Former Cowboy Tarik Smith, three others join Oak Park Hall of Fame

By John Loesing Acorn Staff Writer

Tarik Smith

Former Dallas Cowboy running back Tarik Smith, UCLA track & field All- America John Knight Jr., and community leaders Rick Chivaroli and Roger Jones will be inducted into the Oak Park High School Athletics Hall of Fame on Sat., Feb. 8.

    An All-CIF performer in football, track and basketball, Smith is considered one of Oak Park’s best athletes ever. He was a three-sport athlete at the high school from 1990 to 1993 and still holds five records in football. 

When drafted by the Cowboys out of the University of California Berkeley in 1998, Smith became only the second player in school history, along with 2000 Hall of Fame inductee Erik Aftholter, to play football in the National Football League.

Smith played two and-a-half seasons behind NFL all-time rushing leader Emmit Smith before knee injuries forced him into retirement. Currently completing his master’s degree at Cal, Smith also coaches football at Concord High School in the San Francisco Bay area.

    John Knight graduated from Oak Park High School in 1985 after earning 12 varsity letters in tennis, basketball, football and track.  

The first Oak Park student athlete to win an individual California Interscholastic Federation championship (shot put), Knight remains the school’s all-time record holder in the shot put and discus. 

Knight continued his track and field career at UCLA where he was a four-time All American in the hammer throw and a member of the USA Track and Field team in 1988. Knight returned to Oak Park High School to coach football, track and girl’s basketball. He remains active in the community, coaching youth soccer and basketball.

    Oak Park parents Rick Chivaroli and Roger Jones are credited with transforming the Oak Park High School Athletic Booster Club into one of the community’s most successful organizations. In the five years under their leadership, annual revenues for the booster club increased from $8,000 to more than $100,000. 

As a result of their efforts, the booster club has invested in college scholarships, new lights for the gymnasium, football and baseball scoreboards, a fulltime athletic trainer, an outdoor basketball court and a football stadium sound system.

"Obviously the needs are always great," said Dave Puopolo, booster club vice president. "We’re also co-chairing the Track Improvement Committee and trying to support that."

Among other goals, the group is trying to raise money for a new all-weather track.

    The Hall of Fame dinner and awards banquet is now in its fourth year. Previous inductees include Oak Park cross-country and track coach Kevin Smith and football coaches Mark Jacobs and Fred Yamano.

Tickets for the dinner and silent auction—which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Calabasas Golf and Country Club—are $50 per person and are sold at all OPHS games. 

For more information or to request tickets, call Diantha Shaffer at (818) 865-1097 or reach her via computer e-mail at DianthaShaffer@hotmail.com.