DR SLADE AWARD
Tom Slade was raised on Carter Street, exactly 200 yards from the doors to Saginaw High School where he excelled in football, basketball and tennis. He earned All-State honors in football as a strong-armed quarterback and an accurate kicker for the Trojans. After graduating in 1970, Slade fulfilled his childhood dream when the University of Michigan awarded him a scholarship to play football under legendary coach Bo Schembechler. As a sophomore in 1971, Slade helped lead the team to an undefeated 11-0 regular season. The Wolverines narrowly missed a National Championship that year, losing the ’73 Rose Bowl game 13-12 on a late field goal by Stanford. Slade was known for being a tough run-blocker who cleared the way for Billy Taylor and other Wolverine running backs after he handed the ball off. After graduating from U-M, Slade returned to attend the U-M School of Dentistry and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1978. He taught at the U-M School of Dentistry for three years before starting his own practice in 1981 in nearby Ypsilanti Township. Schembechler was one of his dental clients. He would later become the dentist for the Eastern Michigan University athletic teams. Slade also worked as a color analyst for Michigan football broadcasts on radio station WUOM-FM. In his spare time he was a Michigan High School Athletic Association basketball official and officiated numerous state finals. He also served as a Big Ten and Mid-American Conference women’s basketball official. He was active in the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce and served a three-year term as the president of the EMU Baseball “Dugout Club.” In 2004, he was inducted into the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame. The previous year he served as keynote speaker at the hall of fame’s annual induction banquet. In 2005 Slade was diagnosed with leukemia. In June of 2006 friends and former U-M teammates, including fellow Saginaw High and Michigan alum Calvin O’Neal, helped organize the Tom Slade Bone Marrow Donor Registration Drive to help find marrow donors for Slade and others with leukemia. Slade remained extremely close to Schembechler.
![57c4a1a3a8c88080834691f1c25bae94 57c4a1a3a8c88080834691f1c25bae94](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/57c4a1a3a8c88080834691f1c25bae94.webp)
The coach sent weekly notes and frequently called and visited after Slade was diagnosed with leukemia. During a particularly difficult day in the hospital Slade woke up to see his former coach sitting in a chair against the wall. They looked at each other but said nothing and Slade fell back to sleep. When he awoke again five hours later, Bo was sitting in the same chair, looking right at him. Slade died on November 12, 2006 in Ann Arbor at age 54. Though Schembechler was ailing himself, he attended Slade’s funeral. That night, Bo delivered his traditional Thursday night pep talk before the Ohio State game. According to the Detroit News: “Bo’s speech was not about Ohio State, the Big Ten title or a national championship. The whole speech was about Tom Slade and how, if the players worked hard, listened to their coaches and stuck together as teammates, one day they might be as good a Michigan man as Slade. That was the goal at Michigan, not national championships.” The next morning, Schembechler collapsed and died of heart failure before taping his weekly television show.
2005
![838faefe843e9ceea41c819cc476a80e 838faefe843e9ceea41c819cc476a80e](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/838faefe843e9ceea41c819cc476a80e.webp)
Andrew Dodson’s,
Frankenmuth High School Track and Field
![ebae7d64a954e32e1500f64ec5beb822 ebae7d64a954e32e1500f64ec5beb822](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ebae7d64a954e32e1500f64ec5beb822.webp)
Stacy Delaney,
Freeland High School Softball
2006
![469298c82fa13c9d815bb3aa35a282c9 469298c82fa13c9d815bb3aa35a282c9](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/469298c82fa13c9d815bb3aa35a282c9.png)
Greg Bartlett played Football, Basketball and Baseball for Hemlock and Ashley Nieman, Freeland High School played Softball and Volleyball.
2007
![8d11e06202e380f446786892ae46acaf 8d11e06202e380f446786892ae46acaf](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/8d11e06202e380f446786892ae46acaf.png)
Tim Ryan played Baseball,
Football and Basketball for Nouvel Catholic HS
![f995a25ef6cb3954c4340d9174404f91 f995a25ef6cb3954c4340d9174404f91](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/f995a25ef6cb3954c4340d9174404f91.png)
Darquavis Tucker,
Arthur Hill High School Basketball
2008
![b52a9f56f729c752a15c360675bcb7e0 b52a9f56f729c752a15c360675bcb7e0](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/b52a9f56f729c752a15c360675bcb7e0.png)
Brad Redford, Frankenmuth HS Basketball and
Draymond Green, Saginaw High School Basketball
2009
![7ca83a2196c5b9dc3f7def43f25c3531 7ca83a2196c5b9dc3f7def43f25c3531](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/7ca83a2196c5b9dc3f7def43f25c3531.png)
Jenny Ryan,
Nouvel Catholic Central HS Basketball
