By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
Ben Lopez Jr. of Mission has devoted a good portion of his life to helping others, namely high school-age students nearing graduation.
As a college recruiter, Lopez has provided scholarships to two colleges in Missouri for more than 600 high school seniors. The signings mainly have taken place in South Texas from Brownsville to Laredo, and even some from as far away as New Mexico and Kentucky, plus others from all parts of Texas.
For more than 20 years, beginning in 1995, Lopez signed graduating seniors to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Then from 2016 to 2019, he recruited for Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.
Lopez’s first signee in 1995 was his son, Joe, who is now a high school superintendent in Kermit, Texas.
“Providing scholarships for Valley kids so they can get their college educations has been my No. 1 priority,” said Lopez, who received a distinguished service award from the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. “It has meant a lot to me to show these kids the road to getting a college education, which is one of the most important things a person can do in life.”
Most of Lopez’s scholarship signees have been athletes getting an opportunity to play their sports at the college level. He also has arranged scholarships for graduating seniors in band, choir and for academics.
“They’ve all been outstanding kids,” he said. “I knew that. I tried to make them understand they needed a college education. They may have been good athletes, but they still needed to continue their educations after high school. I tried to show them the right road to take. Many of them have gone on to very successful careers.”
Lopez, 79, a Mission native and 1961 graduate of Mission High, retired on Oct. 31, 2019, due to health reasons. He is still recuperating from a stroke and has quarantined himself at home with wife Linda since Feb. 14. The couple has two sons, Joe and Ben III.
“After high school I wanted to be a coach, but it didn’t happen,” Lopez said. “I went from high school to serving four years in the Air Force. After my time in the military, I worked 33 years in customer service for Ozark Airlines, TWA and American Airlines, but those airlines went under. I started recruiting for Lindenwood in 1995 and then for Central Methodist the past three years.”
Attending games, meets, practices and the signings of high school student-athletes is now something Lopez dearly misses. Health issues have forced him to end his career as a college recruiter.
“I had never been sick or anything like that,” Lopez said. “I thought I was Superman, but I found out that I wasn’t. It’s been difficult (since suffering a stroke).”
Amos and Mary Salas of La Feria have taken over Central Methodist recruiting duties for Lopez. Amos is a teacher/coach at Santa Maria, and Mary is a teacher/coach at Rio Hondo.
Lopez said it’s difficult to step away, but he knows it’s the right thing to do.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” he said. “There were a lot of challenges, and sometimes I was competing against other colleges in offering scholarships. More than 150 graduating seniors said no to me because they got a better scholarship offer elsewhere. But more than 600 said yes. It wasn’t always easy, but I did it. I believe they took a chance by signing with me because I showed them the road, and I would talk to them and counsel them.”
Lopez appreciates the sound advice a number of acquaintances have given him over the years. They include Father Roy Snipes, banker David Deanda Jr. and late school superintendent Kenneth White, all of Mission.
“As a recruiter, I was surrounded by a lot of good people,” Lopez said. “I wasn’t a college recruiter to begin with. I just jumped into it. I wanted to help Valley kids get a college education. It’s never been about me. It’s always been about them.”