication and perseverance in its student-athletes. When the College of the Desert football team runs out of the locker room and onto the gridiron at Boone Field on the Palm Desert campus, they pass a sign with words meant to encourage and inspire: “Carry the Spirit - Give Your All.”

Early Years and Development

College of the Desert was established in 1958 after a decade of planning for a junior college district in the Coachella Valley. Voters approved the formation of the district and funded the building of the COD campus with a bond issue. The football program, like the college itself, grew from the ground up, becoming an integral part of the institution's identity. COD received its first accreditation on Oct.

The "Carry the Spirit - Give Your All" Memorial

A poignant symbol of the program's values is the memorial sign at Boone Field, dedicated to former Roadrunner players Daniel Suhr and James Gray. These men, who both played linebacker, exemplified the spirit of dedication and service that the program seeks to cultivate. After their time at COD, Suhr and Gray joined the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). In 2002, a small group of COD faculty, supporters and Rotary Club members, led by Cindy Farrell, gathered quietly one day in the spring and took turns “turning the screwdriver” to mount that sign on a red door outside the gridiron. The Palms-to-Pines Rotary Club spearheaded the memorial program, which included scholarships to the high schools attended by Suhr and Gray. Farrell attended COD from 1981 to 1983, and Suhr was among her classmates.

Tragically, both men lost their lives on September 11, 2001, while attempting to rescue others during the World Trade Center attacks. Their sacrifice is memorialized by a sign bearing their names and the motto "Carry the Spirit - Give Your All."

Remembering Daniel Suhr

Suhr, 37, competed as a sophomore in 1983 and was named to the Foothill Conference Defensive Team the same season. In a story in the Dec. 3, 1983 edition of The Desert Sun headlined, “Marman kept his vow to give COD winning season,” then-head coach John Marman gave big props to his defense, which helped carry the Roadrunners to a 6-2-1 record. It was a remarkable transformation for a team that went 2-8 (actually 0-10, but they were awarded two forfeits) the prior season. The ’83 defense gave up just 9.8 points per game. In a position-by-position breakdown, Marman said, “This was without a question the strongest point of COD’s team. The inside linebackers were Danny Suhr and Fred Adams. We had four outside linebackers that could do the job. Inside, Suhr found himself and became the defensive leader after about the third game.” A story in the Nov. 16, 1983 Desert Sun announced that Suhr - 6-foot, 215-pounds - and Adams had been named co-defensive players of the week by the COD coaching staff for their defensive play against Grossmont College.

Suhr’s commitment to service extended beyond the football field. According to his obituary in The Desert Sun, Suhr “was the recipient of many nicknames. Captain America is one. Whenever he went out with friends, he would point to exit doors and tell them where to meet him if anything happened. ‘He kept everyone safe,’ said his wife, Nancy.” The 16-year FDNY veteran also left behind his 2-year-old daughter, Brianna. “For Suhr, firefighting was a family tradition,” according to a post on the National Fallen Firefighters Association webpage. “His father was a career firefighter and his brother became a firefighter as well. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Suhr was the captain of both the James Madison High School baseball and football teams. The South Shore High School football team, which Suhr helped to coach, dedicated its 2001 season to him.” Suhr, who continued playing ball after his college days, was captain of the FDNY football team and the Brooklyn Mariners, a semi-pro team. He played middle linebacker.

Remembering James Gray

Gray, 34, earned a starting position at outside linebacker at the beginning of the 1985 football season. COD defensive coordinator Ray Adams called out a strong defensive performance against East Los Angeles College in the Sept. 16, 1985 edition of The Desert Sun. Adams commended a nose guard and linebacker Jimmy Gray for their efforts in putting “more pressure” on the opposing quarterback in the second half of the game, which limited the QB to two pass completions for 18 yards the last two quarters. The quarterback had passed for 236 yards in the first half.

