Football legends, other athletes take a swing at golf in Temecula for charity

Jonathan Ogden, retired Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman, suits up for the 14th Annual Celebrity Extravaganza Golf Classic in Temecula. (Photo by Toni McAllister)

Barry Bonds, Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, Jonathan Ogden, Marshall Faulk … those were just few of the 30 pro athletes swinging clubs at today’s 14^th Annual Celebrity Extravaganza Golf Classic in Temecula.

The event, which took place at Pechanga Resort’s Journey Golf Course, was hosted by the Marshall Faulk Foundation and was held to raise funds for Southern California non-profit organizations that support inner-city youth.

The Foundation and the event were founded by the legendary National Football League running back Marshall Faulk, who played with the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams before retiring in 2007. Faulk, who now resides in San Diego and attended San Diego State University, is a product of a New Orleans Ninth Ward housing project and has long advocated for at-risk youth.

According to a Foundation spokeswoman, this year’s event netted more than $125,000 in proceeds for the non-profits. Some of the money was raised during celebrity-studded parties and a sports memorabilia auction at Pechanga that took place the night before the golf tournament.

Auction items, including jerseys once worn by LaDainian Tomlinson, Peyton Manning, Ronnie Lott, Greg Maddux, and others were sold to the highest bidders, as were helmets autographed by Charlie Joiner and Marshall Faulk, along with a basketball signed by Michael Cage and countless other items that had pro-athlete ties.

As the night-before-partying got underway, retired Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden said he was honored to be playing in the tournament.

“Anything that benefits the community, I want to help,” he said. “When you are playing professional ball, you can’t do events like this. This is a chance to give back.”

Ogden, who said he’s known Faulk since 1995, admitted there was another reason he showed up for the event.

“I love golf,” he said.

Retired Major League Baseball outfielder and homerun record holder Barry Bonds, who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants, said he had a very specific reason for coming onboard for the tournament.

“Marshall called me and asked me to,” said the former Murrieta resident who has long ties to the Inland Empire.

Andre Reed, a wide receiver who played 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and one season with the Washington Redskins, said playing in the tournament is rewarding because there is camaraderie at the event.

“It makes you happy when you see your peers and we’re all doing something to benefit the community,” he said.

Reed, who has been participating in the tournament since its inception, said: “I never get to see all these guys except at events like this.”

Tags: 14th Annual Celebrity Extravaganza Golf Classic, Barry Bonds, Jonathan Ogden, Marcus Allen, Marshall Faulk, New Orleans Ninth Ward, Pechanga Resort's Journey Golf Course, Ronnie Lott, San Diego State University, SWRNN

This entry was posted on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 11:09 am and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, Lifestyle, Local News, News, Sports . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.