LIFESTYLES :((.(1'0$5&+ 1C Requa’s résumé Former Pendleton High School football coach Don Requa watches practice in 1984. Downtown bronze would honor 36-year career of Pendleton High’s greatest football coach Requa’s teams took 13 conference titles. Although not known as an elite strategist, EO fi le photo many former players attributed Requa’s suc- cess to being a master motivator. It’s starting to become a Jon Peterson, who played quarterback for question unique to Pendleton: Requa from 1975 to 1978, remembers a pre- What makes a person stat- game speech the coach made about the players’ ue-worthy? This summer, former Pendleton mothers as a source of inspiration. While Peterson was nearly driven to laugh- High School football coach Don ter at the initial concept, his demeanor started 5HTXDZLOOMRLQWKUHHRWKHU¿JXUHV to turn as Requa described the players’ mothers from Pendleton’s history immortalized in the stands, driven to watch the game not for in bronze on Main Street. the love of football, but for their sons. Unlike the subjects of the other bronzes, By the end of the speech, Peterson was Requa wasn’t associated with Pendleton’s Western heritage nor did he become regionally ready to “knock down some doors and play some football.” IDPRXVLQWKH¿UVWKDOIRIWKHWKFHQWXU\ When asked about it, Requa downplayed his But to the hundreds of Buckaroos that motivational skills. played for Requa over the course of his 36- “That’s no big deal,” he was quoted as say- year career, his life is worth remembering. ing in a news report after his death. “Some of Requa was born in 1919 in Kimber- that stuff helps kids. Basically you have them ly, Idaho, and played football at nearby inspired before the game or you won’t get it Wendell High School. Post-high school, Requa obtained a bachelor’s degree from done.” Requa could also be stingy with his praise Southern Idaho College of Education when it came to appraising his players. and a master’s degree from the Univer- While noting that his 1986 football team sity of Idaho. could be sensational, he told people at his $WWKHDJHRIKHMRLQHGWKH$LU weekly roundtable meetings that he only had )RUFHDQGÀHZPRUHWKDQWZRGR]HQ “nine-elevenths of bombing missions a good offense” and LQWKH6RXWK3DFL¿F “eight-elevenths of during Word War II. a good defense.” While still enlist- Entering his ed, Requa married third decade as Dorothy Finley in Pendleton’s foot- Albuquerque, N.M., ball coach, Requa LQ began to hint at Three sons, retirement. Scott, David and Requa stopped Bill, followed. Trag- teaching high ically, Bill would school math in die at the age of 1971 and relin- eight in 1957 after quished athletic battling an illness director duties in for more than three 1984, bemoaning to months, according the East Oregonian to a story in the that his assistants East Oregonian. had stronger rela- While Requa tionships with his initially showed players than he did. interest in becoming Requa also felt an airline pilot, he — Wil Phinney, out of place in a instead fell into the East Oregonian sports reporter changing educa- world of education tional landscape, and football coach- in a column after Requa’s death becoming increas- ing. ingly aware that his Requa started his coaching career at Buhl High School, perfectionism and short temper rubbed some people the wrong way. DOLWWOHPRUHWKDQPLOHVIURPKLV “I know there are things people don’t like birthplace. about me, but they don’t tell me,” he said after From 1946 to 1949, Requa won KLVWKZLQDJDLQVWDUFKULYDO+HUPLVWRQ more games than he lost before High School. “I suppose some might consider taking the head coaching job at his me arrogant, conceited, whatever, but they alma mater, Southern Idaho College don’t tell me.” of Education. Although a state championship was ul- He led Southern Idaho to a 7-3 re- timately elusive, he left Pendleton in 1986 cord, but the college was shut down ZLWKPRUHWKDQYLFWRULHVWKHPRVWRIDQ\ the next year to merge the state’s football coach in Oregon history at the time of education program into Idaho State his retirement. University. After moving to a gated community in Without a job, Requa decided to Tigard with his wife Dorothy, Requa died in move west and return to the high 1987 of congestive heart failure at the age of school ranks by accepting the job at EO fi le photo 68. Pendleton. Requa, center, poses for a photo during his fi rst season in 1951, with his four assis- Today, there are few traces of Requa in After losing to Washington High tant coaches fl anking him. From left to right, Wayne Scott, Chet Schiewe, Dick Nixon Pendleton, with his wife and two children also School in Portland, Requa got his and Jim Inglesby. deceased. ¿UVWZLQIRUWKHJUHHQDQGJROG But his legacy is felt in the players who against Pasco High School at the Round-Up Grounds en route to a 4-4 have achieved success after their football days were over, many of whom count Requa as a season. reason for their success. “It was wide open at times and Locally, former players include Peter- conservative at times, but it got son, superintendent of the Pendleton School Pendleton off to a good start to the Requa watches a District, Mark Mulvihill, superintendent of the season,” the East Oregonian wrote Buckaroo football Intermountain Education Service District and RIWKH%XFNURRV¶¿UVWZLQRI player practice Requa struggled in the early years Stuart Roberts, Pendleton police chief. tackling in 1984. Beyond Pendleton city limits, football alum- of his coaching tenure, including a That season, he ni have become successful business owners, VHDVRQLQ would surpass attorneys and even a Pro Football Hall of Fame Tom Melton, who befriended Fred Spiegelberg player, former Dallas Cowboys defensive Requa after playing under him from of Medford’s 253 tackle Bob Lilly. 1968 to 1971, said some people victories to be- come the Requa’s bronze will be unveiled at Brown- were pressuring then-superintendent winningest high :DOODFH0F&UDHWR¿UH5HTXDDWWKDW ¿HOG3DUN-XO\EXWORRNLQJDWWKHDFFRP school football plishments of the players he left behind, his time. coach in Oreogn mark has already been made. %XW0F&UDHVWRRG¿UPDQG history. “(I) didn’t think he’d die,” East Oregonian Requa rewarded his faith with a 9-1 EO fi le photo sports reporter Wil Phinney wrote in a column record and a conference title the fol- after Requa’s death. “I thought he was too lowing year, quieting the naysayers. strong, too tough, too gruff to die. I thought What followed next was an he’d be around forever. I guess in some import- unprecedented run of dominance for ant ways he will be.” the Buckaroos football program. ——— )URPWR3HQGOHWRQ Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastore- won 51 straight regular season gonian.com or 541-966-0836. games. Even after the streak ended, By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian “(I) didn’t think he’d die. I thought he was too strong, too tough, too gruff to die. I thought he’d be around forever. I guess in some important ways he will be.”