By Sara Piccini
From the 2011 W&M President's Report

In the fall of 2006, Mike Callahan '10, M.Acc. '11 came to William & Mary from Lancaster County, Pa., with two goals: to study business and to play football.

As a quarterback, he knew he had a tough challenge facing him. "I was 5 feet 11, 180 pounds - not exactly prime-time scholarship material," Callahan says. Coach Jimmye Laycock '70 nonetheless saw his potential, and invited Callahan to join the team as a walk-on. Walk-ons are team members who do not receive college athletic scholarships.

In his first two seasons, Callahan gave 110 percent in practice, but didn't spend a single minute on the field, in large part because of the Tribe's depth at the quarterback position. Ahead of Callahan were Mike Potts '08, Jake Phillips '09 and R.J. Archer '10, all of whom ended up playing professionally.

At the start of his third season, Callahan finally had a chance to compete for the backup quarterback spot. He tore his ACL in the final preseason scrimmage.

"For that whole season, I pretty much just rehabbed during practice," he says. "On game days, I would stand on the sidelines in street clothes."

But Callahan wouldn't give up. "I always knew in my heart that I was good. And I love the game; I love the whole team aspect. There are 90 guys on a football team, and those are some of the best friends of my life."

His perseverance ultimately paid off. Coach Laycock delivered the good news at the end of the spring 2010 semester. For the upcoming season, Callahan would be competing for the starting position. And for the first time, he would be receiving a scholarship.

Walking on to Victory

When Callahan took the field at Zable Stadium as starting quarterback in fall 2010, he was, in a very real sense, being carried on the shoulders of generations of players who'd gone before him. The walk-on scholarship Callahan earned had been funded over the years by hundreds of small donations from former members of the Tribe.

The scholarship program - created, developed and sustained by William & Mary football alumni - has a simple premise and an unusual name: HEYFARL.

The brainchild of former Tribe standout Tom Mikula '48, HEYFARL stands for "Hundred Each Year for a Rising Letterman": members are asked to contribute $100 each year to the program. In just two decades, the many small checks written to HEYFARL have added up to an astounding $1 million.

"The financial support has been overwhelming," Laycock says. "It sends a great message to designated walk-ons, speaking to the fact that they've really earned something."

"It's an opportunity for us to give back to these kids who come to William & Mary on a promise: if you play well, we'll give you a scholarship," says longtime supporter Bud Porter '62. "I'm very proud to be part of that. It obviously makes life a whole lot easier for them and their parents."

"You work so hard for a long time, and then to see your work pay off, it's a real honor - especially at William & Mary," Callahan says. "If you look at the guys who've walked on and earned a scholarship, they're all pretty notable players."

In a final season straight out of a movie script, Callahan secured his own place among the Tribe's notable players. He racked up five touchdowns in his first three games as a starter, and came back from a mid-season injury to help lead the Tribe to its first CAA championship title since 2004 and a spot in the national playoffs. During the season, William & Mary also spent a week ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time in history.

Callahan's story goes a long way toward explaining why HEYFARL has been so successful. Bringing together players from across the generations, HEYFARL is defined by the traditions of Tribe football - dedication, loyalty and, above all, camaraderie.

"A Heck of a Name"

Camaraderie, in fact, was key to launching HEYFARL back in the early 1990s.

Mikula had come up with the concept based on his own experience playing for the College. "I was a walk on back in 1943, and that meant a lot to me. Supporting walk-ons was a natural," he says. "Tom came into my office, sat down and told me,

'I've got a great idea how we can raise a lot of money for football,'" says Bobby Dwyer M.Ed. '94, senior associate director and chief fundraiser for athletics. As Dwyer explains, Mikula's plan of soliciting small gifts from a large number of donors didn't fit the traditional fundraising model.

"I got the idea from Clemson, which had started the IPTAY program - 'I Pay Ten a Year,'" Mikula says. "For us, I knew $10 a year wouldn't do it, so I proposed a donation of $100 a year."

Mikula was confident his plan would work. "As the head of Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, Mikula soon came up with another plan: to create HEYFARL endowments. For a minimum contribution of $2,500, members could make a gift to endowment and honor a former teammate or friend at the same time.

Mikula himself spearheaded the effort. "There was a period of time when Tom was working on it every day, making personal calls," Ragsdale remembers.

"It kind of snowballed from there," McNamee says.

