Ripon College Days

Star power. Former Green Bay Packer Dave Robinson will soon visit campus to headline the annual athletic banquet. [Click to enlarge]

It's not every day a Packer legend comes to campus. But this year, that day is Oct. 8 when Packer great Dave Robinson will be the special guest speaker at the sixth annual Athletic Banquet.

Director of Athletics Bob Gillespie is excited for Robinson's arrival. "We're very fortunate this year to have someone with the athletic background of Dave Robinson as our speaker," he says. "He played for the Green Bay Packers under Vince Lombardi, who was quite possibly the best coach in the history of the National Football League."

He adds, "We're expecting a very memorable evening."

According to Gillespie, Robinson was the Packers' personal choice for Ripon College. "We just called the Packers, and their public relations office offered to make all the arrangements," he says. "That made it pretty nice in that [working with the community] is something that the Packers public relations office is really trying to do now."

But Robinson's special appearance isn't Gillespie's only reason to look forward to the banquet. "[The Red Hawk banquet] gives the community the opportunity to celebrate Ripon College athletics. It has been a fun event in the past, and I think everyone enjoys it," he says. "It's a unifying event."

Community involvement is key to the banquet according to Gillespie. "The Red Hawk Athletic Banquet has always been a mainstay in this area because of the strong ties between Ripon College and the surrounding communities. The support of our fans is something for which I will always be grateful," he says. "We have over 450 student-athletes and this community has always been supportive of our athletic department in any way possible, including attending the banquet."

The banquet is also a fundraiser for the Red Hawk Athletic Department, which is charging $35 per ticket to the event. Outside of the banquet, corporate sponsorship is also a funding option to aid Ripon College student-athletes.

In return for the community's donations and participation, Gillespie notes that he consistently works to provide quality entertainment.

"We try to bring in a speaker who would be someone that people who enjoy athletics would like to hear," he says.

Gillespie feels he has found that speaker in Robinson. Robinson played 10 seasons for Green Bay, winning three championships, including the 1967 and 1968 Super Bowls. The 1963 Penn State University graduate was a first-round draft pick by the Packers and wore number 89 throughout his career. Robinson, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was named an All-Pro linebacker in 1966, 1967 and 1969. He finished his career with the Washington Redskins.

Gillespie's projected appreciation of the speaker is not unfounded.

Senior wide receiver Matt Jansma comments on the athletic department's choice of speaker. "It's really exciting to have someone come to speak to the athletes at Ripon who has had so much success in his career," says Jansma. "I'm really looking forward to the banquet."

Robinson will be signing autographs after the event, which will begin at 5:15 p.m. in the Commons. For more information contact Scott Wilson, director of media and public relations and interim director of athletic fundraising, media relations and sports information, at 920-748-8359, or by email at wilsons@ripon.edu.

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