NFF ANNOUNCES 2006 MAJOR AWARDS RECIPIENTS
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.
www.footballfoundation.com
NFF ANNOUNCES 2006 MAJOR AWARDS RECIPIENTS
BOWDEN, PATERNO TO SHARE NFF’S HIGHEST HONOR, THE GOLD MEDAL
MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 25, 2006 – Bob Mulcahy, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Awards Committee, announced today via conference call the recipients of the NFF’s 2006 Major Awards:
GOLD MEDAL
Co-Recipients
Coach Bobby Bowden (Florida State University) & Coach Joe Paterno (Penn State University)
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD
Pat Tillman (posthumously)
Arizona State University, Arizona Cardinals and U.S. War Hero
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD ESPN’s College GameDay
JOHN L. TONER AWARD
DeLoss Dodds
Director of Athletics, University of Texas
OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD
Butch Lambert, Sr. (posthumously) & Butch Lambert, Jr.
Long-time SEC father-son officiating tandem
“We are honored to have the opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals with our major awards,” said NFF Awards Chairman Mulcahy.
“Their remarkable and selflessness contributions to the game and our country cry out for recognition. The awards committee takes great pride in providing them this much-deserved recognition.”
The Gold Medal, the NFF’s highest honor, has been presented to seven U.S.
Presidents, four U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 25 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen, John Wayne and Jackie Robinson.
Paterno and Bowden will become the 49th and 50th recipients of the award, which has been bestowed since 1958.
“The awards committee selected Coaches Bowden and Paterno for our highest honor because of their contributions to the coaching profession and their impact on the lives of countless of young men,” Mulcahy said. “Bowden and Paterno are unequalled in molding football players into tomorrow’s leaders, which is our central mission. Their legacies will be felt for years to come.”
Each of these awards will be presented at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner on December 5, 2006, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Also that evening, the NFF will recognize 15 National Scholar-Athletes, present the Draddy Trophy and induct the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class.
The GOLD MEDAL
The highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the Foundation, the Gold Medal has been awarded annually since 1958 and recognizes an outstanding American who has demonstrated integrity and honesty, achieved significant career success and has reflected the basic values of those who have excelled in amateur sport, particularly football. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/goldformer.php
BOBBY BOWDEN, 2006 GOLD MEDAL CO-RECIPIENT Head Coach, Florida State University
In 2006, Bobby Bowden will continue to build his legacy as he leads the Seminoles onto the field for the 31st year. He became the all-time winningest coach in major college history in 2003 and currently has 359 career wins. He is the only coach to lead his team to 14 straight seasons that ended with a ranking among the Associated Press Top five. He's coached two national championship teams including the 1999 squad that was the first ever to go through a season from start to finish as the AP No. 1. The field at Doak Campbell Stadium was named for him last season, and a national award given by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes now bears his name.
With a 19-9-1 record in bowl games, he trails the overall record of 21 career bowl wins held by Penn State's Joe Paterno by just two. FSU's Orange Bowl trip in 2005 marked the 24th straight season that the Seminoles reached a bowl game. Bowden is the only coach in NCAA history to win 11 consecutive bowl games (1985-95) and the only coach ever with 14 consecutive bowl appearances (1982-95) without a loss (FSU tied Georgia 17-17 in the 1984 Citrus Bowl).
Bowden took over an FSU program in 1976 that had won just four games over the previous three seasons. This past season, the school honored his success and longevity with the dedication of a statue of his likeness that sits in front of the Moore Athletic Center and with the official proclamation of Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. His record at Florida State is 286-75-4. The totals include a 149-23-2 record in Tallahassee, 32-9-1 record at neutral sites and 105-43-1 on an opponent's field.
Bowden achieved impressive numbers in his previous coaching stops, including a 31-6 record at his alma mater Howard College (now Samford University) between 1959 and 1962, and a 42-26 mark at West Virginia from 1970-75.
During his tenure with Florida State, his Seminoles have won 10 or more games in a season 18 times. Florida State had been to just eight bowls in the 29 years before him. The 2006 Orange Bowl marked the Seminole's 27th since his arrival.
Florida State is the only school to finish among the (Associated Press) Top Five for 14 consecutive seasons. The Seminoles finished first twice (1993, 1999); second twice (1987, 92); third, four times (1988, 89, 97, 99); fourth, five times (1990, 91, 94, 95, 96); and fifth in 2000. In their 14 seasons in the ACC, FSU is 108-13, has claimed 12 ACC championships and set the league record for consecutive victories. Bowden picked up ACC Coach of the Year titles in 1993 and 1997.
