A TRIP THROUGH THE PAST South High sent 6 to NFL

By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
A recent reunion of two former South High football players at Boardman's Eat 'N Park Restaurant led to the realization that the school, which opened in 1911 and closed in 1990, sent six players to the National Football League.
The get-together of Don Lisbon and Jay Cunningham, who both played for Bowling Green State University and in the NFL, sparked some research that showed that four other South High graduates -- Pete Richardson, Bill Lenkaitis and brothers Sanford and Jamie Rivers -- also made it to the NFL.
Lisbon, a 1959 South High graduate and ball carrier who was coached by John McAfee, was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers as a running back and played four years for that team. Lisbon now is a teacher at Ohio Juvenile Schools.
Cunningham, a 1961 South High graduate and defensive back there coached by Sonny Friend, was drafted by the Boston Patriots and played five years for the San Diego Chargers from 1964-69. Cunningham now is a teacher in the East Cleveland High School System.
Sanford Rivers NFL official
Sanford Rivers is the only one of the South group who didn't play in the NFL -- but instead became an NFL official.
Rivers, a 1962 South High graduate who played two years each for McAfee and Friend as a running back and defensive back, played football for Dike Beede at Youngstown State and then one year for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, before becoming an NFL official in 1989.
McAfee, incidentally, retired as South's coach after the 1959 season and was succeeded by Friend.
Sanford Rivers' brother, Jamie Rivers, is a 1963 South High graduate who, like Lisbon and Cunningham, also played for Bowling Green and went on to an eight-year NFL career as a linebacker.
Jamie Rivers set milestone
In fact, Rivers enjoys the distinction of being the first starting black middle linebacker in the NFL. He played nine years in the NFL, seven for the St. Louis Cardinals and two for the New York Jets.
Rivers now owns a McDonald's Restaurant franchise in St. Louis.
Lenkaitis, a 1964 South High graduate, played center for Penn State and then in the NFL for 14 years, the first four seasons with the San Diego Chargers and the last 10 with the New England Patriots. Lenkaitis is now a dentist.
Richardson, meanwhile, also is a 1964 South graduate and played defensive back for the Buffalo Bills and now is the Southern University football coach.
kovach@vindy.com