The naming of a North Battleford practice field after NFL star Rueben Mayes has received an enthusiastic thumbs up from city council.
At their meeting Monday, council gave its unanimous approval to a resolution to name the practice football field at North Battleford Comprehensive High School after Mayes, a former North Battleford resident who played football at the high school before turning pro.
Mayes went on to a record-breaking collegiate career at Washington State and seven successful years in the National Football League as a star running back with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks in the 1980s and '90s.
The approval from council comes one week after council's Parks and Recreation Committee unanimously passed a recommendation to council to name the field for Mayes.
Mayes himself has provided his own approval to the idea of having the practice field named for him.
"I am giving written permission to have my name (and likeness) connected with the renaming of a sports field associated with North Battleford and/or NBCHS football and athletics," Mayes stated in an April 23 letter to committee chair Don Buglas.
"North Battleford is my birthplace and the community that molded me into the person I am today. I am honoured to be chosen as the recipient of this recognition."
The naming of the practice field for Mayes is to officially happen June 14 when Mayes is scheduled to be in North Battleford to speak to students at NBCHS. He is also scheduled to be the guest of honour at their annual banquet that evening.
In considering the request, council had on hand a number of letters supporting the initiative.
In his letter dated April 19, Battlefords Minor Football president Mike Humenny stated that Mayes was "more than willing to remain true to his roots in spite of his immense popularity south of the border." In making that point Humenny referred to a 1987 article in Sports Illustrated in which Mayes was quoted as saying "I don't care how successful I am, I will always be the kid from North Battleford."
At the council meeting Monday there was wide support for honoruing Mayes, with Buglas noting honouring worthy individuals from the community hasn't happened nearly enough.
"I think we need to look at honoring our own a little more frequently," noted Buglas, particularly heading into the city's centennial next year.
