Pirate great Bill Redding dies at 76

COSTA MESA -- Former Orange Coast College football great and Athletics Hall of Famer, Bill Redding, died on May 12 due to respiratory failure. He was 76 years old.

A memorial service will take place for Redding at OCC's LeBard Stadium on Saturday, June 29, beginning at 4 p.m.

"Bill was bigger than life," Redding's wife, Bernie, said. "He could walk into any room and just have the ability to talk to anyone and he always made everyone feel comfortable. He could easily make friends and he had that charisma -- the ability to go up to a shy person and immediately make them feel comfortable."

Redding's connection to Orange Coast College came after his parents moved to Southern California from Grosse Isle, Michigan, where he went to high school prior to his time at OCC. As a Pirate, Redding was a five-time OCC Player of the Game after moving from linebacker to guard, a position change that would reshape his entire football career. 

"OCC was the foundation of his football," Bernie Redding said. "It was at OCC where he was able to get better and prepare for his time at USC. He always talked greatly about (OCC Hall of Fame Coaches, Dick Tucker and George Mattias) and the group that came from OCC was one of the biggest recruiting groups to ever go to USC."

After his All-American season for the Pirates in 1967, Redding moved up the freeway to USC, where he played for legendary head coach, John McKay and played for two of the Trojans' most memorable seasons ... 1968 and 1969. Redding helped guide the Trojans to a 9-1-1 record and a national No. 4 ranking in 1968, losing only to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Included in that season was an incredible 20-tackle performance on his 21st birthday against Oregon in a 20-13 win. 

Redding -- a 6-foot-1, 233-pound athlete who could run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds, according to a story about him in the Daily Pilot -- moved from defense to offense and played center for the Trojans his senior year, where he helped USC to a 10-0-1 record, a No. 3 national ranking and a 10-3 win over the University of Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1970. He became the only Trojan to start back-to-back Rose Bowl games from both sides of the ball. 

"He went and did a tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers after USC, but from there, he really wanted to begin his career as a coach," Bernie Redding said. "I remember when (Redding's son, Matthew) would be playing football at OCC, he'd be up in the upper corner of the stadium so he could watch the entire game and view the game like a coach would. I would have to joke with him about coming back to crowd and watching the game like a parent or as a fan, instead of like a coach."

After his football career ended, Redding's family life began, with the marriage to Bernie and the birth of his two kids, Matthew and Ryan. "I remember growing up, he always coached us and I thought he wanted to hang with just his kids," Ryan Redding said. "But as the years went on, I heard from several of my old teammates telling me how much that my dad meant to them growing up. He really made an impact on so many lives,"

After coaching, Redding went into the workforce in sales, and trips away from home became too much of a sacrifice to make, so Bill spent more time at home with Bernie and the kids. "This year would have been 41 years of marriage and I remember Bill taking the kids on road trips for business and just being able to spend as much time with the family as possible," Bernie said. "I never skied in my life, but I remember him taking me on a trip up to Lake Tahoe and there, I tried to ski. He could be very persuasive like that."

Redding spent several years during his kids' upbringing, devoting countless hours with various youth baseball and football leagues and was booster club president at Estancia High School. "One thing about my dad and I think it's a bit of a Redding tradition ... he had the ability to talk and create a speech out of thin air," Matt Redding said. "Even if it was something unprepared, my dad could pull it off like it was easy for him ... and it was."

In 2001, the Daily Pilot honored Redding by including him in the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame, which celebrated the top Newport-Mesa athletes of the 20th Century and, in 2008, Redding was inducted into the Orange Coast College Athletics Hall of Fame.

"I will always remember my dad for his commitment to his wife and family," Ryan Redding said. "Also, his devotion to his community and sports ... and ... he also enjoyed a nice glass of scotch."

That message brought a smile to Bernie, who added, "I remember we went on the Glenfiddich Distillery tour and at 10 o'clock in the morning, they were passing out samples. Bill gladly took the sample, smiled, and said ... 'It's never too early.'"

Information on the Bill Redding Memorial Service:

Orange Coast College Football Stadium (LeBard Stadium)

Saturday, June 29

Service: 4-5 p.m. 

Reception: 5-7 p.m. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bill's honor to benefit the Orange Coast College football team.

Contributions can be made to the:
Orange Coast College Foundation
2701 Fairview Road
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Ref: Bill Redding Memorial Fund

Online donations can be made here: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/BillReddingMemorialfund