Born: May 28th, in Marshall, WV, U.S.A.
Social Media: Linked-In - FaceBook
College: Mt. San Antionio - Communication Broadcasting
High School: Gladstone Gladiators - Football, Basketball, Track & Field
Buccaneers Fan Since: 1982
Career: Certified Hotel Administrator, Disc Jockey, Management
William P. Rader (born May 28) has been a sports fan for as long as he remembers, standing for the National Anthem during the Olympics, watching the final strike in the World Series, holding the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy at a private showing, and watching his sons first team touchdown, you can be a fan of many things, but their is nothing like being a sports or team fan, no jealousy, and no competition. The greatest part of being a Buccaneers fan is we all want the same thing: to win the game.
I've spent years following our team, with crazy loyality. I've experienced fans in other citys and they never measured up to the "Vibe-In-The-Bay" The loyalty of Buccaneers fans are rediculous. Even during our few (ok a-lot) rough seasons and games, you will find children, parents, relatives and friends dedicating a lot of time, energy and emotions in game-day preparation, and no matter the outcome, shake-it-off, and stay "BUC-LOYAL" because there's always another season, another play, another trophy and another opportunity.
A) I work with property investors to develope special event and conference centers as Director of Operations and Facility Management. My education is in the lodging industry, as a Certified Hotel Administrator, I managed a large facility and convention center. In the music industry I'm known as Professor Jam and considered a pioneer in computer mixing (read more here under 1982), I've managed and particapated in over 3,000 events and currently I'm on the Executive Board of the Southern Museum of Music as a founding board member.
A) Yes, it was against the Green Bay Packers shortly after moving to Tampa. I remember driving that weekend through Clearwater Beach seeing everyone wearing green and yellow, thinking it was odd. This was during a time the Green Bay fans litterlly took over the town in more ways than one. The game was HOT, the score was low, and the crowd was loud, just not Buccaneer fan loud.
A) This is an easy one. I tell this in loving memory of Joe. Joe and his wife Bee lived across from us in Tampa and for many years enjoyed viewing our home decorated for each Buccaneers game and watching after each score me and our son running outside for our offical touchdown spike, pass and run. We would often see them standing at the bay window smiling and waving at our escapades. Many years into our fanatics Bee passed, but we always waved to Joe in a ritual of smiles & waves. One summer Joe became ill with months of deterating health, Daniel and I were visiting one afternoon and socialing when Joe began speaking about how much he & Bee enjoyed seeing us running around and having fun when the Buccaneers scored. Then said "I'll probably never see a Buccaneers game again" an individual with Joe commented "Probley not Joe, probobly not". As I sat, remembering to stay strong, yet thinking what I could do and it hit me. "Do you want to watch another game Joe? I have the SuperBowl re-cap video" Yes, Joe said with a smile and I retrieved the tape. We sat, we watched, we didnt talk, and when Tampa Scored he would glance over at Daniel and me. Joe passed before the next season and that's about all I can say.
A) I used to DJ and Emcee, from a pirate ship, for an all-female krewe during all the parades and krewe festivities in the surounding area. After a few years I realized the real Buccaneers in Tampa had no dedicated fan Krewe, so I created Ye Krewe of Pewter Pirates. Now the concept needed a website, I immediately found www.buccaneersfan.com was available and purchased it for $8. The only reason the URL was available was due to a sight squater losing it for non-renewal two-days prior. Then I secured a private server at $125 a month to host the massive project. I discovered I lucked out as I was DJing in the old One-Buc-Place location by the airport for a private Buccaneers after game player family-day event and Coach Dungy agreed. My investment of $125 a month, since 2002, without advertisers, has kept our spirit strong & focused.