After a six-year stint as a bus driver for New York City Transit, Gray joined the fire department in 1996. on the morning of the attack. He was working overtime and called to wish his girls - daughters Colleen, 8, and Caitlin, 6 - a good day in school. He told his wife he would call back later. She said she never again heard from her husband, who was last seen on the 35th floor of Tower 1. Gray was assigned to Ladder Company 20 - one of 133 ladder companies deployed during 9/11. Ladder companies’ primary function was to conduct rescues; engine companies focused on extinguishing fires, according to information provided in the 9/11 commission’s report. Ladder Co. 20 lost its entire crew of seven while performing rescue operations on the 35th floor of the North tower when it collapsed. A memorial board at Ladder Co. 20’s fire station lists the names and job assignment of each member of Ladder 20 on the day they perished. Gray occupied the position of “Irons,” which meant he was the “forcible-entry firefighter” responsible for bringing a set of irons (an 8-pound flathead ax and Halligan forced entry tool) and other break-in-capable equipment. This was unlike any fire, however, and on Sept. 11, the entire crew rushed in to try to save those trapped in the blazing skyscraper. Gray, who was born in Jackson, N.J., graduated from New Dorp High School on Staten Island before attending College of the Desert. He relocated to the Staten Island neighborhood of Rosebank in 1992, a year after his marriage. In the Staten Island Live story, Gray’s wife said, “He reveled in the camaraderie at the firehouse on Lafayette Street.” She said he had been studying for the lieutenant’s test prior to the terrorist attack. A sports enthusiast, Gray rooted for the Yankees, Rangers and Giants. He also enjoyed fishing and crabbing, and playing softball and football.

Current head football coach Jack Steptoe, who began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the college in 1984, said the memorial sign is a fitting tribute to these former players, who went about their lives with passion and purpose. “It’s a great idea to honor these two men - Daniel and James - for their service with the fire department. They were great players when they were here and great men,” Steptoe said. “I know that these two young men did what they did here to be able to move on. I’m an educational buff and it’s about taking care of education so that it opens up doors later on in the future. I know that these guys were examples of the way it should be done.”

Conference Affiliations and Competition

COD football is a member of the American Division-Mountain Conference in the Southern California Football Association (SCFA). COD competes with Antelope Valley College, (Football Only), Barstow College, Cerro Coso Community College, Chaffey College, Citrus College (Football Only), Copper Mountain College, Crafton Hills College, Mt. Because the sport of football is in its own autonomous Athletic Conference, the Southern California Football Association,[8] COD competes against these schools in the American Division - Mountain Conference: Antelope Valley College, Citrus College, Mt. San Jacinto College, San Bernardino Valley College and Victor Valley College.

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Facilities

Football plays their home games at Robert F. Boone Field. Boone started a mechanical equipment company in Los Angeles at the age of 39 and was a member of the college's President Circle when he donated $100,000 to the College of the Desert Foundation for the naming rights to the field.

The Palms-to-Pines Rivalry

The Roadrunners have two football "trophy games" each season, the longest running of which is "The Palms-to-Pines" game which occurs each season against the Mt. San Jacinto College Eagles. The trophy was sponsored by The Desert Sun beginning in 1970, but that sponsorship has been discontinued for some time. "The Palms-to-Pines" game has taken place every year since the Eagles added an athletics program in 1967. Football won the coveted Palms-to-Pines Trophy over Mt.

Recruiting and Scholarships

College Of The Desert Roadrunners does offer athletic scholarships for Football. Need-based and academic scholarships are available for student-athletes. Athletic scholarships are available for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NAIA and NJCAA. If you are interested in getting recruited by College Of The Desert Roadrunners Football, you should get to know more about the school, what academic programs are offered, and important members of the coaching staff - these are the people you need to connect with. It’s important you build a relationship with the coaching staff. This is one of the ways SportsRecruits can help. You can certainly start by filling out the College Of The Desert Roadrunners Football’s recruiting questionnaire and getting on their list, but that’s only the start. To get actively recruited, a college coach needs to see you compete, which is why it’s important to have an online athletic recruiting profile. High school student-athletes have a discoverability problem. And discoverability is the key to college exposure and recruitment. Just having a recruiting profile doesn’t guarantee you will get recruited. You need your profile to showcase all of your academic and athletic achievements, and be able to instantly connect to college coaches who are interested. If you can’t quickly find and message any college coach you want, then you’re not solving your biggest problem in getting recruited for Football. Make it as easy as possible for the College Of The Desert Roadrunners Football coaching staff to learn about you as an athlete, and be able to start a conversation with you. 100% of college coaches and programs are on the SportsRecruits platform. Contact any college in the country in just a few clicks. Show college coaches your game. Questions?

College of the Desert: A Hub of Education and Community

College of the Desert (COD) is a public community college in Palm Desert, California. COD enrolls about 12,500 students, of which around one third attend college full-time. It serves the Coachella Valley of Riverside County. The Jeane and Justin Hilb student center and the Carol L. Meier Lecture Hall opened in 1998, and Bob and his wife "Mike" Pollock funded the creation of the COD campus's Theatre One in 1999. The Marks Center for the Arts was funded by Don and Peggy Cravens, Bob and Barbara Leberman, and the COD Alumni Association in 2003. Their support has permitted COD to further upgrade and expand its arts facilities into 2006 and beyond. From 1966 to 1999, residents in the High Desert to the north of the Coachella Valley were also part of the community college district. In 2001, the Eastern Valley Center opened to address a need for more English and ethnic studies classes, such as Mexican American Culture and Intro to African American Literature, as well as for a campus located in the eastern Coachella Valley's agricultural and casino gaming corridor.