FSU also won more games in the decade of the 1990s than any other program.
The win over Wake Forest on October 25, 2003 allowed him to become the all-time winningest major college coach. This December, Bowden will receive induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Bowden and his wife, Ann, have six children; daughters Robyn and Ginger and sons Steve, former Auburn head coach Terry, current Clemson head coach Tommy and current Florida State assistant coach Jeff.
JOE PATERNO, 2006 GOLD MEDAL CO-RECIPIENT Head Coach, Penn State University
This fall will mark Joe Paterno’s 41st season pacing the sidelines as head coach of the Nittany Lions. Last year, he joined another college football legend, Amos Alonzo Stagg, as the only major college coaches to have served 40 years as head coach at a single institution.
Paterno’s career at Penn State spans 56 years and 630 games. After 16 years as an assistant coach, he was rewarded in 1966 with the head coaching responsibilities following the retirement of Rip Engle, his college coach at Brown who appointed the 23-year-old Paterno to the Penn State staff in 1950.
The 2005 season represented one of the most memorable ones for Paterno, as his Nittany Lions earned an 11-1 record and captured both the Big Ten Championship and a thrilling triple overtime decision over Bobby Bowden and Florida State in the FedEx Orange Bowl.
Last year’s 11-win season represented another milestone, as Penn State earned at least 10 victories under Paterno in a fifth different decade and for the 19th time overall. The Nittany Lions were No. 3 in the polls, earning their 13th Top 5 finish under the legendary coach, and 21st Top 10 finish.
For his leadership in restoring the Nittany Lions to the nation’s elite, Paterno was recognized with numerous National Coach of the Year honors, capped by an unprecedented fifth selection by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He also earned national honors from the Associated Press, Bobby Dodd, Home Depot/ESPN, Maxwell Football Club (George Munger), Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C., The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
A member of the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff spanning the administrations of 11 U.S. presidents (starting with Harry Truman), Paterno passed Bear Bryant on October 27, 2001 when the Lions secured his 324th victory by rallying from a 27-9 deficit to defeat Ohio State, 29-27, in the greatest Beaver Stadium comeback under the legendary coach.
Paterno has posted a 354-117-3 mark in 40 seasons as head coach and ranks second to Bowden in career wins among major college coaches and fourth all-time. His winning percentage of 75.0 is sixth best among active Division I-A coaches (10 or more years) and he is second all-time in games coached (474) among major college coaches. Paterno is the all-time leader among coaches in bowl appearances (32) and post-season triumphs (21). His overall postseason record of 21-10-1 gives him a winning percentage of 67.2, tying him for No. 3 among the bowl season’s best of all-time. The Nittany Lions are 15-6 in New Year’s games under Paterno and 12-4 in the bowl games that comprise the Bowl Championship Series.
Since Paterno took over in 1966, Penn State has had 71 first-team All-Americans, 14 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes, 24 first-team Academic All-Americans and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners.
Paterno’s coaching portfolio includes two National Championships (1982, 1986); five undefeated, untied teams; 20 finishes in the Top Ten of the national rankings; five AFCA Coach-of-the-Year plaques, and more than 300 former players who have signed National Football League contracts, 29 of them first-round draft choices. This December, Paterno will receive induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Joe and Sue Paterno have five children, all of whom are Penn State graduates; daughters Diana and Mary and sons David, George and Jay, who currently serves as Penn State’s quarterbacks coach.
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD
Presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur sport in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/distinguishformer.php
PAT TILLMAN, 2006 DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD RECIPIENT Arizona State University, Arizona Cardinal and U.S. War Hero
Pat Tillman was an outstanding football player and scholar who left the National Football League as a young star to enlist in the military following the September 11 attacks. He lost his life during a combat mission in Afghanistan.
"It is a tremendous honor for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to recognize Pat for his leadership qualities and place him in the prestigious company of the previous recipients. Thank you for celebrating Pat's life and honoring his legacy,” said Marie Tillman, Pat's widow and chairman of the board for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
As a linebacker at Arizona State University, the 5’11” Tillman was the Pacific-10 Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, Second Team All-America and Academic All-America in 1997. He graduated summa cum laude in 3½ academic years with a 3.84 grade point average, earning a degree in marketing.