A) Yes, actually a few times. I have a great photo of Brad Culpepper holding our son in one arm, Brad was a monster during his playing days and I enjoy now watching him on Survivor (his sweetheart also). But that wasn't my favorite Buccaneer location to mix - I was very fortunate to be one of the first DJs to mix live from the Pirate ship in Buccaneer Cove in the brand new, never played a game, stadium "Raymond James". It was for the Nutmeg fashion show featuring the Star-Wars clothing line for George Lucas himself. The turf had just finished being laid that day and the groundsmen were if full watering mode with continuios watering all night. The stadium held the humidity, like a bowl of soup, and my equipment was soaked. It was a great fan moment for me.
A) I can't answer the question. Really I not only can't I wouldn't. I admire the men and their God given talent. I may not agree with some views and/or actions, but I always give props, for their acheievment of playing in the NFL. Having played team sports I beleve it gives a different perspective.
A) Yes. Tony Dungy.
A) Not really. I don't go out of my way to collect, but I do have several items that include a helmet signed by coach Dungy, Brad Culpepper and Martin Gramatica, they signed it while I was DJing at One-Buc-Place, allot of game-day and SuperBowl items, and of course my NFL friends have given me many collectables that I've passed on to support many charity events and non-profit auctions, but my most valuable, you could never purchase or trade me item, is the stuffed football (Shown in photograph above). I spent many years using the ball for game-day score celebrations with our son, even today, he has to be on-point for my touchdown pass to him when the Buccaneers score and many of you I'm sure have seen me with it at watch parties. Tampa BAY - GO BUCS!
A) No & Yes. I was always active in sports lettering in Football, Basketball and Track & Field. I suffered a major ankle injury my last year in high school taking me out-of-play, of course the year we went undefeated and won the football state championship. Regardless, I didn't have the abilities to play pro-ball, even though I exceded nationally in fill-contact-martial-arts, I made it onto CBS Wild-Word-of-Sports skating over 100 miles for the US Open World Championships and I cycled (biked) 3,500 miles from Long Beach Califorinia to Boston Massachuestes with 65 individuals raising over three-quarter of a million dollars for a variety of charities. I was also selected as a Tampa Bay Community Hero Olympic Torchbearer for the 1996 Cintinual Olympic Games (I actually lite the 4th of July fire works celebration in the Bay with my Olympic torch). More importantly I was a coach for our sons football team and witnessed his victorys.
A) Yes. Our family contributes to several charitable causes. I recommend if someone is looking to assist the local community the Buccaneers organization and players have several foundations and non-profits that would humbly appreciate your support.
A) Hands-down it had to be watching the Falcons lose the SuperBowl. Not because of the teams loss. I was at the NFLPA ProPlayers SuperBowl Party sitting at a private table, with our son Daniel, and Solomon Brannan, who played for the Jets, in the first ever SuperBowl #1 game, January 15, 1967 as a defensive back against the Packers, who later in his carrer as a Bengal, scored the teams first franchise touchdown. It was a surrell moment I enjoyed with our son.
A) I enjoy the sport of football, good and bad, and am extremely passionate about our Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I really enjoy the game-day experience getting together with other fans. To really enjoy the experience it must be shared. I’m passionate about promoting good sportsmanship, the fellowship of fans and family and giving back to the community.
A) To be an extension of the BuccaneersFan experience. A place to learn, enjoy, and fellowship with other fans. The site is a living growing enity that I hope fans will contribute and particapate for years to come.
I went to the internet archives and pulled an old Bio that was written by Jeff Styles for DJ Times Magazine.. I’ve also attached a couple photos
Ever since they are little, children throughout the world dream of taking part in the Olympics. Tampa Bay's young W.P. Rader was no different, except that his dream actually came true. On July 3&4, 1996, the full-time Tampa DJ had the privilege of being the final bearer of the Olympic torch in his hometown, using the torch to set off a huge fireworks display to a cheering crowd of 140,000+.
Who is this guy-known the world over today as Professor Jam - and how did his achievements all come about?
Well, for one thing Rader is one of the highest-awarded mobile DJs in the country for charity work, a notoriety that has resulted in his name being entered into the congressional record of the U.S. House. Various declarations and proclamations have been made on his behalf by mayors, congressmen, governors and U.S. senators from throughout the country. During what is considered the "Oscars" within the mobile DJ industry, his peers presented Professor Jam the "Humanitarian of the Year" award during the American Disc Jockey Awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada and he was once named "Man of the Year" by the M.A.D.D., American Cancer Society and American Lung association organizations, and has even ridden a bicycle 3,500 miles across America to raise money for charities.
