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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, January 19, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 12, 2003 Where are they now? Charley Cobb Medford High School, 1969 By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Charley Cobb was the big man on campus, literally and figuratively, when he starred in football and basketball for the Medford Black Tornado. That changed when the 6-foot-7, 245-pound lineman and post player went to Oregon and joined the football team. Scanning the huddle, he saw his roommate, Dan Fouts, and a couple of other pretty fair quarterbacks in Norv Turner, now offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, and June Jones, who later transferred to Portland State and is now the Hawaii coach. There also was Bobby Moore, aka Ahmad Rashad, and assistant coaches John McKay and George Seifert. "It was a pretty potent offense," says Cobb, 52, who lives in Lake Oswego and owns two sign companies. "It was easy to get excited about football. We had some real opportunities, except we couldn’t beat the Beavers." A win over Oregon State in Cobb’s senior year ended an eight-game losing streak. Advertisement Cobb, who grew up as a neighbor to Medford football coach Fred Spiegelberg, was all-state in both sports. He was every bit as good in basketball, averaging about 25 points per game. He hoped to play at UO, but a tough academic transition his first term squelched the chance. "I wasn’t ready for the big school and almost failed," he says. "Then I got my act together and made it through." As a Duck sophomore, Cobb was a defensive line starter, then was used primarily as a pass rusher by his senior year. Upon graduating with a degree in economics, he worked for a bank in Eugene for six years, then went north to work for Benchcraft, the sign company he’s owned for seven years and worked at for 23. The company used to have ads on Portland buses and now specializes in golf course benches and tee signs. He provides signs to 1,700 golf courses in 32 states, including a number in Southern Oregon. Four years ago, he started another business, Image Media, which specializes in digital signs. Cobb, who married the former Nancy Piazza, has two sons, Michael, 25, who works for him, and Matt, a wide receiver on the Southern Oregon University football team. Cobb still marvels at his Medford prep experience. "Every time I go down there and see that (Spiegelberg) stadium ... the facilities up here just don’t compare," he says. "Football was king down there." And he was a big part of it. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times