Lumberjack Basketball Player Marcus Lever Recounts Dad's Jersey Retirement

Lafayette “Fat” Lever

By Marcus Lever, Northern Arizona Basketball

During his sophomore and junior seasons, he helped his Sun Devil teams post records of 22-7 and 24-4, earning him All-American second-team and All Pac-10 honors. He later led the Devils to one of the biggest upsets in Division I history with a 20-point victory over undefeated and No. 1-ranked ranked Oregon State. These immaculate collegiate achievements’ led to Lafayette “Fat” Lever being drafted 11^th overall in the 1982 NBA Draft. As a fan, admirer, and most importantly his son, it was truly humbling to see my dad’s number 12 jersey being retired by Arizona State University, and proudly descending from the Wells Fargo Area rafters.

Walking into the pre-game retirement ceremony, and seeing so many familiar faces such as Bob Lanier (NBA All-Star), Roland Lavetter (High School Coach), Bike Medder (College Roommate) and many others, let me know how special this night was. With so many people in attendance, from various walks of life all across the country, it made me realize how many lives my dad touched in a positive way. With my mom and all my siblings in attendance, we were there to celebrate him and his accomplishments.

Photo is by Robert Kline.

As my siblings and I sat courtside and watched the clock tick down until halftime, I looked over at my dad and he didn’t seem nervous, anxious or worried. He was proud. There were no other words to describe his mood or emotion. He was simply proud. As my siblings and I walked and stood at center court with my dad, we watched his jersey drop and graciously hang over Ned Wulk Court as hundreds of ASU fan’s chanted “Lever, Lever, Lever”. Thirty years after wearing an ASU uniform, friends, family, teammates, and fans were all in attendance to celebrate him and his accolades.

The older I get and the more I play the game of basketball, the more I appreciate and idolize what my dad has accomplished on and off the court. While growing up, not once, NOT ONCE, did I ever hear or see my dad boast or brag about what he had accomplished. After setting and breaking so many records, in countless different categories’ at the collegiate and NBA level, he continued to stay humble.  That right there, is a true testament of a hero. A legend. And a great father.

Marcus Lever is a junior who played his first two seasons at Cal State Stanislaus. He helped his team to its first ever CCAA playoff appearance as a sophomore, averaging 5.1 points and 2.5 rebounds. He was a a 2009 graduate of Desert Vista High School. He is sitting out this season.

Rare Opportunity to See Future NBA Player This Week

In 1982 I saw a young player in the Baltimore Orioles organization play a minor league game against the Tidewater Tides. The next year a Double A star for the Mets came up and hit three home runs in the playoffs for the Tides. Thirty years later, I have fond memories of my early witness to the careers of Hall of Famer Cal Ripkin and MLB All-Star Daryl Strawberry. You can have the same experience Thursday night when the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks play host to Big Sky leading Weber State and their standout junior guard Damian Lillard. It will be a show. 

Lillard has been named one of 11 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Earlier this season Lillard was named to the final list of 20 players for the award.  Entering this week’s games, he continues to lead the nation in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game.  He is also seventh in the nation in three-point field goals made per game and ninth in the country in free throw percentage.  Lillard is fourth in the Big Sky in assists and seventh in steals.  He has scored in double figures in all 20 games for the Wildcats this season and has scored 20 or more 15 times, including a career-high 41 points in a win over San Jose State in December.  Lillard is a finalist for the John Wooden Award.    

He is a future pro that the Big Sky Conference has not seen the likes of since Eastern Washington’s Rodney Stuckey (right) played in the league for two seasons. Stuckey scored 45 points in the Walkup Skydome against the Lumberjacks in 2006 and was named the conference player of the year that season as a freshman. He was selected after his sophomore year by Detroit Pistons in the first round (#15 overall) of 2007 NBA Draft.

Former Lumberjack Cameron Jones had NBA scouts come see him play last season but he did not draw the same attention Lillard has this season. At the NAU game in Ogden last month, San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford was in attendance among a host of scouts.

On Thursday the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks will each have reps at the game at the Rolle Activity Center.

While I will always cheer and support the Lumberjacks as the Sports Information Director at NAU (and I hope you do too), I am looking forward to seeing Lillard play again in person this week and follow his career in the NBA.

The Lumberjacks held Lillard to just 18 points in the first matchup in Ogden and he got to the free throw line a season-low two times. But he has the ability to post big numbers in any game. He scored 40 against Portland State last week. 

What will he do this time? Either way, it will be memorable and you should come out to the game.

