2000 Hall of Fame Inductee

AL DAVENPORT - Corcoran, Calif.

Football 1970, 1971

Al Davenport was one of the finest athletes to play for Pete Riehlman. He was an All-Far Western Conference player for both years he played at Chico State and 1st Team Little All Coast for both years. In the 1971 Camellia Bowl, Al absolutely tore the Boise State offensive linemen apart, helping to hold that team to 46 yards rushing for the game.

Upon graduating from Chico State, Al accepted the Head Football Coaching Position at Princeton High School where he took a team that hadn't scored a touchdown the previous year to the North Coast Section Co-Championship in a short three year period. He also coached basketball at Princeton as well as teaching four different subjects.

From Princeton High School Al went to Corcoran High School in 1979 where he was head football coach for three years. In Corcoran, he has taught physical education and social science both at the high school and the middle school. He started a wrestling program at the middle school, and also coached basketball at the middle school and track at the high school for many years. He once coached basketball and wrestling at the same time! His basketball team at the middle school won many league championships. As an instructor, Al in one of the most popular teachers on campus, known to all students as Mr. D. He has been a leader to all. Al coached football, basketball and track in Corcoran until a year ago when a quintuple heart by-pass surgery forced him to give up coaching.

Fortunately, Al still enjoys golf which he pursues each summer and on weekends. Al is also very active in community service organizations of Corcoran which raise money and support the local hospital and Valley Children's Hospital of Fresno, and Corcoran athletics. Al and his wife, Clairen, have raised two boys, Dan and Tyler, and have a daughter-in-law, Heather, and two wonderful grandsons, Jacob and Seth.