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Bucs assistant missing

Atlanta police are looking for Wendell Avery, who was last seen Saturday and missed Sunday's game.

By ERNEST HOOPER

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 7, 2000

Bucs officials and the Atlanta Police Department searched Monday for offensive assistant Wendell Avery, who missed Sunday's game at the Georgia Dome and had not been in contact with the team or his family since Saturday night.

A Bucs representative alerted a stadium security guard Saturday that Avery was missing, said John Quigley, a spokesman for the Atlanta Police Department. The team filed a formal missing person report Monday.

An Atlanta police official said Avery checked out of the team's hotel Saturday night. He placed a call on his mobile phone at 11 a.m. Sunday but has not been heard from since. The official would not reveal who received the call but said the department does not believe anyone else was involved in his disappearance.

"There's no reason to suspect foul play," Quigley said. "He's likely in the Atlanta area."

Team officials have not seen Avery since 10 p.m. Saturday, shortly after a team meeting at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead, a hotel in Atlanta's famed entertainment district.

"We are aware of the situation regarding coach Wendell Avery, and are working closely with authorities in Atlanta and the National Football League," Bucs director of communications Reggie Roberts said in a prepared statement.

"First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Avery and his family. We recognize that this is a very difficult situation, but at this point, it would be premature to say anything further until new information is available."

Neither Bucs coach Tony Dungy or general manager Rich McKay were available for comment. Avery and Dungy were teammates at the University of Minnesota in 1975 and 1976. Avery started at quarterback for the Gophers in 1977 and led the team to its first bowl appearance in 15 years.

Avery, 44, and wife Brenda have two children. Quigley said police spoke with Brenda Avery on Monday, and she didn't know where her husband was.

"We are hoping that Wendell will come forward because of all the people who are concerned about him," Quigley said.

Police still were investigating Monday night.

No one answered the telephone at Avery's Town 'N Country home Monday night, but according to Geneva Strickland, Brenda's mother, the family traveled to Atlanta for the game. Strickland said that she talked with her daughter Sunday and that her daughter and the couple's son, who also attended the game, were surprised Avery did not show up.

"I was surprised to hear that. I don't know what to think," Strickland said from her home in Chattanooga, Tenn., Monday night. "I'm really surprised. They didn't know what to think either.

"I don't really know anything else, but it's a little uneasy hearing that (he missed the game). I'm hoping to hear from Brenda tonight."

Avery's father, Elmo, who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, said Monday night he had not spoken with his son since Wednesday. The elder Avery said his son did not seemed troubled.

"He was in good spirits," Elmo Avery said. "He was just his normal self."

Team officials said Avery's absence is out of character.

This is Avery's second season with the Bucs. As an offensive assistant, the duties of Avery include preparing scouting reports and evaluating film of opponents.

Before joining the Bucs in 1999, Avery was the quarterbacks coach at Fort Valley State in 1998. He spent the 1997 preseason with the Bucs as part of the NFL minority coaching fellowship. In 1995 and '96, he was head coach at Savannah State after serving as the team's offensive coordinator in '94.

Avery also has had assistant coaching stints at Alabama A&M, Winona State (Minn.) and Macalester College (Minn.).

- Staff writer Natalie Baughman contributed to this report.

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