NFL legends Brian Billick and Joe Theismann will be the featured speakers at Shore Health System’s “From Kickoff to End Zone” on Tuesday, October 28, at 5:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville, MD. Billick, former NFL coach and sports commentator, and Theismann, former NFL quarterback and football announcer, will share their in-depth knowledge of football. Both will be available to greet guests at a tailgate party prior to a sit down dinner where both will speak about the NFL, including their personal insights about team strengths for this year’s football season.
Brian Billick is among an elite group of NFL head coaches who have guided teams to Super Bowl championships. In addition, he demonstrated during his coaching career an ability to take NFL players to the highest levels of achievement. During his first three years as the Ravens’ head coach, Baltimore’s defense was ranked second in the league. The team’s defense stayed in the top 10, finishing first in the league in 2006. Billick has been involved in a number of community charities over the years, including United Way of Central Maryland, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Living Classrooms. He has co-authored two books, Competitive Leadership: Twelve Principles for Success and Finding the Winning Edge. His coaching career has included Redlands, Brigham Young, San Diego State, Utah State, Stanford, the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens.
Joe Theismann is a sportscaster who has spent the last 20 years working for ESPN on their NFL broadcast, including ESPN’s Monday Night Football in 2006. His football playing career is part of the football record books. As a starting quarterback for the University of Notre Dame, he was runner-up for the 1970 Heisman Trophy and received All-America honors before graduating. Following three years with the Canadian Football League, he had a successful 12-year career in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and still holds a number of the team’s records. He was the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1982 for his community service and dedication to the health and welfare of children, won the league’s 1983 Most Valuable Player Award, and, in 2003, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Today, he travels as a motivational speaker, while overseeing his restaurant, Joe Theismann’s Restaurant in Washington, DC. He is author of The Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Football Like a Pro.
“We are so pleased that both Brian Billick and Joe Theismann are coming to our community,” comments Joseph P. Ross, President and CEO of Shore Health System. “We have all watched their lives in the NFL and how they have generously contributed to their own communities. It is a privilege to have them here on the Shore helping us raise money and awareness for this significant project that will benefit so many citizens.”
Proceeds from the tailgate party and dinner will benefit equipment for the freestanding Queen Anne’s Emergency Center being built through a partnership of Shore Health System, University of Maryland Medical System, and the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners. The Center, which will be a full service emergency department separate from a hospital, is planned to open in 2010 at Nesbit Road and Route 50 near Grasonville.
Both Theismann and Billick, who appear together across the country, sought this opportunity to speak on the Eastern Shore because Billick and his wife Kim are building a home on the Wye River. Billick said he wanted to help the highest, best use project that will benefit the community of which he will soon be a part.
Tickets to the event are limited. The cost for a ticket to the dinner and tailgate party is $250 per person and the cost of a ticket for dinner only is $125 a person. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact Shore Health System at 410-822-1000, extension 5481 or e-mail dgardner@shorehealth.org.