BALBOA PARK — Applause echoed through the WorldBeat Center in Balboa Park as friends and family members of a local legend accepted a lifetime achievement award on his behalf.
Many say Neal Petties, an SDSU Hall of Famer and a former NFL wide receiver was an even better person than he was a football player.
"Brings a little sunshine to a rainy day. It really does," said Stan Murphy, a lifelong friend of Petties who gave a speech at the presentation on Martin Luther King Junior day.
Those who know him say Petties was a father figure to many in the inner city community of San Diego.
"Neal was a perfect gentleman as anybody want their father to be, cause a lot of us didn't have fathers," said Ray McDavid, another friend of Petties.
Petties dedicated his life after the NFL to supporting the diverse community in San Diego and engaging with children in his role as a city's parks and recreation supervisor.
In 1986, Petties interviewed with 10 News after a black man was reportedly handcuffed and paraded around a park by two white police officers.
"Being black and the man was black, I think that had a little more to do with it, cause I'm really not that sensitive but that was really sensitive to me," said Petties.
Now, in 2023, Petties is 82-years old and battling dementia.
Some want to make his impact in San Diego permanent by renaming Mountain View Community Parks to "Neal Petties Community Park."
The city will ultimately make the decision to rename or not rename the park.
10 News reached out to the city, but they were unavailable due to the Martin Luther King Junior holiday at the time of this story.
