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Show PageiA - THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, o lo) Thursday, August SO, 19M lW By DOUG WILKS Now, he has cut down on the bench pressing to increase his Herald Sports Writer ROCKLIN, Calif. "No, - flexibility for not again." San Francisco Forty Niner running back Bill Ring left the office of head coach Bill Walsh dejected. He'd been cut by the Raiders in 1979, cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980, left ? 'I pass-catchin- g. And although most of his work comes in the form of special teams play, he is always ready to step in and run with the ball. "He's just a real hard worker. He goes out to practice with the attitude that he s going to go hard all day long," said Todd Shell, also a BYU alumnus, now playing with Ring on the 49ers. "Ring will carry the ball 30 or 40 yards up the field after each carry. He works hard and that's why he's where he's at," said Shell. Hard work, time for charity, Mr. Everything. He sounds too good even for Hollywood right? There's more. As a freshman at BYU, the e bowling running back picked up a copy of Pittsburgh running back Rocky Blier's book, Fighting Back. Blier, like Ring, is undersized. His well chronicled story includes fighting back from a war injury in Vietnam to make it to the Super Bowl with the Steelers. Ring always respected Blier and became fast friends with him during his short stay with the Steelers. He spent several months with Blier, living in his home while he tried to decide which direction his career should take. Fortunately for the scripball-typ- Bill Ring Canada's Winnepeg Bluebom-ber- s later that year, and now, when things seemed to be going so well, cut by the 49ers in the third week of the 1981 regular season. "Coach Walsh told me it was just a roster adjustment and that I'd be back on the team in 24 hours. But I started losing a little bit of hope after a week had gone by and I still hadn't heard from them," said Ring, in a break from the rigors of training camp in Rocklin, Calif. One week stretched into two and it seemed the realities of professional football had finally caught up with Ring. At 205 pounds, professional teams were willing to give him a look, but not much more. Consequently, Ring bounced from team to team searching for a place to play. "When they released me it was my third time being cut and it was really a blow. I'd tried three times and felt that was enough. I wasn't going to try again," he said. Bill Ring, like the 49ers, appeared to be going nowhere. Atlanta had just handed the Bay Area team it's second loss in three weeks of regular season football. He had heard the story from the Pittsburgh Steelers and there was no reason to believe San Francisco would act any differently. It was time for the former BYU running back to start thinking about a new career. Then, almost as if on cue from a Hollywood director, the phone rang. Walsh called Ring and said they wanted him e back. The story was just beginning. dream-come-tru- Ring was in uniform for the 4 49ers' crushing of the Dallas Cowboys at Candlestick 45-1- twriters, Ring, like Blier, Francisco running back Bill Ring straight arms his way to a touchdown in Forty Niner football action. Ring, unheralded at BYU, fought his way into the NFL, San Park. It ignited "49er Fever" in the Bay Area and was the beginning of changing fortunes for Ring and his team. Soon everyone was talking about the incredible rise of San Francisco. But not even Hollywood would believe this story. t, Young Bill Ring, a believer in the American work ethic, marched with his team into Pontiac Stadium to begin the 1982 Super Bowl. San Francisco 26, Cincinnati down-and-ou- 21. Roll the credits. "Everything happened all of a sudden. It was really unbelievable. I was almost in a state of shock.. .especially during weeV said Ring, reevents of his most the calling unforgettable experience. The fans grabbed hold of Ring like he was one of their own. And, in reality, he was. Growing up in the Bay Area, Ring used to attend 49ers games. He starred at Carle-moHigh School in Belmont, Calif, before landing a scholar nt ship with Brigham Young University. There, he played in the shadow of Marc Wilson and BYU's incredible passing attack. That experience led him into the battle of professional football survival. "My goal first off was to make a spot on one of the 28 teams in the NFL. I knew there had to be a spot somewhere," he said. During Superbowl week, The San Francisco Chronicle assigned a reporter to specifically follow Ring. If anyone epitomized the rags to riches story of the 49ers, it was him. He had arrived. He overcame incredible odds and obstacles to earn a place in professional football. Predictably, 1981 changed Ring's life forever. His days are now Bill non-footba- ll filled with public appearances and charity work. He is on the board of directors for Easter Seals and works with the Center of Disabled People in Belmont. Ring also devotes time to Big Brothers and other charity organizations. "They need the help of professional athletes," he says humbly, citing it as one way he can repay some of his good fortune. But the difference between Ring and other professional athletes is that he never takes his success for granted. He trains vigorously in the and works into the best possible shape before each training camp. He runs, lifts weights and keeps working on flexibility. "I think that's one thing that keeps me on the roster. I don't have all the physical size in the world so I have to come into camp in the best possible shape," he said. His philosophy of hard work also paid dividends at BYU. Ring was already bench pressing over 400 pounds during his college years, giving him plenty of strength and power. That hard work impressed the coaches and made him worthy of playing time. landed in the Super Bowl. Ring said his time at BYU helped in his adjustment to professional football. "BYU was a great help because some of their (offensive) formations were called the same here. Doug Scovil was the offensive coordinator and he used a pro offense. It wasn't as complicated as San Francisco's but it was still a e offense," he said. For Bill Ring, the future looks bright. He hasn't slowed down in training camp, combining the enthusiasm of a rookie with the experience of a pro-typ- veteran. "I feel good about my position on the team but I never take anything for granted. I'll be prepared to play from the line of scrimmage but (I know) a big part of my role is on special teams," he said. from offhim his for prepared season role as a stockbroker with Dean Whitter Company. But he says he still has to devote too much time to working out to be a successful stockbroker. When he does finally decide tc hang up his cleats, the financial world will be waitA degree in finance BYU ing. And if past performance is any measure of success, Dean Whitter is in for many good years. Hollywood wouldn't have it any other way. |