But truth be told, Rader's involvement in a variety of national and local charities is only a small part of this futuristic DJ's story.
The Professor Jam story all started when the young teenager, in exchange for free skating, began assisting a disk jockey at a southern California roller rink in 1973. By 1975 Rader was DJing Friday-night teen dances and for occasional Saturday-evening parties, and in 1977 he was finally invited to DJ outside the roller rink for his first mobile gig-at a skateboard park in Covina, California. "I tossed together a mosh-pit of equipment and the event went off good," he recalls fondly.
While studying communication broadcasting in college, Rader lived out of his car while enjoying his first two DJ residences: Wednesday nights at Shakey's Pizza Parlor, and Thursdays and Fridays at Club Zanadu. "The plan was to save enough money to rent another apartment," he recounts.
Unfortunately, what actually resulted was a fiasco. With no actual mailing address-license tags on a Ford Galaxy 500 do not count-Rader never received the renewal notice for his mobile apartment, and one evening while working the booth inside a club his home outside was being towed away for expired tags.
"Now, I was not only homeless," says Rader, "but I was really homeless & lost everything I owned!"
To make bad matters worse, by the time enough money had been saved to redeem the car from the impound lot, everything in Rader's car had been stolen. Thankfully, he had made some friends at the college, who allowed him to sleep at the college radio station (where he was the late night jock), and within a few months he was able to afford a new apartment-as Rader today tells it, "with a little help from my friends."
During this time in our nation's history, disco was becoming the sensation in nightclubs, and Rader began DJing at more and more of those clubs-including the famous Studio 54 in NY. "I picked up a lot of corporate events for surfing competitions," he explains, "along with DJing cast parties for groups such as ABC's General Hospital-back when Luke & Laura were a hot topic, of course."
Eventually, all this celebrity DJing led to Rader spinning at the celebrity-studded Battle of the Network Stars, CBS Sports Spectacular events and live mixing on the famous Las Vegas, Freemont street during Dick Clarks televised New Years eve bash. "I eventually was offered a residency for State Street, the after-hours hangout for celebrities after performances on the strip," he says. "These were great times, especially with the CBS Sports Spectacular events, which for example once featured me sharing the spotlight and stage with the Smothers Brothers comedy team and comedian Sinbad, during a private birthday party for the daughter of a Godfather movie celebrity." Another event had Rader mixing for pre-psychic-days singer Dionne Warwick and an up-and-coming singer named Whitney Houston.
Building on those early DJ encounters, the man today known as Professor Jam has since mixed at clubs across America, South America and the Caribbean he has presented seminars, participated on panels and/or demonstrated at all the major music industry and DJ conventions in America-speaking on such topics as Computer DJing 101; The Reality of Mix; Weddings 101; Weddings Ground "0"; and New Technology In The Clubs. Professional endorsements, fairly rare in the DJ realm, have come to Professor Jam from Cadence Cases, Visiosonic, PCDJ, where he shared the lime light with legendary music producer and recording artist, Niles Rogers and most recently by the United Kingdom's Carlsbro World-Class PA & Amplification Systems.
Avoiding the scrutiny and excesses of the DJ spotlight, Professor Jam focuses his energies on pioneering the future of computer DJing. With his Space Jam system-an energetic hybrid that incorporates computer technology with advanced mixing hardware-this Florida-based DJ is capable of filling dance floors throughout the country with booming hip-hop beats, an up-tempo house sensibility, and lots of body-pumping bass.
Lurking in the shadows of Tampa Bay, we find this low-key musical visionary appearing throughout the burgeoning film, music and sports community - serving as Director of Operations for Special Event & Conference Centers, and presently serving as a founding Board Member of the "Southern Museum of Music.
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