Are you ready for reunion?

DON CANTRELL

Two longtime Newport Harbor High grid fans will connect Nov. 23 when

the New England Patriots face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night

Football.

Former Newport Harbor High walk-on assistant Mike White,

ex-Oakland Raider head coach and now assistant to Kansas City grid

tutor Dick Vermeil, has invited Ed Mayer and his lovely wife, Jewel,

to jet into Kansas City for the contest.

White and Mayer, who once played ball with former San Francisco

49er Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Walsh, have linked up often over

the years to observe Jeff Brinkley’s successful years at Harbor High.

Incidentally, Mayer once played linebacker on the superb 1949 Tar

team that posted an 8-1 record and scored 323 points.

White was between jobs in ’89 and chose to provide help to

Brinkley coaching the receivers. White had previously coached at Cal

and the University of Illinois.

White and Vermeil both invited the Mayers back to Arrowhead

Stadium for a game last year. The couple was astonished by the royal

treatment.

Mayer, an Irvine resident, is well aware of the Chiefs’ lag in the

win column this season. But it appears one lacking is superior wide

receivers, White noted during a recent phone chat with Mayer.

“They have the talent in other ways to turn it around,” Mayer

said, “and I wish them the best.”

Vermeil and White led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl

championship before moving on to Kansas City two years ago. Vermeil

had also once led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl.

White, who makes his home on Balboa Island, was born in Lafayette,

Calif. He later advanced to the Cal Bears, for whom he played end.

The Mayers also accepted a surprise invitation from Walsh last

spring to visit his athletic operation at Stanford, where he is

helping direct the sports program.

Mayer said, “It was great because we were able to view the

training of our U.S. Olympic swimmers before they left for the Games

in Greece.

Mayer and Walsh played football together in the 1950s at San Jose

State College. Prior to that, Mayer helped lead Orange Coast College

to a conference title in ’51 under Coach Ray Rosso.

He still recalls one amusement after San Jose when he reported for

submarine duty in San Diego.

The Navy grid coach tried to lure Mayer into football. Injured

knees prompted Mayer to be cautious over such matters. Hence, he

asked, “What is your first game?” The coach exclaimed, “UCLA.” Mayer

smiled and waved the coach off.

For interest, he picked up a newspaper a few days later and read

this score: UCLA, 60, San Diego Navy, 0. “That was about what I had

figured,” Mayer said, laughing.

Mayer looks back with pride and admiration for Rosso and the champ

‘51 Pirate grid team. “They were tough and dedicated players, who

gave their all for the team.”

It featured many of the guys he played with at Harbor High,

including Harlow Richardson, Bob Woodhouse, Mel Smalley, Keith Burch,

Bob Watts, Jack Updyke, Morrie Langdale and Chuck Hanson.

He still recalls one special treat during the days when Walsh

invited him to some top pro 49er games when he was often seated next

to the father of star quarterback Joe Montana.

“He was a fine gentleman,” Mayer said.