![cb00efdcc0ab0ce01af6c14197eb1715 cb00efdcc0ab0ce01af6c14197eb1715](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cb00efdcc0ab0ce01af6c14197eb1715.png)
Jason Pratt played Football,
Basketball and Baseball Merrill HS
2010
![2d14d28e8193c628b77a5f8dd3563347 2d14d28e8193c628b77a5f8dd3563347](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2d14d28e8193c628b77a5f8dd3563347.png)
Kelsey Ritter, Frankenmuth High School Volleyball,
Basketball and Track and Field
![9a1c7ec0ad75fa322bbbd57995f7582f 9a1c7ec0ad75fa322bbbd57995f7582f](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/9a1c7ec0ad75fa322bbbd57995f7582f.png)
Maurice Jones,
Arthur Hill High School Basketball
2011
![299072a77fb2cc7555d33e20aa5ce606 299072a77fb2cc7555d33e20aa5ce606](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/299072a77fb2cc7555d33e20aa5ce606.png)
Kayla Engelhard, Valley Lutheran High School Basketball,
Volleyball and Softball
![c88acdbd9bc5793bd77f55df93247091 c88acdbd9bc5793bd77f55df93247091](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/c88acdbd9bc5793bd77f55df93247091.png)
Peyton Apsey, Hemlock High School Basketball,
Volleyball and Softball
2012
![6c9f0cfca71ffe220315c2c2c02fc4f8 6c9f0cfca71ffe220315c2c2c02fc4f8](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/6c9f0cfca71ffe220315c2c2c02fc4f8.png)
Sarah Appold, Valley Lutheran High School Softball, Volleyball
![3c22b1a9327c027051d916b6d1284777 3c22b1a9327c027051d916b6d1284777](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/3c22b1a9327c027051d916b6d1284777.png)
Bennett Lewis, Nouvel Catholic Central HS Football and Track and Field
2013
![583d798eeabb207bb1ba14fcda7fac8b 583d798eeabb207bb1ba14fcda7fac8b](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/583d798eeabb207bb1ba14fcda7fac8b.png)
Tori Jankoska, Freeland High School Volleyball Basketball and Soccer
![d8af6ab2b5c2907b82887935f66089c5 d8af6ab2b5c2907b82887935f66089c5](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/d8af6ab2b5c2907b82887935f66089c5.png)
Derrick Nash,
Carrollton High School Football
2014
![aa89dcafac6ae92a7184d3ac1ee38bd3 aa89dcafac6ae92a7184d3ac1ee38bd3](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/aa89dcafac6ae92a7184d3ac1ee38bd3.png)
Angie Ritter,
Frankenmuth High School Track Volleyball
![249b1ddc8347b8d2b0fa59fef6ab59c0 249b1ddc8347b8d2b0fa59fef6ab59c0](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/249b1ddc8347b8d2b0fa59fef6ab59c0.png)
Lacy Tolfree,
Heritage High School Saginaw Softball
2015
![dbf106e1e2c34f2ef7d99a2f35a9be39 dbf106e1e2c34f2ef7d99a2f35a9be39](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/dbf106e1e2c34f2ef7d99a2f35a9be39.png)
Eric Davis, Arthur Hill High School Basketball
![7c3f3041a4949c452b8bbcd40f8335b6 7c3f3041a4949c452b8bbcd40f8335b6](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/7c3f3041a4949c452b8bbcd40f8335b6.png)
Alex Grace, Swan Valley High School Football
2016
![a377b3ffea8536a5ad31b709e05499cd a377b3ffea8536a5ad31b709e05499cd](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/a377b3ffea8536a5ad31b709e05499cd.png)
Lauren Huebner, Swan Valley
![3c423973daff150b4dd95dfee4dfae6b 3c423973daff150b4dd95dfee4dfae6b](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/3c423973daff150b4dd95dfee4dfae6b.png)
Jason Russell,
Nouvel Catholic Central
2019
![ee5f489b3a0a91a37bf6ededeea15fe6 ee5f489b3a0a91a37bf6ededeea15fe6](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ee5f489b3a0a91a37bf6ededeea15fe6.webp)
Moria Joiner
Heritage HS
![6d759e6343082d527726287c3c0d4ebb 6d759e6343082d527726287c3c0d4ebb](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/6d759e6343082d527726287c3c0d4ebb.webp)
Lily Beyer
Freeland HS
2020
![3f0688a4225127be116be7f61360e194 3f0688a4225127be116be7f61360e194](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/3f0688a4225127be116be7f61360e194.webp)
Brady Rappuhn
Heritage HS
![94cff7483e550f2cedf6a5d4463b540a 94cff7483e550f2cedf6a5d4463b540a](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/94cff7483e550f2cedf6a5d4463b540a.webp)
Sarah Miller
Birch Run HS
2021
![d61973096335ef140d19aeff82ad3a76 d61973096335ef140d19aeff82ad3a76](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/d61973096335ef140d19aeff82ad3a76.webp)
Ryan Brenner
Frankenmuth HS
![LHeath_action.JPG LHeath_action.JPG](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/LHeath_action.JPG-150x150.jpg)
Logan Heath
Merrill HS
2022
![IMG_9120 IMG_9120](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_9120-150x150.jpeg)
D.J. Voltz
Carrollton HS
![Bryson Huckeby Bryson Huckeby](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Bryson-Huckeby-150x150.jpg)
Bryson Huckeby
Freeland HS
2023
![fink fink](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/fink-150x150.jpg)
Regan Finkbeiner
Hemlock HS
![9AE98EEA-6503-4E00-917F-485B8727032B 9AE98EEA-6503-4E00-917F-485B8727032B](https://saginawcountysports.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/9AE98EEA-6503-4E00-917F-485B8727032B-150x150.jpg)
Dalton DeBeau
Frankenmuth HS
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