TEMPE, Ariz. - Larry Kentera, a former head football coach at Northern Arizona University, and the man who brought American football to the nation of Serbia, accepted the Pete Altieri Lifetime Achievement Coaching Award at The Scottsdale Plaza Resort National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter 29th Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet on March 6.

In 1985, Kentera was named as head coach of Northern Arizona. Among his staff of assistants were four who would go on to head coaching positions in the NFL: Bill Callahan of the Oakland Raiders, Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings, Marty Mornhinweg of the Detroit Lions, and Andy Reid of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Five years ago, the U.S. government through its agency USAID asked Coach Kentera to help organize and development American-style football in the strife-torn nation of Serbia, a section of the former Yugoslav Republic. Partly due to Kentera's efforts the number of teams in Serbia has grown from three to 22 since 2005.

"Our group heard the Serbs were beginning to play some but without any pads," relates Kentera. "So, we figured they were playing touch or maybe flag football, but when we got there we discovered they were smashing into each other with no helmets, no shoulder pads, just like it was fourth down at the one yard-line.

"We had brought some equipment donated from several schools like ASU and NAU and the Arizona Cardinals, and some of those guys were so glad to be given a helmet they never took it off.

"The Serbs tend to be big, and they really are tough because they've been at war off and on for years and years. It won't be too long before American colleges could think about looking to recruit there," he added.

Kentera shared the dais this year with the seven living founders of the Fiesta Bowl, Shaw Courage Award winner Darius Leopaul of Phoenix Central High School, chapter leadership award winner Nikki Balich-Cammarata, and, most importantly, the 41 scholar-athlete student football players. Each scholar-athlete was nominated by his coach and named by a blue ribbon panel of the chapter. All are top students and are active in community service as well as having shown leadership on their school's football team.