St. Paul Central C Club Hall of Fame Inducts Five Standouts
Sports columnist Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald reports on the five former St. Paul Central student athletes inducted into the school’s C Club Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 5, 2026, at Ideal Hall: Melvin Giles (football, 1977), Rosalyn Smaller (track and field, 1983), Andy Bischoff (football, 1989), Danielle Ellison (girls basketball, 2005) and D’Angelos Svenkeson (football, 2006). The program honors athletes who also made significant contributions to their communities, from Giles’s peace advocacy to Bischoff’s NFL coaching career and Svenkeson’s work in real estate development.
Five former student athletes were inducted into the St. Paul Central C Club Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony Oct. 5, 2026, at Ideal Hall in St. Paul: Melvin Giles (football, 1977), Rosalyn Smaller (track and field, 1983), Andy Bischoff (football, 1989), Danielle Ellison (girls basketball, 2005) and D’Angelos Svenkeson (football, 2006).
The “C” Club Hall of Fame is a recognition program of St. Paul Central High School’s “C” Club. It is designed to honor former student athletes who, in addition to their accomplishments in individual and team sports in high school, have gone on to make significant contributions to their communities.
Giles was an all-conference running back in 1975 and 1976, and he became the first male recipient of the Winfield Award, named after Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and 1969 St. Paul graduate Dave Winfield.
Smaller set a track and field record in the 100 meters as a junior in 1982 and earned a scholarship to Lincoln University.
Bischoff was an all-conference lineman who led the Minutemen to back-to-back City Conference championships in 1987 and 1988. He played college football at the University of South Dakota.
Ellison was an all-conference player who led the girls basketball team to a state tournament appearance in 2005. She went on to play at North Dakota State before finishing at St. Cloud State University.
Off the field and court, the inductees have continued to make their marks. Giles, who died in 2025, was a peace advocate and community organizer. Smaller is a community advocate and child care provider.
Bischoff, an NFL coach for nearly two decades, is run game coordinator (tight ends) for the Los Angeles Chargers. Ellison is a people and culture business partner for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, focusing on human resources leadership.
Svenkeson is co-founder and CEO of NEOO Partners Inc. and a seasoned leader in real estate development, economic growth and community planning.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses at mcdeezy05@gmail.com.