By Rubin E. Grant
Ben Tamburello has a soft spot in his heart for football players and military veterans.
So, when Lettermen of the USA founder and President Darryl Fuhrman contacted him about being the athletic honoree for its fourth annual One Yard at a Time Gala, Tamburello readily agreed.
“I never served in the military, but I am emphatic to veterans for the sacrifices they make and their families make for our country and our freedoms,” Tamburello said. “I’ll do anything to help them any way I can, so when Darryl asked me, I was glad to be associated with it.”
The military honoree for the gala is retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David P. Burford, deputy commander for mobilization and reserve affairs, United States Special Operations Command.
The gala will be held Feb. 3 at The Club. There will be dinner, music and silent and live auctions conducted by Jack Granger, of Granger, Thagard and Associates Inc.
Guests will have the opportunity to meet and celebrate with military heroes, former college and professional football players and coaches with the purpose of raising money to help veterans in need.
Lettermen of the USA is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization made up of former college athletes, as well as active and former coaches, who have teamed up to help serve honorably discharged veterans, wounded veterans and former college players in need with various programs.
The gala proceeds allow LotUSA to continue its essential programs: Autographs for Heroes; Homes for Heroes; Interiors for Heroes; Laptops for Heroes; Utilities for Heroes; Wheels for Heroes; and Taking Care of Our Own.
Although Tamburello is not a veteran, his son Ben Tamburello III is. The younger Tamburello went to the U.S. Naval Academy and was in the Marines for five years.
“He was a big ugly like me, an offensive lineman like me,” the elder Tamburello said. “After he finished at the Naval Academy, he had a five-year commitment to the Navy or the Marines and he chose the Marines.”
From the Gridiron to the Housing Market
The elder Tamburello is a real estate agent with RE/MAX Southern Homes-280, but he made a name for himself on the football field.
After starring at Shades Valley High School in the early 1980s, he went to Auburn University and was a four-year starter at center. In 1986 he was selected as a unanimous All-American and Southeastern Conference Lineman of the Year and was voted the Tigers’ team captain.
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in the third round in 1987 and he played five years in the NFL, from 1987 to 1991. He was a 2010 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee and a 2022 SEC Legend recipient.
Tamburello has been contacting friends and former players to raise funds for the gala.
“Darryl does a bunch of good things for former college football players and veterans, so this is a great way for me to help,” Tamburello said. “It’s an honorable cause. I have reached out to guys I’ve played with and some others.”
Fuhrman, a former University of Alabama football player, founded Lettermen of the USA after the 2011 tornado devastated Tuscaloosa. Fuhrman helped organize a flag football Iron Bowl game between former Alabama and Auburn players that raised $150,000 for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund.
“We have taken the many diverse skills of athletes and coaches and built a national platform,” Fuhrman said. “No organization is worth its salt that doesn’t help its own.”
Tickets or sponsorship packages for the gala can be purchased at lotusa.org. For more information call: 205-394-7521.
