[BobbyB]

Fighting for life
Ex-Gaels footballers flock to benefit for Rosales, who has Lou Gehrig's disease
By Jennifer Starks, MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Last Updated: 01/13/2007 05:15:24 AM PST


It's hard to imagine how one man's brave fight for life could ease years of pent-up anger and frustration. How one man's will to survive could diffuse a deeply rooted sense of betrayal.
But then again, knowing Doug Rosales — or perhaps simply knowing of him — means knowing anything is possible.

Because of Rosales, the same Saint Mary's College football players who once vehemently swore they'd never return to the school after it abolished their program will be on campus again. Because of Rosales and the raw determination he showed as a 5-foot-5 cornerback, the Gaels will be a team again.

Rosales, 27, is fighting for his life, waging a personal war against Lou Gehrig's disease. The athlete who once celebrated after every hit has been stripped of his ability to speak and move freely. As he courageously battles the disease, the Saint Mary's football fraternity can't help but battle back with him. So, today they'll return to the Soda Center for a benefit to help one of their own.

After all, his fight is their fight.

"I don't know what Doug is. A martyr? This situation is reuniting generations of Gaels," said Jaime Villanueva, a former center on the football team and one of Rosales' closest friends. "(Losing football) was very frustrating. You just feel all your blood, sweat and tears are ****** away. It really ripped the heart and soul out of so many people. ... This is a former player, and we'rereaching out to him."

It takes a powerful


character to quell the fury of others, a strong fortitude to make a group of disheartened men change their minds. But those attributes have been the foundation of Rosales' life, helping him rise above when life's circumstances threatened to keep him down.
"Doug is a phenomenal dude on all levels," said former linebacker David Taylor, a teammate of Rosales. "He brought himself up by his bootstraps."

Rosales was born in El Salvador in 1979. By the time he was 3, a massive civil war had enveloped the region. Already abandoned by their father, Rosales' mother, Ana Julia, knew the only way to keep her children safe was to seek refuge in the United States.

The family eventually settled in Southern California, but life there wasn't much easier. Ana Julia worked two or three jobs at a time, yet they still relied on food stamps and welfare to survive.

"His whole life, he fought hard," said former Saint Mary's football coach Tim Landis, now at Bucknell. "He's had battles throughout the course of his life. Just to fight to get to Saint Mary's, what a struggle that was. You just have to have the heart of a lion or you wouldn't be able to do it."

Escaping a life of poverty and getting to Saint Mary's certainly is a noble feat. Making the football team despite his diminutive stature is another. But Rosales' current fight is something else entirely.

Imagine not being able to verbalize your thoughts. Imagine your body slowly wasting away while your mind remains totally clear.

Manuel Rosales likens Lou Gehrig's disease to "being trapped in your body," while your motor neurons are steadily destroyed.

Every day, Rosales' body betrays him.

"That," Saint Mary's associate athletic director Steve Jacoby said, "has got to be like a private hell."

The Rosales never imagined this "private hell" would be a part of their reality. But nearly two years ago, it began to make its way in.

Carlos Guzman, who lived with Rosales while attending Saint Mary's, first sensed something was wrong while on a trip to Rosarito during Memorial Day weekend in 2005.

Rosales arrived at the Los Angeles airport to pick up Villanueva and Guzman for a fun-filled weekend. As soon as they piled into the car, Rosales began cracking jokes.

That was normal. Rosales' diction wasn't.

"He was slurring his speech," Guzman recalled. "We just joked with him. It was like, 'Dude, it sounds like you're drunk.' We thought it was one of his quirks."

It wasn't. Nor was it a severe sinus infection, as Rosales originally thought. After trying various medications with no results, Rosales visited a specialist at USC who confirmed the family's fears.

"It's numbing to your soul," Manuel Rosales said. "You have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting this disease. They say it's usually white men in their 40s who get it. He was 26. He got the worst of the worst.

"I've always been able to protect him and be a beacon of direction. Now, there's nothing I can do."

It's been just 11 months since Rosales was diagnosed, and the progression since has been fierce. Already, he must rely on a wheelchair to get around. He can use a walker, but doing so for extended distances is too taxing.

Because he can't speak, Rosales, who lives with his mother in Temple City, communicates with friends and family mainly via text messages and the Internet.

"As an athlete, you think your body is invincible and you can overcome anything through hard work," Rosales wrote in an e-mail. "I guess I have the biggest challenge ever. ... The hardest part is trying to answer so many questions. Why me? How did this happen? Many people plan for the future. I try not to think about it and live in the moment. Every day is a blessing."

Rosales' positive outlook continues to amaze those around him.

"He's gone from one extreme to the other," Taylor said. "I think a lot of people would give up. He's a fighter. He's got a phenomenal spirit."

And that's why Taylor and a host of former Gaels are returning to Moraga today. This is their chance to celebrate with Rosales, while allowing the wounds left by the elimination of the football program to heal.

"I promised myself I'd never set foot on campus," said Ryan Seto, a wide receiver on the Gaels' undefeated 1988 team. "I'm a huge Saint Mary's fan, but ... I just thought, 'I'm done with this.' Now, enough's enough. This guy needs help, and we're here to support him. This is devastating. He's a young kid. That's what is important."
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_5007680

[BobbyB]

Man's illness helps others heal
By Jennifer Starks
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
It's hard to imagine how one man's brave fight for life could ease years of pent-up anger and frustration. How one man's will to survive could diffuse a deeply rooted sense of betrayal.