The 226th player selected in the 1998 NFL Draft, Tillman quickly became a starter for the Arizona Cardinals and helped lead them to the 1998 playoffs, their only appearance in 51 years. Tillman set a Cardinals record with 224 tackles in 2000 and warmed up for the 2003 training camp by competing in a 70.2-mile triathlon.
The attacks on September 11 compelled Tillman to try to make a difference off the football field, and he turned down a multi-million dollar contract with the Cardinals to enlist in the Army in 2002.
“My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has ...
gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that,” Tillman told NBC News in an interview the day after the attacks.
Pat enlisted with his brother Kevin Tillman — who also is a highly regarded athlete, having once been a minor league baseball prospect in the Cleveland Indians’ organization. Both denied requests for media coverage during their basic training and ultimate deployments. The brothers both successfully completed training for the Rangers, the Army’s elite infantry regiment. Pat Tillman was first deployed to Iraq in March 2003 and then sent to Afghanistan, where he served in the same unit with his brother.
On April 22, 2004, as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Fort Lewis, Wash, Tillman was killed in action. The battalion was involved in Operation Mountain Storm in Southeastern Afghanistan, part of the U.S. campaign against the Al Qaeda terror network and the former Taliban government along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. U.S. military spokesmen stated that Tillman was killed in a firefight at about 7 p.m. on a road near Sperah, about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. base at Khost.
Arizona State University retired his #42 jersey and the Arizona Cardinals have funded a scholarship program in his honor. In 2004, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, a Silver Star and the United State’s Sports Academy Humanitarian Award. The military order of the Purple Heart named an award after him, the Pat Tillman Patriot Award. In addition, the Pacific-10 conference named their defensive player of the year award after him.
Tillman will become the award’s 35th recipient, joining a list that includes Vince Lombardi, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Pete Rozelle and Tom Osborne.
Information on the Pat Tillman Foundation can be found at www.pattillmanfoundation.org.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD This award is intended to provide national recognition to an individual(s) whose efforts and activities in support of the Foundation and its goals have been local in nature. It also applies to individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to the manner in which it is played and coached or to the manner in which it is enjoyed by spectators. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/outstandingformer.php
ESPN's COLLEGE GAMEDAY, 2006 OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD RECIPIENT
Entering its 20th season, ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot has become a Saturday fixture for more than 1.4 million fans every week during the fall. With five Emmy nominations to its credit, the show provides fans unparalleled coverage of the day’s top teams, match-ups, player profiles and storylines.
College GameDay has pioneered a format that captures the rich history and pageantry of college football like no other show. Traveling to college campuses across the country, College GameDay has generated newfound excitement for fans, routinely drawing thousands of spectators – and 15,000-plus on several occasions -- to watch the show live. College GameDay ’s popularity continues to grow with the show experiencing its most-viewed episode ever in 2005 (1,861,000 households). Notable moments include its first road show on Nov. 13, 1993 for the Florida State at Notre Dame game, and a special tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces after 9/11 at the Nov. 3 Army at Air Force game.
Highly entertaining, the show is hosted by Chris Fowler with analysts Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit and contributor Desmond Howard. Fowler joined the show in 1990 and has earned a reputation as one of football’s top commentators and analysts. In addition to College GameDay, Fowler has hosted ESPN’s Heisman Trophy Presentation since the network began its coverage of the event in 1994, and ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards show since its inception in 1993. He has also covered basketball, horse racing, tennis and the X Games and Winter X Games and hosts ESPN Classic’s SportsCentury, the network’s signature series.
"We're truly honored - and certainly stunned - to be recognized by the National Football Foundation with such a prestigious award,” said Chris Fowler. “We've just been privileged to share our passion for college football's enduring greatness throughout the show's 20 year growth curve.
Joining a list of previous honorees that includes legends and pioneers is humbling and flattering to say the least."
Corso, one of college football’s most knowledgeable, opinionated and engaging analysts, joined the show in 1989 after 28 years as a football coach, including head coaching jobs at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois and work as an assistant at Florida State, Maryland and Navy. His seasoned presence on College GameDay has helped the show earn a huge following as the most authoritative and comprehensive college football pre-game show.
“I have been involved with college for over half a century as a player, coach and on television,” said Lee Corso. “This is one of the finest awards that I have ever been a part of. And I can think of no higher honor for a TV show then to receive an award from an organization as prestigious as the National Football Foundation.”
Herbstreit came on board in 1996. His experience as a former standout Ohio State quarterback lends itself to providing insightful and entertaining analysis. His talents were quickly noticed, as after just two seasons he was nominated for a 1997 Sports Emmy Award as television’s top studio analyst.
