Walker to be honored

JOHN MUIR HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 93367, Pasadena, CA 91109

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David Rutherford
(909) 979-7294

UCLA FOOTBALL COACH HEADS LIST OF MUIR HALL INDUCTEES

Defensive Coordinator DeWayne Walker, who served as head coach in UCLA’s last football game and was referred to by Rick Neuheisel as “my top recruit” upon replacing Karl Dorrell as the Bruins’ head coach, heads the list of four alumni elected to the John Muir High School Hall of Fame.
The 21st annual induction ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at Rufus Mead Auditorium, 1905 Lincoln Ave., on the Muir High campus in Pasadena. Others elected are: Composer John Beal, Class of 1964, under the category of Visual and Performing Arts; Pasadena Police Lt. Phlunte Riddle (’77), Government Service; and philanthropist/humanitarian Flora Clausdian Dunaians (’52 and ‘54), Community Service.
Walker, a 1978 Muir graduate, starred in the 1976 and 1977 Turkey Tussles won by Muir, to end a 10-year losing streak to Pasadena High School in the cross-town rivalry. The defensive back went on to star at the University of Minnesota by way of Pasadena City College. His professional career included one season with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, and two seasons in the United States Football League, with the Oakland Invaders (1984) and Arizona Outlaws (1985).
But it is Walker’s success on the sidelines, rather than on the gridiron, that impressed Muir’s Hall of Fame selection committee. He began his coaching career as a secondary coach (1988-’91) and defensive coordinator (1992) at Mt. San Antonio College before returning to school and earning his bachelor’s degree from Regents College in Albany, N.Y. He then gained valuable experience by coaching at Utah State (1993), Brigham Young (1994), Oklahoma State (1995) and California (1996-’97).
His National Football League coaching experience began as an assistant to Pete Carroll with the New England Patriots. Walker spent three seasons at New England: two under Carroll (1998.’99); and one under current Head Coach Bill Belichick (2000).
In 2001, Walker became the first assistant coach hired by Carroll at USC. In 2002, he became a secondary coach with the New York Giants, for then-Defensive Coordinator Johnny Lynn (another Muir Hall-of-Famer). After two seasons with the Giants, Walker joined the Washington Redskins’ staff as a cornerbacks coach. His greatest coaching success there was the development of Carlos Rogers and Shawn Springs, who in 2004 became the first player in NFL history to lead his team in sacks (five) and interceptions (six) in the same season. The Redskins won their last five games in 2005 to make the playoffs, due largely to the play of their defensive secondary.
Beal is a long-time television and film composer and the current general manager of the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra. His credits include the musical themes for “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Vega$,” and “Eight is Enough.” He has more than 500 theatrical compositions and 2,000 film commercials to his credit, including movie trailers for 40 of the top-grossing films of all time. His greatest gift to Muir was having written many of the cadences for the school’s internationally renowned drum corps, which are still used more than 40 years after his graduation.
Lt. Riddle, a 23-year veteran, followed the footsteps of her father-in-law, Ralph Riddle, the first African-American officer of the Pasadena Police Department. She made history by becoming Pasadena P.D.’s first African-American woman to be promoted to sergeant. She has worked an array of assignments throughout her career, as a patrol officer, undercover drug officer, background investigator and detective. She currently leads the Traffic Section, responsible for traffic management throughout the city.
Dunaians, a long-time supporter of the Armenian community, is co-founder of Developmental Services for Armenia, a non-profit organization benefitting schools, orphanages and short-term emergency needs. Her humanitarian service includes organizing emergency food and medical aid sent to her motherland in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes. She is a supporter and fundraiser for Olympic Team Armenia; a nursing school project in Stepanavan, Armenia; and “Operation Fuel,” which provided heating during Armenia’s coldest winter in years. She was a member of the final graduating class of John Muir College.
Formed in 1988, the John Muir High School Hall of Fame includes such notable alumni as Jackie Robinson, John Van De Kamp, Stacey Augmon, Darrell Evans, Inger Miller and David Lee Roth.
This year’s ceremony coincides with the school’s open house festivities. Tours of the Hall of Fame, Museum and Alumni Office will follow the program. Nominations are accepted throughout the year and are reviewed by a selection panel consisting of two Hall of Fame inductees, two students from the school’s leadership class, two teachers and a school administrator. Forms can be downloaded from the organization’s website, www.johnmuiralumni.org.