By Steve Shaff, NAU Media Relations Director

Brian Riley's Blog: I Had a Blast

Finally back home from the Casino Del Sol All Star Game. It wasn't too far of a trip for me to get home, just right across town, but since I was living in the hotel of a casino for a week it sure does feel a lot different. 

Whenever I'm hungry I keep wanting to go into the kitchen to find a whole buffet of foods ranging from lobster tails, all you can eat sushi, salmon, steak, prime rib, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Unfortunately, none of that is in my kitchen. Honestly it is a good thing because I need to get back to paying attention to my "figure."

As I have stated multiple times in my past blogs the Casino Del Sol All Star Game was an incredible experience. It was especially fun coming from a smaller school and competing with some of the best football players around the country. On Sunday morning during our meetings I learned that I was going to be starting at Tight End for the Stripes team and I was PUMPED!

As most of you all know I love playing football and I was so happy to get the chance to play again and represent the Jacks. I got a considerable amount of head banging done in the game and my body is paying for it now, but it was all worth it like usual. I was happy to be a part of an offense that drove our Stripes down the field for a couple scores.

For those that watched, you know the game was very close and it came down to the last 30 seconds before it was decided. I know it's not something that the upcoming seniors of the NAU Football squad should be focusing on right now, but next year after the National Championship game that we are going to win, you graduating seniors should definitely consider trying to get into an All Star game.

I highly recommend the experience and opportunity to show what you got to NFL and CFL scouts. Lastly, I just want to thank all of the coaches and players that pushed me to be my best, competed with me for the past 4 years, and to all the friends I made on the football team over the years it sure was fun. GO JACKS!

Casino del Sol All-Star Blog: Brian Riley

TUCSON, Ariz. - This week of practice has been some of the most intense hard hitting football I have ever played.

Everything has been turned up a few notches since the scouts have been here watching our every move but I know I have enjoyed the pressure and I think a lot of the other players here have as well.

Today we finally had a small break from all the contact. Part of me definitely wanted to continue to keep up with the full contact but at the end of the day my body was thankful for the day of review. Practice today was more like a Thursday or a Friday practice up at NAU just making sure personnel groupings and transitions on and off the field were crisp along with making sure everyone on the field knew the playbook inside and out.

Also today we had the opportunity to serve the community of Tucson by participating in a mini-camp for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Nearly 100 kids of all ages joined us at the Casino Del Sol to work on football drills and get to know us ex-college players and professional hopefuls.

I had a lot of fun cheering on the kids during the 40-yard sprint race. As you can see in the picture it was pretty intense and the kids had a great time!

After the drills the kids asked us for autographs and we had a little BBQ out on the pool deck. The food was amazing and trust me it has been all week!

Lastly the stripes team is definitely ready to play on Monday. All of the practices have been completed and now it's time to get into the game. I'm extremely excited for Monday and I know my team is as well. Everyone should come down to Tucson to enjoy the game, the weather is beautiful, or just check it out on Fox Sports Arizona. It is going to be a lot of fun!

Casino del Sol All-Star Game by Brian Riley

The NAU Media Relations office asked me to write about some of my experiences so far at the Casino del Sol All-Star game in Tucson, Ariz. 

So far it has been an absolute blast. It has been very organized and everyone is having a lot of fun. Practice is ran at an extremely fast pace and we have been doing a lot of hitting since day one. 

Every single player out here understands that these practices are the equivalent to a job interview and therefore they have been very competitive. Today was a full pack day and the stripes and the stars had multiple team periods throughout the hour and a half practice ending with a short scrimmage. 

The Casino del Sol game field at the home of the Tucson Padres. 

I'm on the stripes team which is all players from teams out west and we are coached my Pat Hill ,who brings a lot of energy to practice. I've met a lot of guys from both teams and it is fun learning about each other’s schools, sharing football stories, and discovering that everyone seems to know at least one person in common in the small world of college football.

Also practices have been filled with scouts from every NFL team and a lot of CFL teams which has been a great opportunity to display our football abilities. The scouts are also inside the locker room facilities, which are stationed at the home of the Tucson Padres at the Kino Sports Park.

Lastly the Casino del Sol Hotel and Casino has been a great place to stay for this week of practice and I recommend everyone to come down here and check it out!

The Casino del Sol College All-Star game is Monday, Jan. 16. The game is televised by Fox Sports Arizona at 6 p.m. Riley and teammate Drew Zamora will each be providing blog updates from the practice and game during their stay in Tucson.

