The third of a nine-part series on the 2010 Cottage Grove High School Athlletic Hall of Fame Inductees

O'Fallon will be inducted as a community contributor

“I don’t know how we could have done it without him and his talents,” said former CGHS football coach Bob Heckman about Dr. Kerry O’Fallon, who will be inducted into the CGHS Athletic Hall of Fame on April 10 as a community contributor.

The past inductees in the “community contributor” category for the hall of fame (Daugherty and Woodard families) have provided great financial support to CGHS athletics. The third inductee, Dr. O’Fallon, not only gave monetarily, he also gave physical and emotional support over the course of 30 years.

Dr. O’Fallon graduated from University of Kansas Medical School in 1966 and served on the South Lane School Board from 1975-1981. He was the “physician of record” for the school district for a number of years. He added to his volunteerism by acting as the Cottage Grove Lions’ football team doctor in 1977. He continued providing this invaluable service to the team at no charge for 20 years. He was on the sidelines for all home games and many away games. Many players’ injuries, both large and small, were attended to by Dr. O’Fallon. His presence on the sidelines was a welcome and comfort sight to parents and the athletes.

“He’d run out on the field and I never had to be concerned,” Heckman said. “He would willingly take care of it. If I had a youngster that reported to practice sick I could call him and say, ‘doc, I got this guy, I know you’re not in the office, can you take a look at him.' He’d say, ‘sure, send him over or I’ll be right down.'”

Heckman and coach Bill Thompson both remember a game where O’Fallon went the extra mile, so to speak.

“I can remember a game where a kid got a cut on his eyebrow, but he needed stitches,” Heckman related. “So, Kerry takes him over there to the coach’s office. I asked if he’s going to be back and he said don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it. So, he stitched him up and in the second half, he’s back in the game. So, those sorts of things were fabulous.

You could rely on his expertise. A kid gets their “bell rung” and I’d ask him to give us an evaluation. I always knew that he and Mike (Dr. Mike Thompson, who also volunteered for many years) would be real conservative with head injuries. And whatever he told me, yes or no, was it.”

O’Fallon was such an integral part of the athletic department that Heckman gave him a special honor.

“He was a member of the team. We’d give him a hat and jacket…he was a coach on the sideline. Even today if I had a problem I needed help with I could ask Kerry about it.”

When the school district was able to hire an athletic trainer, Dr. O’Fallon graciously stepped aside. As a physician with the Mt. David Medical Group and on the Cottage Grove Hospital staff for 32 years, Dr. O’Fallon helped initiate the first low-cost physical program for South Lane students. The program continued until the old hospital closed and the practice is still carried on by local area providers.

“We needed physicals and we had no money,” Heckman said. “Those were those years we had no budget. I remember like 60 or 70 guys would turn out and he’d spend the whole day in that little cubicle giving physicals to 60 kids, which is a bit of a tedious task and it’s not a lot of fun, but he’d smile and be willing to do it.”

Indirectly, Dr. O’Fallon has continued to offer medical support to Cottage Grove students even after he retired in 2002. He served as the Medical Director for Volunteers in Medicine from 2001-2007 and he continues to offer his services on a volunteer basis. The clinic serves Lane County residents who are unable to afford medical care.

Dr. O’Fallon and his wife Mary Jo have been long time supporters of Cottage Grove athletics. They held season tickets for many years and still attend a number of sporting events at CGHS. They encouraged their children to participate in local sports and are now introducing their granddaughter to CGHS athletics.

Hall of Fame committee member Michele Portmann described Dr. O’Fallon in this way:

“He is a dear soul who always offers encouragement, a caring ear and a sturdy hug to all who ask, and to some who don’t. He has a way of finding the silver lining in all situations. His knowledge of sports, pride in local accomplishments and his enthusiasm make him a 'hall of famer' in my book.”



For the complete article see the 02-03-2010 issue.

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