CHICAGO | Donovan McNabb made it clear Friday night that he is not ready to retire from the NFL.
When he spoke to the crowd at Mount Carmel's 76th annual Alumni Banquet, where he was named the 2012 Mount Carmel Man of the Year, McNabb talked about his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings and said: "From the second pick of the 1999 NFL draft to 13 years in the NFL and still counting."
Lansing resident and 1964 Mount Carmel grad Charles Blasgen was awarded the Father Aquinas Colgan O. Carmelite Humanitarian Award for his involvement with Civitan International and his many years of community service.
Among others honored was Chris Chelios, who was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame as an honorary member.
McNabb said he has been working out in San Diego with well-known quarterbacks coach and guru George Whitfield, Jr., who has worked with Cam Newton and Andrew Luck, and said some teams have shown an interest in him, but preferred not to name the teams.
"It is pretty much the same regimen I have done the last 13 years, but this year is a little different, special," McNabb said. "It is a challenge to elevate my game and I am working pretty hard, working on mechanics."
He said he will wait until rookie and free agent camps are finished, and he still has a few things to prove. McNabb said the 2011 season was tough, as the Vikings starting 1-6 and he was replaced by Christian Ponder.
"We had three games where we had big leads and lost," McNabb said. "I had never experienced that before in my career. I think there was pressure on (coach) Leslie Frazier to make a change at quarterback. "
McNabb, who grew up in Dolton, said he had not regrets about not being signed by the Bears.
McNabb's prep football coach Frank Lenti had a chance to see McNabb's academic side as he taught him freshman English. He said McNabb knew what was important.
"Don always took good notes and took care of of his homework," Lenti said. "He was well-grounded and that came from home — his parents (Sam and Char) made sure of that. Don understood that he needed the good grades to get into a good college. Football alone wouldn't do it."
Blasgen is a semi-retired insurance agent and is a 1964 graduate. He said he loves his involvement with the Civitans, who help those who are developmentally disabled.
"I started in 1982, 1983 because my boss had a mentally handicapped child," Blasgen said. "He wanted to know where the nearest Civitan hospital was. I didn't know, so I looked and got involved."
He said he loves doing things to help others.
"My wife (Carol) said I would never say 'No' and would do anything," Blasgen said. "I figure you can always try once to help someone."
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