A Timeline of Growth and Innovation

COD has a rich history marked by continuous growth and adaptation to the needs of its community. From the initial vote that created a local two-year college. year and the initial five-member Board of Trustees was seated. in Palm Desert. Campus got its start. Dr. Fern Stout succeeded Dr. The guest speaker at commencement was famed comedian and actor Bob Hope. tax-exempt, charitable organization. 1983. civic theater opened. COD began to offer programs related to golf course management and maintenance. Valley. The district appointed its third Superintendent/President, Dr. to Desert Community College District. The Multi-Agency Library opened. The Dining Hall was renovated. Dr. William R. S. Churchill. Center in honor of its benefactors, Jeane and Justin Hilb. was renovated and renamed the Carol L. Meier Lecture Hall. couple. two Oscars to the College of the Desert library. the films How the West Was Won and The Towering Inferno. Trustees selected Dr. Maria Sheehan to be COD’s fifth Superintendent/President. classrooms in three decades. and Peggy Cravens, Bob and Barbara Leberman, and the COD Alumni Association. foundry, closed for a decade, was rebuilt with private donations. and furnishings. H.N. and Frances C. Berger Science Building. by private donations. and expand for future growth. Desert. an Alumni Centre, and the Learning Commons. Jerry R. Patton was named the sixth president of College of the Desert. Center. college honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, naming it Beta Rho Iota. In February, the college opened its temporary campus in Mecca/Thermal. Foundation Nursing Complex and the new Alumni Centre opened Nov. On Jan. 20th the Desert Energy Enterprise Center opened in Palm Springs. the grand opening of the Donald and Peggy Cravens Student Services Center. grand opening of the newly renovated COD Café called Beeps, in September. by the Public Safety Academy LEED Silver in June. KCOD 620 AM went live in March, completely run by students. for the Education of Young Children in August. and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). among college, industry and government entities. Services Center was awarded LEED Gold certification in April. Trustees named Dr. the Most Innovative Show by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems. began on a new Visual Arts building, gymnasium and Applied Sciences buildings. Communication Building was ready for fall semester classes. will be modernized. two-thirds of its utility costs. It was the fourth time in College history that the team made the play-offs. Campus opened to students in February. for higher education is in the heart of downtown Indio. Department donated two fire engines to the college. new Visual Arts and Kinesiology buildings. for new tennis courts. Program in Sacramento. submitted from around the world. won 4 awards at the National Broadcasting Conference. student, Todor Nikolov, won the coveted Jack Kent Cooke scholarship. for the final years of college to achieve a bachelor’s degree. in the annual parade. League awards for our plays and the spring musical. by the Board of Vocational Nursing until 2019. as a “recommended program” by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission. Gymnasium and Stagecraft buildings. opportunities for students. Solutions Center. of success. the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). innovation, leadership and exemplary service. as they achieve their higher education goals. the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System. conferring more than 1,100 degrees and certificates. wrapped up in fall 2016. Room and two general use classrooms. plEDGE. school graduates. of goals and pathways to success. its first grant of $75,000 for the plEDGE scholarship program for 2017-2018. attendance tuition-free. events and projects tracing its progress and achievements. human resources and state compliance for the cannabis industry. technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. for Digital Media Education. Springs Campus. Library. and pioneering programs that other colleges might consider replicating. out on top for EDGE (Engage, Develop, Grow and Empower). teams and five singles players to the CCCAA State Finals in Ojai. Men’s Golf won the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championship. college leadership. as a Second Language classes. for the Nursing Assistant program and Home Health Aide course. Joel L. of student success. year providing student assistance. commencement ceremony held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. the event in which it conferred more than 1,576 degrees and certificates. represents a 70 percent increase in College of the Desert graduates since 2012. having outgrown its previous ceremony locations. of the first participants in the award-winning plEDGE program. titles. title. and Activities. Desert a finalist in two categories: Advancing Diversity and Student Success. student populations and for its significant impact on student success outcomes. of replicating. in 2018. Symphonic Band were invited to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Center - on November 4, 2019.

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