BUTLER TWP— The names on the banners put it all in perspective Friday night.

Art Monteleone, Bob Conklin, DuWayne Cunningham, Dennis Tilko and the late Greg Brown joined those names as Butler Football Hometown Heroes before the Golden Tornado's home opener against Penn Hills at Art Bernardi Stadium.

"It's amazing, being forever associated with those guys,"Monteleone said. "I played defense at Butler for Paul Uram. I grew up with Terry Hanratty on the hill. I played football with Bob Conklin — these are great, great people."

Conklin agreed.

"Coach Uram, Art Bernardi — I became interested in coaching from watching them," he said.

Tilko couldn't help but smile as he reviewed the names on the banners of past Hometown Heroes.

"John Shipkowski, what a tackle he was,"Tilko said. "I saw Rich Saul play at Pitt Stadium, Terry Hanratty at Notre Dame. ... Hanratty and Jim Seymour are the only Notre Dame players ever to be on the cover of Time magazine.

"Great athletes, great citizens, great people — it's a little bit overwhelming, joining those people. It really is."

Cunningham was robbed of a potential pro football career when he suffered a concussion while playing center for the University of Texas-El Paso.

He went on to begin his own business in Butler, to coach the Penn Street Cardinals and to become president of the Butler Area Midget Football League.

"Those coaches we had here gave us the right direction, not only on how to play football, but on how to live our lives,"Cunningham said. "My experiences in the game made me want to give back."

Brown saved the BAMFL from financial ruin by becoming its treasurer. He helped raise $20,000 to buy new equipment and player participation rose from 200 to 500 while he was involved.

"Financially, that league was hurting for a while," said Brown's son, Travis. "Dad's banking background definitely turned that around."

Greg Brown's residence was across the street from Emily Brittain School, where the BAMFL's Penn Street Cardinals practiced. Brown allowed the coaches to keep their equipment on his front porch.

Players drank from Brown's garden hose for water breaks and he made sure every player had a ride home after practice.

"Every kid didn't come to practice with a jug of Gatorade back then,"Travis Brown said. "Those kids appreciated that hose and Dad always made sure it was out.

"I know it was all about the kids with him."

Conklin coached at East Butler and Penn Street in the BAMFLfor 15 years before taking the head coaching job at Moniteau High.

"They took a chance on me and we turned it around," he said. "We put a new weight room in and got the program going."

Moniteau was 2-6-1 during Conklin's first year, then improved to 4-5 and 6-3 under his watch. After four seasons, he planned to take a year off before Bernardi asked him to join his staff for his final season.

Monteleone coached Institute Hill in the BAMFLfor 17 years and has been a PIAAfootball and basketball official for 37 seasons.

"There weren't enough officials working midget league games, so I took my test and started working games my team wasn't involved in,"Monteleone said.

"I like coaching better. You're involved more with the kids. You can show them things they're doing wrong and they get more out of it."

Tilko was an all-state football player at Butler and went on to Slippery Rock University, where his teams lost only two games and won three state championships in four years.

The camaraderie comes before the wins in Tilko's mind, however.

"The lifelong friends you make with the people you played with stand out for me," he said. "We all sweated together, bled together. You don't forget that.

"Dan Parr was my teammate in junior high, ninth grade, high school and college. How many people can say that?"

Parr presented Tilko with his award at Saturday night's banquet, held at St. Michael's Hall.

"I can't stand losing,"Tilko said. "I even hate to go to the bathroom because I hate to lose anything. That competitiveness never leaves you."

<B>2004</B>Terry Hanratty, Scott Milanovich, Rich Saul, John Shipkowski, Dave McKinnis, Bill Saul, Ron Saul, Paul Uram<B>2005</B>Art Bernardi, Dick Dilts, Joe Savannah, Anthony Gerald Capezzuti, Ed Hepe, Mike Surkalo<B>2006</B>Tom Brown, Andy Hilliard, Harry Leyland, Rudy Corona, Mike Kelly, George "Red"Slater<B>2007</B>Mark Farabee, Jack Lehew, Gary Milanovich, Bill Tack, Jim Kamerer, Jim Love, Tim Nunes, Harold "Bo"Voelker<B>2008</B>Greg Brown, Bob Conklin, Duwayne Cunningham, Art Monteleone, Dennis Tilko