Then again, knowing Doug Rosales -- or perhaps simply knowing of him -- means knowing anything is possible.

Because of Rosales, the same St. Mary's College football players who once swore they would never return to the school after it abolished their program will be on campus again. Because of Rosales and the determination he showed as a 5-foot-5 cornerback, the Gaels will be a team again.

Rosales, 27, is fighting for his life, waging a personal war against Lou Gehrig's disease. The athlete who once celebrated after every hit has been stripped of his ability to speak and move freely. As he battles the disease, the St. Mary's football fraternity can't help but support him. So, today they will return to the Soda Center to help one of their own.

After all, his fight is their fight.

"I don't know what Doug is. A martyr? This situation is reuniting generations of Gaels," said Jaime Villanueva, a former center on the football team and one of Rosales' closest friends. "(Losing football) was very frustrating. You just feel all your blood, sweat and tears are (wasted). It really ripped the heart and soul out of so many people. ... This is a former player, and we're reaching out to him."

Rosales' character has done more than bring people together. It is the very attribute that has helped him rise above when life's circumstances threatened to keep him down.

"Doug is a phenomenal dude on all levels," said former linebacker David Taylor, a teammate of Rosales'. "He brought himself up by his bootstraps."

Rosales was born in El Salvador in 1979. By the time he was 3 years old, a massive civil war had enveloped the region, threatening the safety of the family. Already abandoned by their father, Rosales' mother, Ana Julia, knew the only way to keep her children safe was to seek refuge in the United States.

The family eventually settled in Southern California, but life there wasn't much easier. Ana Julia worked two or three jobs at a time, yet they still relied on food stamps and welfare to survive. Money was so tight they were forced to live out of a Winnebago, with Rosales and his older brother, Manuel, sharing a bed, before finding a place in a section of El Monte infested with drugs and gangs.

"His whole life, he fought hard," said former St. Mary's football coach Tim Landis, now at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. "He's had battles throughout the course of his life. Just to fight to get to St. Mary's, what a struggle that was. You just have to have the heart of a lion or you wouldn't be able to do it."

Escaping a life of poverty and getting to St. Mary's was an impressive feat. Making the football team despite his diminutive stature was another. But Rosales' current fight is something else entirely.

He is not able to verbalize his thoughts. His body slowly wastes away while his mind remains totally clear.

Manuel Rosales likens Lou Gehrig's disease -- formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- to "being trapped in your body" while your motor neurons are steadily destroyed.

Every day, Rosales' body betrays him.

"That," St. Mary's associate athletic director Steve Jacoby said, "has got to be like a private hell."

The Rosales family never imagined this "private hell" would be a part of their reality. But nearly two years ago, it became so.

Carlos Guzman, who lived with Rosales while attending St. Mary's, first sensed something was wrong on a trip to Rosarito during Memorial Day weekend in 2005.

Rosales arrived at the Los Angeles airport to pick up Villanueva and Guzman for a fun-filled weekend of horseback riding and club-hopping. As soon as they piled into the car, Rosales began cracking jokes.

That was normal. Rosales' diction wasn't.

"He was slurring his speech," Guzman recalled. "We just joked with him. It was like, 'Dude, it sounds like you're drunk.' We thought it was one of his quirks."

It wasn't. Nor was it a severe sinus infection, as Rosales originally thought. After trying various medications and seeing no results, Rosales visited a specialist at the University of Southern California who confirmed the family's fears.

"It's numbing to your soul," Manuel Rosales said. "You have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting this disease. They say it's usually white men in their 40s who get it. He was 26. He got the worst of the worst.

"I've always been able to protect him and be a beacon of direction. Now, there's nothing I can do."

It has been 11 months since Rosales was diagnosed, and the progression has been fierce. He relies on a wheelchair to get around. He can use a walker, but doing so for extended distances is too taxing.

Because he can't speak, Rosales, who lives with his mother in Temple City, communicates with friends and relatives mainly via text messages and the Internet.

"As an athlete, you think your body is invincible and you can overcome anything through hard work," Rosales said in an e-mail. "I guess I have the biggest challenge ever. ... The hardest part is trying to answer so many questions. Why me? How did this happen? Many people plan for the future. I try not to think about it and live in the moment. Every day is a blessing."

Rosales' positive outlook continues to amaze those around him.

"He's gone from one extreme to the other," Taylor said. "You just remember him as an athlete looking great and vibrant; now he's stuck in a wheelchair. To come from a pretty challenging place, overcome so much and to see him fall back down is terrible. I think a lot of people would give up. He's a fighter. He's got a phenomenal spirit."

And that's why Taylor and a host of former Gaels are returning to Moraga today. This is their chance to celebrate with Rosales while allowing the wounds left by the elimination of the football program to heal.

"I promised myself I'd never set foot on campus," said Ryan Seto, a wide receiver on the Gaels' undefeated 1988 team. "I'm a huge St. Mary's fan, but ... I just thought, 'I'm done with this.' Now, enough's enough. This guy needs help, and we're here to support him. This is devastating. He's a young kid. That's what is important."

Reach Jennifer Starks at jstarks@cctimes.com.

TO HELP

• WHAT: Gathering to support former St. Mary's College football player Doug Rosales, who is battling Lou Gehrig's disease. (This event is open only to friends and former teammates of Rosales'.)

• WHERE: Soda Center at St. Mary's College, Moraga

• WHEN: 5 p.m. today

• TO DONATE: For information on how to contribute to the Rosales family, contact associate athletic director Steve Jacoby at 925-631-4951 or sjacoby@stmarys-ca.edu.