Ethos Champions Profiles

Everson Walls

Everson Walls became a starter at Berkner High School where he played football for one year (his senior year) and led the division in interceptions. After graduating high school in 1977, and due to his impressive record on the field, Walls was offered a football scholarship to Grambling State University where he excelled in all positions. Walls gives credit to Coach Eddie Robinson for helping him mature as a human being. Among the list of accomplishments while at Grambling State, Walls was selected for the Kodak 1AA All-American team; the Black College All-American team, and during his collegiate senior year, he led the nation in interceptions. At the end of his college career, Walls attended the Dallas Cowboy’s training camp as a free agent. Everson Walls made the team in 1981 and donned the “blue-starred” #24 jersey. Walls’ eight years with the Cowboys is filled with accolades and accomplishments; in his rookie year he broke the single season record with 11 interceptions and was named to the Pro Bowl team in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985. In 1981, 1982, and 1985 Walls led the NFL in interceptions. In 1986, Walls was the youngest player named to the Cowboys 25th Year Anniversary Team, and in 1987 he was named Cowboy’s Man of the Year. In 1990, Walls continued his career with the New York Giants where he was the leading pass defender with six interceptions on the Giants’ Super Bowl Team.

Nancy Lieberman

Nancy “Lady Magic” Lieberman is a true pioneer in women’s sports. Her extensive resume includes: WNBA player, coach, general manager, sports broadcaster for ABC, NBC, ESPN, and FOX Sports Southwest (FSSW), motivational speaker, author, and the first female coach of a men’s team under the NBA umbrella. Lieberman was also the first woman to play in a men’s professional league. Currently, Coach Lieberman serves as the assistant general manager for the Texas Legends, an NBA Development League team and official minor league affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2012-13 season, Coach Lieberman joined Fox Sports Southwest as an Analyst on the Oklahoma City Thunder Pre & Post-Game shows, Thunder LIVE! Nancy Lieberman is a Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time Olympian, three-time All American, two-time collegiate national champion, and a two-time National Player of the Year at Old Dominion University.

Jessie Armstead

Jessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker for the National Football League (NFL) who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. Armstead played college football at the University of Miami. Jessie Armstead is co-owner of Hamilton Honda, one of the top 10 largest and fastest growing Honda dealerships in the nation. Prior to Armstead’s step into the auto industry, he was a five time NFL Pro Bowler. In addition to his work at Hamilton Honda, Armstead works hard for a number of not-for-profit organizations, including YMCA, DARE, Cystic Fibrosis, My Sister’s Place, Giants Academy, ASC Football Camp, City Meals on Wheels, and Make a Wish Foundation.

Jay Hayes

Jay Hayes enters his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016, where he coaches the team’s defensive line. Coach Hayes comes to Tampa Bay following 13 seasons (2003-15) as the defensive line coach with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he helped bring about a line that in recent years has gained acclaim as one of the league’s best. His unit played an important role in helping the Bengals to playoff berths in six of the past seven seasons, including five consecutive years from 2011-15. While with the Bengals, Hayes helped develop defensive tackle Geno Atkins from a fourth-round pick in 2010 to one of the league’s most dominant interior defenders, as the defensive tackle earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2012 and 2015 and Pro Bowl nods in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Hayes’ success with developing players led to a rare distinction in 2012, as three of his linemen won AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Since the inception of the awards in 1985, there had only been six prior instances of three separate winners from the same team and position group in one season. Prior to his time with the Bengals, Hayes worked as special teams coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1999-2001 and then in the same capacity with the Minnesota Vikings in 2002, where the team tied for fifth in punt coverage. Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, Hayes spent 11 years coaching collegiately with Notre Dame, California and Wisconsin. Coach Hayes played defensive end at the University of Idaho, earning all-conference honors in 1980 and 1981 before spending time in NFL camps and eventually playing professionally in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers and Memphis Showboats. Hayes is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attend South Fayette High School. He and his wife, Suzanne, have three children: son, Jesse, a former linebacker at Wisconsin; daughter, Jazmin, a former basketball player at Lafayette College; and son, Miles, a defensive back at William & Mary..

Raghib “Rocket” Ismail

Raghib “Rocket” Ismail is a former wide receiver and kick returner for both the National Football and Canadian League after playing collegiately for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ismail recorded two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the NFL and was a CFL All-Star in 1991, as well as the Most Valuable Player of the 79th Grey Cup. In 2004, College Football News named Ismail the No. 75 player on its list of the Top 100 Greatest College Football Players of All-Time. “Rocket” was also selected by Sports Illustrated to the 85-man roster of its all-20th Century college football team.

Danielle Outlaw

Deputy Chief Danielle Outlaw is the 2nd female Deputy Chief in the history of the Oakland Police Department and the 1st this century. Deputy Chief Outlaw is also the 1st woman in the history of the Department to lead The Bureau of Field Operations Two, which encompasses East Oakland. Deputy Chief Outlaw began her career with The Oakland Police Department as an Oakland Police Explorer while attending Holy Names High School. As she rose through the ranks to Deputy Chief, she has worked in various assignments throughout the Oakland Police Department including Patrol, Community Services, the Office of Chief of Police, the Criminal Investigation Division, Public Information, Internal Affairs, and the Office of Inspector General. During the last year, Deputy Chief Outlaw led the Bureau of Risk Management which included the Office of Inspector General, Internal Affairs Division, Personnel, Training Division, and Criminalistics.