HISTORY OF THE ORANGE COUNTY COP BOWL

 

In 1978, a group of police officers who loved to play football met to see if they could form two teams of police officers to play.  The group, led by Costa Mesa P.D. Officer Bill Bectol, found they had another common interest.  That interest was helping kids.  The group of police officers decided to form a non-profit organization, organize two football teams comprised of members of law enforcement agencies from Orange County, hold a community event where these two teams played a full contact football game, obtain donations to support the event, and donate all proceeds to organizations that help needy kids.

 

It was decided that agencies from the north side of Orange County (Anaheim, Brea, Fullerton, Placentia, etc.) would organize one team and agencies from the south side of Orange County (Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, etc.) would organize the other team.  Being that this game would be the game to designate county bragging rights, the event was deemed the “Orange County Cop Bowl.”

 

The first game was held at Orange Coast College.  The game ended in a tie score (0-0).  Even though the game was not a big success on the scoreboard, it was a big success with the community raising thousands of dollars.  The money was donated to the “Make a Wish Foundation” and other charitable programs designated to benefit kids.

 

Each year, the Orange County Cop Bowl grew in popularity and size.  Events at the games included skydivers, SWAT demonstrations, police helicopter landings, and much much more.  With the success of the original event, the organization flourished.  Other North and South agencies (La Habra, Garden Grove, Newport Beach, Irvine, Tustin etc.) became involved in the organization.  It was around this time that Santa Ana PD, Orange PD, and the OC Sheriff’s Department formulated teams.  Santa Ana PD played Orange PD in the “Copper Bowl.”  The OC Sheriff’s “Lawmen” football team played all who wished to play.  Even though there were now five teams in Orange County, there was no coordination or league to set rules and game schedules.

 

As time went on, the organizers of the O.C. Cop Bowl learned about other police teams in the Southern California area.  One year, after the North / South Cop Bowl, the teams combined forces and played the LA County Fire Department football team in the first out of county game for either team.  The game was a big success in that due to expanding budgets and decreasing player numbers, it brought the North Orange County (Stars) and the South Orange County (Cops) together to form one team.

 

The next year, the Orange County Cops played the Orange County Sheriffs Department in the Orange County Cop Bowl.  This combining of the teams turned out to be a great success, having a lot of fan and supporter interest.

 

It was right about this time that the Orange PD and the Santa Ana PD teams joined the OC Cops team to play against the OC Sheriff’s.  This rivalry went on for a couple of years.

 

This was about the time that the venerable Sgt. Bill Bectol, stepped down from the helm of the Orange County Cop Bowl Association and Sgt. Kevin Thomas of the Fountain Valley PD took over as president.  Sgt. Thomas advanced the involvement of the Orange County Cop Bowl Team by arranging games against Los Angeles and San Diego based police and fire department teams.

 

With the expansion of the season and game schedule, the need for additional players and the cost proved that it would be best for all Orange County police football teams to merge and form one “All-Star” team.  The Orange County Sheriff’s football players joined the cops’ team and formed the Orange County “Stars” police football team.

 

The Orange County “Stars” then took a giant step into the future.  Sgt. Thomas learned about a fledgling police football league being started by two police officers in New York City.  Sgt. Thomas contacted Lt. Steve McAllister (NYPD) and arranged for the Orange County “Stars” to travel to New York to play the NYPD “Finest” football team.  The following year, the NYPD “Finest” football team traveled to Orange County and was the featured team in the Orange County Cop Bowl.  Because both games were huge successes, this was a start to a tradition of the Orange County Police “Stars” Football Team traveling across the country to play other police football teams.

 

Even with the expansion of the schedule, the focus of the Orange County Cop Bowl was to raise money to give to charities that specifically helped kids.  The teams that the Orange County “Stars” played were police and fire teams who also donated all of their proceeds to charitable organizations, mostly targeting to help kids in their area.

