Class of 2013
Dick Mock

   
An outstanding football team is one that is led by key players on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The 1966 and 1967 Chestnut Ridge football teams had these key ingredients for success and one of the major leaders on these teams was offensive guard and defensive
linebacker Richard P. Mock. Dick is one of the most outstanding football linemen in the history of Chestnut Ridge football. Dick graduated in 1968 from Chestnut Ridge and during his athletic career he earned a total of 12 varsity letters, including three each in football, wrestling, baseball, and track.
    Dick achieved his greatest success in football in high school. He was an offensive guard, a defensive linebacker, and a defensive guard on two very successful football teams, helping to lead Chestnut Ridge to a two-year record of 17-2 his junior and senior years. The Lions had back-to-back Somerset County Class B League Championships and high rankings in local, district, and state football. Unfortunately, this was in the era before the start of district and state football playoffs.
    Dick served as team captain for two years and called all defensive signals his junior and senior years. He had eight career interceptions and numerous fumble recoveries as he led the team in tackles.
    For his superb efforts, Dick was named to two Bedford Gazette All-County Football Teams in 1966 and 1967. He was also named to the 1967 First-Team Defensive Line on the All-Central Pennsylvania WTAJ Channel 10 All-Star Team. Dick was also on the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat All-Star Team.
    His head football and baseball coach Dick Fisher said “It was my pleasure to coach Dick in both sports. Pound for pound, he was the toughest lineman that I coached in my nine years of coaching. He had tremendous desire and talent, and he was a very aggressive leader on the field. He was my defensive captain and team leader on the great teams of 1966 and 1967. He was the heart of our team.”
    Dick was also a leader on the wrestling team. His senior year, the Lions compiled a 12-1 record, losing only to District 5 champion Bedford, 26-20. Dick had to meet Bedford County Sports Hall of Famer Sam Beegle in that match.
    After graduation, Dick played four years of football at Shippensburg State College. He started on the freshman team at linebacker and became a three-year varsity letterman, starting two years at guard and linebacker. He recorded a game-high 12 solo tackles in a game against Kutztown State. Dick earned a degree in education in 1972, majoring in history with plans of a career in teaching and coaching.
    Dick then embarked on a coaching career that lasted for 40 years. During that time, he has coached high school, academy, college, and professional football.
    Here is a brief resume of his coaching career:
    1973-74: Chestnut Ridge High School - Assistant coach that helped the Lions achieve a 5-5 record after a 0-5 start.
    1974-76: Richland High School - Assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach. JV record of 30-0. Also was the head junior high wrestling coach. The Rams were the Mountain Conference runner-up and coached their first ever winning season in junior high wrestling.
    1976-79: Greater Johnstown High School - Assistant coach and varsity line coach. He coached future Pittsburgh Steeler Pro-Bowler Carlton Haselrig and Division I football players Artrell Hawkins and Joe Greenwood.
    1979-81: Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Georgia) - Defensive coach and linebacker coach. Won the AAA state championship in 1980 and 1981 with a 15-1 record each year. He coached Knox Culpepper, who was a four-year starter at Georgia University, and Gerald Browner, brother of NFL greats Ross Browner and Joey Browner.
    2003-06: Westmont-Hilltop High School - Offensive line coach and running game coordinator.
    2006-10: Richland High School - Offensive line coach and running game coordinator. He helped turn around a program that had not had a winning season in 20 years. Four consecutive winning seasons culminating with a 9-2 record in 2009. The Rams defeated Bishop McCort and Johnstown for the first time in school history.
    2007-08: Johnstown Riverhawks of the American Indoor Professional Football League - Offensive line coach. He helped the Riverhawks to two consecutive winning seasons. The offense was ranked first in the league. Quarterback Tony Zimmerman threw 77 touchdown passes in 12 games.
    2011-Present: St. Francis University - Defensive coach, linebackers coach, and long snappers coach. Helped develop sophomore Anthony Bowman to a second-team All-NEC selection. In 2011, he led the NEC with 141 tackles in 11 games. Dick is currently coaching tackles and tight ends at the university.
    Over the 46 years of his playing and coaching career, Dick has been a fierce competitor, a leader as a coach, and a fine developer of young men. Dick has been a high school teacher, and he now owns and operates his own business, Mock and Associates, which is an insurance, mutual funds, retirement, and annuity plans company in Johnstown. Dick Mock is a very fine new member of the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame.



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Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2013

Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame