Newport’s No. 1, Al Irwin, celebrates No. 85 on Tuesday

A fair share of happy birthday cards and gifts used to flow Coach

Al Irwin’s way down through the years at Newport Harbor High, Orange

Coast College and UC Irvine.

But when the grand mark of 85 arrives on Tuesday, Irwin has

decided “that’s enough.”

With amusement, he said, “At my age, I don’t need any more gifts.”

It is fair to say that he never discouraged a big smile or a pat

on the back.

One of his main regrets years ago was that he wasn’t born in

Newport Beach, although he would spend most all his life in Newport

Beach right on the ocean front. He was born in Central California.

Fortunately, he and his brother, Ralph, were blessed and found

themselves growing up right near the Newport Pier.

Father William Irwin died when his boys were very young and their

mother took charge in an admirable fashion. Her husband had launched

the early day two-story structure on the ocean front, but it required

her skill and courage to finish the task. In time, numerous upstairs

rooms were created and she could rent them out.

She also worked out plans to rent store fronts at the street level

and that produced a sound income in future years.

A memorable gift would come her way when the boys entered Newport

Harbor High. Both became starters on the varsity grid team, coached

by the late Ralph Reed, who became the school’s first athletic

director in 1930.

And Al Irwin recalls with fondness that his mother never missed

their football games at Davidson Field.

In time, Al Irwin won 16 letters in the major spots across a

four-year period. Both boys were honored on all-league teams in

football before the graduated.

Then Al Irwin entered the Navy in World War II and would be

shipped off to the South Pacific as a flight deck officer on the

U.S.S. Lexington while Ralph was drawn into duty with the Coast

Guard.

Al Irwin returned to coach the Harbor High gridders from 1948-55,

then directed Orange Coast to a grid title in ’56 and a Potato Bowl

game and later shifted to UCI where he eventually became the athletic

director.

He also coached numerous champion swimming teams at all three

institutions for years.

*

Many can recall numerous nicknames from high school days, but it

is not surprising to find that the monikers fade after prep days. It

is also interesting to find that many don’t remember why many

nicknames originated.

One of local interest arose recently when they corner was

wondering how the nickname of “Shiner” came to Bill Roberts, a

versatile athlete from Newport’s Class of ’57.

No one seemed to know, but we eventually fond the answer coming

from Roberts himself via Al Muniz, a ’49 grad of Newport.

Roberts, whose ’46 Sailor team deadlocked the defending CIF

football champions in Santa Ana during a severe dust storm, 13-13,

recalled with amusement that the nickname came from a football game.

We assume it came from a black eye.

Roberts, a popular guy at Newport, later advanced to Cal Poly San

Luis Obispo and to Washington State where he earned his master’s

degree in animal medicine.

In recent years, his talent has drawn invitations for him to

conduct some vital sessions in Australia. He now lives in Phoenix.

*

Along the same scale of nickname amusement, he faded from any

sounds of “Shiner,” but the nae never lost a touch in the family.

His younger brother, Jim was moving into Harbor High after Bill

graduated and it wasn’t long before Tar athletes started calling him

“Little Shiner” simply because Bill was his older brother.

Jim was basically a basketball ace, not a gridder, so he never

absorbed a bruised eye.

However, Jim made his mark on a big scale once after he helped Cal

Poly to a remarkable five-overtimes victory over Long Beach State.

Incidentally, numerous old friends still call him “Shiner,” even

today.