By the 1996-1997 season, HEYFARL had raised enough money to fund its first walk-on scholarship, awarded to Brian Sorrell '98. The second-year recipient, Sean McDermott '98, is now defensive coordinator for the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

Giving Back, Paying Forward

Today, the HEYFARL mailing list numbers over 800 names; donors include not only former players, but also spouses, former cheerleaders and other devoted fans of Tribe football such as Hall-of-Famer and former William & Mary Head Football Coach Marv Levy.

And it's far more than just a fundraising program.

With members from all different eras trading stories at tailgates and forging new friendships, HEYFARL has helped create an even stronger bond among the Tribe football community.

"A lot of the success has to do with the diligence of Duane, Steve and Tom," Coach Laycock says. "They've had the vision and they made it happen. I'm not surprised that so many people have become involved."

McNamee, a dedicated fifth-grade teacher at Swansboro Elementary School in inner city Richmond, still makes time to create and mail the semiannual newsletter to HEYFARL members. He also sends two update letters each year from Coach Laycock.

With the funds currently available, Laycock and his coaching staff are now able to award four HEYFARL scholarships a year. The outstanding record of HEYFARL scholarship recipients is a testament to Mikula's original vision.

"There are better opportunities to arise from a walk on to a scholarship athlete at William & Mary than a lot of other schools. There's no dramatic difference - you're always treated as part of the team," says Lang Campbell '05, who received a HEYFARL scholarship in the 2001 - 2002 season.

In his final season as quarterback, Campbell set single-season records for passing yards, total offense and touchdowns, and led the Tribe to a share of the Atlantic 10 title and its first appearance in the NCAA I-AA semifinals.

Capping off his college career, Campbell received the 2004 Walter Payton Award - the only William & Mary player to receive this prestigious honor.

Campbell quickly became a HEYFARL donor himself.

"The best part of the program is that it allows for everyone to give back in a meaningful way, even if they're not making six figures. When you're finished playing, you can give back the first year out."

Bud Porter notes that the endowment program, enabling members to create endowments in the name of a teammate or friend, also creates an incentive to support HEYFARL. Porter has funded an endowment honoring his SAE fraternity brother Jim Ukrop '60, L.H.D. '99 and is currently raising funds among members to create an endowment for his friend Frank Govern '64 - who in turn have established five endowments of his own.

Both Campbell and Porter admit that there's some friendly peer pressure involved as well. "The guys I played with in that era, we're so competitive, we can't let just one guy start an endowment," Porter jokes.

"The preseason newsletter prints the names of everyone who's given," Campbell says. "I find myself always flipping through it, looking for my name, looking for friends and new additions."

More than any reason, however, members support HEYFARL to give back to the school that's given them so much.

"I preach to some of the local kids I know that four years of football is wonderful, but you have to make a life for yourself afterward," Porter says. "I think you will be more prepared and more well-rounded going to William & Mary than anywhere else. That's why I believe in this program so strongly, and why I give to it, and will continue to give to it."

I'd learned how to do fundraising, and I knew you had to have something behind you. The football program is really important to a lot of us. The product sells itself."

By fortunate coincidence, a perfect means for reaching out to football alumni - the William & Mary Football Club - had just been started by another former player, Steve McNamee '81, with the help of his old roommate Duane Ragsdale '81. The club sent out regular mailings to alumni and sponsored tailgates at all home games.

A mutual friend, Ted Filer '52, introduced McNamee to Mikula. It was, in the immortal words of Humphrey Bogart, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"We hit it off right away," McNamee says. "He's a really smart guy - he's got a lot of ideas."

One idea Mikula brought up with his new friend was HEYFARL. "I remember thinking, 'That's a heck of a name,'" McNamee says with a laugh.

"We had a mailing list, we had an organization going,"

McNamee continues. "Tom said we ought to be able to start raising $20,000 a year. I'd already learned he knew what he was doing, so we went to work."

A Simple Plan

Reflecting on the growth of the program, Duane Ragsdale and Steve McNamee believe that the formula for HEYFARL's success is as simple as its premise.

"We've met guys from the '30s and '40s on through to the present who are part of it," Ragsdale says. "Overall, it's just a great group of people who really care about the program."

"People love helping out - that's pretty much the nuts and bolts of it. It perpetuates itself," McNamee adds. "The next thing you know, you've raised a million dollars from a few guys giving a $100 a year. People really love the program and the school that much.

"It's unbelievable."