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Walking into the DoubleTree Hotel banquet room in Pleasanton keynote speaker Napoleon Kaufman was greeted enthusiastically by a fan who showed him an autographed photo he received from Kaufman. The pastor asked when he signed it and was told it was 15 years ago — Oh, I am getting old he thought.
Kaufman was the keynote speaker at CityServe of the Tri-Valley’s annual prayer breakfast held the Monday of Thanksgiving week.
It has been many years since Kaufman, an All-American running back at Washington and first round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders came to Jesus through the third-string fullback and devout believer Jerone Davison. Davison played a marginal role on the team, but introducing Kaufman to Christ has touched thousands of people around the globe as The Well Church in Livermore now has nine churches including Japan and Peru.
After his conversion, Kaufman poured himself into the Bible. He and fellow believer and Ruby Hill resident guard Steve Wisniewski eventually partnered to found the Well in 2003. Wisniewski bought a Bible and had Mr. Davis inscribed on the cover. He gave it to Kaufman, who routinely visited with Davis — he was a favorite. After putting it off for weeks, he finally presented it to Davis with the explanation it was a gift and nothing was expected. Davis was moved to tears and said nobody had ever given him such a gift.
The owner read it daily until he died at 82. Kaufman confirmed the story when he and Mark Davis were golfing at Ruby Hill. Davis volunteered how important the Bible was to his dad.
Kaufman’s core message was that we had to make ourselves available to God to use us as he might wish. He might send us to people or situations that are not comfortable to us, but going is obedient to God — our core calling.
He was introduced by Tim Sbranti, the athletic director at Dublin High who recruited Kaufman when after the Dublin coach moved to Livermore. Kaufman had coached his sons in a very successful run at Bishop O’Dowd in Oakland that included a state championship. He stepped back to guide The Well through the covid lockdown, but was open to returning to Dublin High.
Sbranti said he had one stipulation—there would be no cussing in his program and the school leaders needed to be OK with that. It was an easy yes and they launched.
