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Courtesy of Penn Athletics Adolph ‘Beep Beep’ Bellizeare starred at running back for Penn from 1972-74, scoring 30 touchdowns in his career — third-best in program history.

Penn football legend Adolph “Beep Beep” Bellizeare may have been known for his fancy footwork on the field, but his rushing yards are far from his greatest legacy at Penn.

“He was a pioneer,” friend and former Quakers quarterback Martin Vaughn said. “He ventured across all races, religions, all types, kinds and colors of folks to really experience the essence of what the University of Pennsylvania education is all about.”

Bellizeare, who graduated from the College in 1975, died unexpectedly in April at the age of 58. This weekend, family, friends and former teammates will come together to celebrate his lasting impact on Penn.

Vaughn and Bellizeare met during a recruiting weekend in 1971 and decided to come to Penn together.

The two didn’t just become best friends — they became a dynamic duo on the field. Bellizeare rushed for 30 touchdowns from 1972-74, third all-time in Penn history, while Vaughn ranks fourth all-time with 29 career touchdowns from 1973-74.

“He was the only reason that we would get out there on those cold, wintery days to watch football games,” said Donna Smith, a good friend of Bellizeare’s while at Penn. “He was a true legend who took Penn football to a different level.”

Smith became good friends with Bellizeare and his wife, Joanne. She says that Beep Beep’s legacy is in how many people’s lives he touched.

“If any of us ever had to remember one person during our Penn experience that stood out from the crowd, it was Adolph Bellizeare,” Smith said. “He led the way for so many of us who came to Penn.”

“Adolph was really about people,” Vaughn added. “He loved people and people loved him.”

The group Bellizeare probably had the biggest impact on was Penn’s black community.

“He created a lot of pride for us,” Smith said. “Adolph was a really big figure for us as African-American students.”

Though Bellizeare was close with the black community, he branched out and experienced everything that Penn had to offer.

“We didn’t really see racial tension,” Vaughn said. “There was no place we didn’t go, and we got along with everyone. It was very refreshing to be in that kind of environment and more importantly, to take advantage of it.”

While Bellizeare’s main athletic impact was on the football field, he influenced the entire athletics program.

Keven McDonald, Penn’s star basketball player during the mid-70s, was considering leaving Penn early in his career, and the athletic director sent Bellizeare to talk to him, according to Vaughn.

McDonald later told Vaughn that he didn’t know Bellizeare at the time, but they established a relationship after that discussion.

“It was just Adolph’s way and the impact he had across all walks of campus,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn has a million stories about their days at Penn and openly shares how much he misses his best friend.

“Our families were one family,” Vaughn said. “He’ll always be a part of me. For my 40 adult years, our lives were intertwined. It’s still pretty raw.”

But this weekend, the pain will be eased a bit as 50 of Bellizeare’s former teammates will return to their old stomping grounds to celebrate his life, some coming from as far as Alaska. Their coach, Harry Gamble, will also be in attendance.

“Some of the football players I played with, I haven’t seen in 35 years,” Vaughn said. “So many people have said, ‘I don’t really come back to Philly, but I will be there for Adolph.’”

The tribute Saturday morning will include speeches and memories from Bellizeare’s friends. A highlight video will be shown during halftime at the football game, when Bellizeare’s wife Joanne will be presented with a jersey.

Both Vaughn and Smith said that this weekend’s tribute is not a chance to be solemn, but rather an opportunity to celebrate their friend’s life and his incredible contributions to Penn.

“We want to memorialize him as someone who left his mark on Penn’s landscape unlike anyone else we know,” Smith said. “He was an inspiration.”

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