Fort Worth Kerry Fulford Earns 2016 PBA50 Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award
10/2/2016Bowling in his first season full-time on the PBA50 Tour, 64-year-old Kerry Fulford of Fort Worth, Texas was selected as the winner of the 2016 PBA50 Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award as voted on by his fellow players.
“Tom Carter (last year ’s Dick Weber Sportsmanship recipient) told me that receiving the award was as good, if not better than winning a title,” said Fulford. “I’ve never won a title but I would have to agree with Tom on that.”
Because of a bad back, which was injured while serving in the U.S. Army in the mid-
70s, Fulford has his good and bad days on the
PBA50 Tour.
“I decided that I felt well enough to go full time this year,” said Fulford, who has bowled in PBA50 events since 2003. “The best I can be is 90 percent. It’s something I just have to deal with. Just to be able to be out here with all these guys is great. Even though realistically I can’t be competitive day-in and day-out, I go into it thinking I can win, otherwise, why show up?”
Despite his back ailment, Fulford did throw a 300 game in the PBA50 National
Championship, the final tournament of the season.
“Until I learned I got the (sportsmanship) award the 300 game was probably the highlight of the season and to do it in the last tournament of the season was extra special,” said Fulford, who began bowling in PBA competition in
1986.
“I learned early on how important it was to be respectful of everyone in the sport, from the players, to the fans, sponsors and proprietors. Without them we couldn’t do it.” Among other top vote-getters for the award were Paul McCordic, John Dudak, Warren
Burr and Sam Maccarone.
The Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award is named after the late PBA Hall of Famer who among his many accomplishments in the sport won 30 PBA Tour and six PBA50 Tour titles.
Sportsmanship Award Winners
2016 – Kerry Fulford
2015 - Tom Carter
2014 - Chris Keane
2013 - Robert Harvey
2012 - Dave Soutar
2011 - Ray Randall
2010 - Robert Harvey
2009 - Larry Graybeal
2008 - Fred Baldwin
Article was posted with permission from Stars & Strikes, America's Bowling Newsmagazine. www.starsandstrikesbowling.com
