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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 1, 2006 Former Pro Bowl QB to speak at banquet By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Jay Schroeder was a Pro Bowl quarterback and a part-time starter on a Super Bowl championship team. Football clearly meant a lot to him. But when faced with the prospect of being with his family in a time of need, the man who spent most of his 11-year playing career with the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Raiders didn’t balk. His 6½ -year-old son, C.J., developed a brain tumor in 1993, when Schroeder was in the twilight of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He left the team for three weeks in midseason. Advertisement "It wasn’t very difficult at all," says Schroeder, who will draw on his life and NFL experiences during a speaking engagement at the Rogue Valley Country Club Thursday. "I needed to be with my son." Schroeder, who has proven to be a popular motivational and inspirational speaker since retiring from the game a decade ago, will be the main attraction at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet at 6 p.m. Complimentary seating is available. Those interested should call Jim Winans, the Southern Oregon director of FCA, at 261-2809. Schroeder’s son had surgery in 1993 and recovered. He was afflicted by a second brain tumor at age 10 and survived after it was treated with high doses of radiation. "We’ve been all around and through it with him," says Schroeder. "God is amazing. He’s healed him." C.J., one of three Schroeder children, is now a freshman at Azusa Pacific and plans to play basketball for the school next season. Another son, Brian, is a star junior pitcher for the UCLA Bruins. Schroeder and his wife of 14 years, Debbie, also have a 7-year-old daughter, Katelyn. Schroeder was a third-round draft choice of the Redskins in 1984 and got his first game action in 1985 when starter Joe Theismann’s leg was broken on a tackle by Lawrence Taylor. The following year, Schroeder passed for more than 4,000 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Schroeder had an up-and-down campaign in 1987. He started 10 games but was supplanted by Doug Williams, who had a record-breaking performance as the Redskins defeated Denver, 42-10, in the Super Bowl. Schroeder was traded to the Raiders in 1988 and played five seasons for them before winding up with one-year stints in Cincinnati and Arizona. He eclipsed 20,000 yards and 100 touchdown passes and had a .648 winning percentage. "I was very fortunate to play on a lot of good football teams, both in Washington and LA," says Schroeder, 44, who lives in St. George, Utah. "I had a great career. I can’t complain at all. I was very fortunate to play a game for a living and play it for 11 years." Schroeder has been directly involved with FCA on and off for seven years. Winans lined him up through organization contacts in Southern California. "I’ve heard he’s a great speaker," says Winans. "He’s got some great stories to tell." Schroeder, who was in Baltimore last week, travels all over the country and says he enjoys meeting new people and sharing his thoughts. Ultimately, he hopes to help bring awareness about FCA to others. "I know the organization quite well and they do good things," he says. "We want to reach high school coaches. They influence high school players more than anyone else. Those are the people that set the groundwork for lifelong fundamentals. When you get a good core group of athletes together using the fundamentals of FCA, it’s a powerful thing." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail Former Pro Bowl QB to speak at banquet ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s