 

On March 12, 1995, Officer Robert J. Henry of the Newport Beach Police Department was critically wounded in the line of duty.  Officer Henry had played on the football team on prior years.  Approximately 33 days later, Officer Henry expired.  Officer Henry was the only Cop Bowl player to be killed in the line of duty.  Officer Henry was not an exceptional athlete, but he was a very dedicated and hard working professional and a wonderful human being.  It was decided that the Orange County Cop Bowl Association would do something to honor Bob’s memory.

 

That year, the focus of the charitable donations made by the Orange County Cop Bowl Association took a new course.   Instead of giving to other charitable organizations, the Orange County Cop Bowl Association started its own charity.  This was the “Bob Henry Memorial Scholarship.”  The scholarship was instituted to find deserving kids from all over Orange County who were graduating from high school and deserving of receiving a scholarship but were just below the cut.  The Orange County Cop Bowl Association decided to try to find the “Rudy’s” of Orange County and help them go to college.

 

Currently, the Orange County Cop Bowl Association awards at least six $1,000.00 scholarships to deserving young high school graduates every year.  The Orange County Cop Bowl also donates at least another $6,000.00 per year to other kid sports related activities.

 

1995 was also the year that Sgt. Thomas stepped down as the President of the O.C. Cop Bowl and Officer Rick Bradley of the Newport Beach PD took over as President.

 

In the fall of 1997, Officer Bradley traveled to New York to attended a meeting of the newly formed National Public Safety Football League (NPSFL).  This league, which had been organized by Steve McAllister & Pete Moog NYPD, Joe Pyland Houston PD, Ed Lindsey LAPD, Mark Ramirez San Diego Sheriffs, and A.J. Matthews S. Florida, was comprised of police and fire department football teams from across the country.  The common goal of the league and of the Orange County Cop Bowl Association was to play competitive football games, reduce or eliminate injuries to the players, and raise money for charity.  Bradley found that this was an organized league that the Orange County “Stars” needed to get involved in.  The Orange County Stars joined the NPSFL and faired very well in their first season.

 

In 1998, the Orange County “Stars” assumed the new name of the Orange County “Lawmen” Police Football Team.  The Orange County “Lawmen” have been valued members of the NPSFL to this date.  In 1998, Rick Bradley was elected to Secretary of the NPSFL and in 2000 he assumed the roll as vice president of the NPSFL, while continuing his duties as the president of the Orange County Cop Bowl Association.

During the OC Lawmen’s affiliation with the league, the team has traveled to New York, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Honolulu.  Every season, the Orange County Lawmen strive to qualify for the NPSFL National Championship game.

 

In July 2004, Rick Bradley stepped down as the President of the Orange County Cop Bowl Association to focus on becoming the President of the NPSFL.  Harold Abe of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department was elected president of the association.  In August 2004, Rick Bradley was elected president of the NPSFL and is currently the President of the national league.

 

The Orange County Cop Bowl started as a group of football loving police officers who wanted to help the kids of Orange County through football.  This simple concept has grown from approximately 50 officers (25 on the south and 25 on the north) from a few agencies in Orange County, practicing for two months to play one game; to police officers, firefighters, and other professional public safety employees, practicing three months to play five games against other police officers, firefighters, and public safety professionals from across the nation.  But, no matter the size and complexity of the operation, the primary focus of the organization is to help the kids of Orange County.

 

Today, as it has been from its inception, the police officers, firefighters, and other public safety professionals who play on the Orange County “Lawmen” Football Team do so on their own time and at their own risk.  The dedicated public safety professionals and civilian assistants who serve on the board of directors of the Orange County Cop Bowl Association also do the work on their own time.  Neither the players nor the board members are compensated for their time.  All expenses incurred to play (uniforms, pads, etc.) and to travel (air, food, lodging for loved ones) are paid for by the players or the board members.  The money raised from advertisements and corporate sponsorships goes directly to the Bob Henry Memorial Scholarship and our other charitable functions, once operating costs are covered.

 

To date, the Orange County Cop Bowl has raised over $1,000,000.00 to support their chosen charities.  The organization is focused on continuing this great tradition and helping as many kids as possible.