NFL Lockout Reaches NAU and Flagstaff

Arizona Cardinals Training Camp in Flagstaff could be
in jeopardy if the NFL lockout persists.

By Steve Shaff, NAU Media Relations

When the NFL lockout first happened, the possibility of the season being affected was not on my radar. Sure, there was a chance but I thought the owners and players would come to an agreement before anything seriously was affected. I was wrong.

The season is going to be in jeopardy unless the two sides start compromising. While the players and owners will be losing millions daily, I will be the one getting checks from the Cardinals for the missed games in my $750 season ticket package.

The lockout extends to the City of Flagstaff in ways other than my personal seats.

As I watched the Northern Arizona football program conduct a high school skills camp today at the practice fields, I realized that the popular Cardinal training camp on campus might not happen if the lockout persists.

The three weeks of practices and national attention to the NAU campus are priceless. It is a special place – the practice fields. Sports Illustrated has listed it among the top five training camps in the league and the magazine has featured the camp in its Leading Off section twice recently for the beauty of the site.

I would miss the opportunity to watch the state’s team up-close at training camp in Flagstaff outside my office door (I work in the Walkup Skydome). Training Camp is one of the city’s top attractions in the summer and I believe the team will likely stay down in Tempe if the lockout is not resolved with more delays for a deal.

It will be a big loss for Flagstaff. Having the Cardinals in my backyard is fun. The opportunity to see Derek Anderson at my favorite Mexican restaurant or pass Larry Fitzgerald on the floor of the Dome will not happen this season.

But the lockout has had another unexpected victim – the hundreds of college football players who have been denied or at least postponed the chance to pursue their dreams as an NFL free agent.

Lumberjack quarterback Michael Herrick, safety Matt Estrada and wide receiver Daiveun Curry-Chapman worked out for the scouts in April hoping to make an impression. After not being drafted, the next chance lied in free agency. But all NFL signings has been on hold, so they are left to workout and wait.

NAU has had seven players sign with NFL teams as free agents since 2000. Former linebacker Keith O’Neil (left) parlayed that opportunity into a nice little career and a Super Bowl ring. K.J. Gerard was with the Bears last year during the playoffs and awaits a chance to make the team this year.

Selfishly, I want to see NFL football but these players are denied much more. Sure they still might get a chance but it will be a rushed experience that will limit their true opportunities after the lockout.

My message – end the lockout soon. I want to see the NFL this season and give a few players a chance to live their dreams.

Kicker U Looking for New Leg

When Northern Arizona takes the field against Arizona on Saturday, the Lumberjacks will have a new kicker for the first time in a long time. Robbie Dehaze graduated last year with a list of accolades and records that could stand in the records books for some time.

Dehaze continued a tradition of kicking at Northern Arizona that includes former standouts Paul Ernster, Rhian Madrid and NAU Hall of Famer Mark Gould. And that is just the kickers from this decade. The Lumberjacks have ranked among the national leaders in punting every year, establishing NAU as Kicker U. The list of accomplishments ranks with that of the schools recognized as Quarterback U and Linebacker U across the country.

Head Coach Jerome Souers has not seen a player kick off for the Lumberjacks other than Dehaze since 2005. Remember J.P. Brandvig against Adams State in 2005? I didn’t. I had to look it up. After that game, Dehaze took over the kickoff duties, a job he completed 236 times over the last four years.

In fact, Dehaze has attempted the last 74 field goal attempts, 144 extra-point attempts and 104 punts. Outside of a pooch punt by a quarterback or a fake attempt, Dehaze took every kick over the last two seasons and all of the field goal and kickoffs over the last four years.

How good was Dehaze over the last two years? The Lumberjacks have four players trying to fill the void left this season. But they have a capable group including Washington State transfer Matt Myers, New Mexico transfer Drew Zamora and high school signee Andy Wilder. Wide receiver Ryan Rauschert, a former punter in high school, has moonlighted with the specialists and looked to have won the punting job entering the season opener.

At kickoff Saturday night Dehaze says he will be watching via his computer in Oregon. After signing with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason, he is working out with hopes of finding a job in the CFL while testing feelers from NFL teams for future tryouts. With the next open job just an injury away, he is just waiting for an opportunity.

While Dehaze’s eligibility is up, it is too bad he cannot help his former teammates anymore. We will see someone else kickoff, punt, attempt a field goal and extra point for the Lumberjacks against Arizona. It will be different but we will likely see the next success story at Kicker U.

By Steven Shaff, NAU Media Relations