Rolf, a Class Act

Few athletes have enjoyed the kind of loving relationship with a community that Rolf Benirschke has had with San Diego.

In part that may be because he was a local boy; in part because he became ill and we feared we might lose him; in part because of his heroics on the football field as he became the Chargers’ all-time leading scorer. But mainly it was because of the kind of person he is.

In an age when outrageous arrogance on the part of professional athletes is accepted as the norm, and when the “good guys” are defined as those who haven’t been arrested on drug charges or haven’t engaged in tawdry displays of greed over contracts, Benirschke is included in a small group of real gentlemen.

He has been a role model who reflected the best parts of a Southern California upbringing--an understanding and appreciation of nature and its creatures; an outlook that embodies the work ethic without confusing work with life or winning with success in life.

Benirschke is well-known for his “Kicks for Critters” program that benefits the Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species at the San Diego Zoo. But throughout his years with the Chargers, he has been generous with his time for a myriad of charitable organizations.

Now, Benirschke heads to Texas to become a member of the Dallas Cowboys. San Diegans wish him much success there, and we’ll welcome him home after the season ends.