He is widely respected for his no-nonsense analysis and fresh-out-of-the-game perspective. In addition to his College GameDay and ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime duties, Herbstreit will serve as analyst on ABC’s new weekly ABC Saturday Night College Football series (at 8 p.m. ET) with commentator Brent Musburger, analyst Bob Davie and reporter Lisa Salters.
JOHN L. TONER AWARD
Presented annually, the Toner Award is given to a director of athletics who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. Past
recipients: http://www.footballfoundation.com/tonerformer.php
DELOSS DODDS, 2006 JOHN L. TONER AWARD RECIPIENT Director of Athletics, University of Texas
The leader behind one of the nation’s most successful athletics programs, DeLoss Dodds begins his 25th year as men’s athletics director at The University of Texas. Dodds has guided Texas through some of the school’s most successful times since assuming the position as UT’s ninth athletics director in the fall of 1981.
“This award affirms what we at The University of Texas, and Longhorn fans throughout the nation, have felt about DeLoss Dodds for many years,” said William Powers, Jr., President of The University of Texas at Austin. “He is simply the best Director of Men¹s Athletics in the country. And even more, he is a man of enormous integrity, and he’s built a championship program that reflects that integrity. We are blessed to have DeLoss here at UT.”
During his tenure at Texas, the Longhorns have claimed 12 National Championships and 82 conference (Southwest and Big 12) titles in nine different sports. UT has earned 18 bowl berths, received an NCAA basketball tourney bid 15 times and won three NCAA baseball titles while advancing to the College World Series 12 times under Dodds’ watch. The Horns also have claimed eight NCAA titles and 25 conference swimming & diving crowns, made
13 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in tennis (seven league titles) and been a regular among the nation’s best in golf (10 conference crowns and
13 Top 10 NCAA finishes) and track & field (15 conference indoor/outdoor titles).
The beginning of the 2005-06 season saw football win its first National Championship since 1970 with a thrilling 41-38 victory over No. 1 USC in the Rose Bowl on January 4, 2006. The win wrapped up a school record-setting 13-0 season and gave the Longhorns the longest winning streak in the nation at 20.
Baseball's run to the NCAA Championship during the 2004-05 season capped arguably the most successful four-year stretch in UT Athletics history.
Football has posted four straight 10-win seasons and ranked among the nation's top six three times, among the top 12 all four years, and won three bowl games, including a 38-37 thriller against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Men’s Basketball had advanced to three "Sweet 16s" in this span, including a trip to the 2003 Final Four. Baseball has won a pair of NCAA titles and advanced to the College World Series all four years. Swimming and diving won the 2002 National Championship and finished among the top-three three times. Golf has registered three top 10 showings at nationals, while the outdoor track and field program has registered two top nine finishes at the NCAA Championships. Indoor track and field has placed among the top 10 at nationals three times, and cross country has made three NCAA Championship appearances.
Dodds, who manages an $83 million athletics budget at UT, has helped the Longhorns renovate or build $150 million in facilities during the last seven years with plans for further expansion. He set the stage for a $90 million project at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium/Jamail Field, which nearly doubled the size of the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center. Dodds followed that project with a $52 million renovation of the Frank Erwin Center, which included the construction of the two-story, 44,000-square foot basketball training facility, the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion.
While overseeing the athletics department at Texas, Dodds also has been a pivotal force in some of the most significant events in college athletics.
He played a major role in the development of the Big 12 Conference, is a past president of the NCAA Division I-A Directors of Athletics, served as a member of the prestigious NCAA Basketball Committee and was an original member of the NCAA Postseason Football Committee.
After completing his tenure on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in spring 1997, Dodds is now a leader in the future planning for college football, concentrating on the issue of a playoff for NCAA Division I-A football. Dodds has chaired the College Football Association Television Committee, was appointed to head a subcommittee to study the possibility of a NCAA football playoff to determine a National Champion and served on the NCAA Governance Committee (dealt with critical issues of women’s athletics and NCAA restructuring).
Prior to coming to Texas in 1981, Dodds served for three years as director of athletics at Kansas State and as assistant commissioner of the Big Eight Conference for two years.
A native of Riley, Kan., Dodds and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children (Doug, Deidre and Debra).
OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD
Honors an official for his officiating abilities, demonstrated in intercollegiate competition and for his sportsmanship, integrity, character and contribution to the sport of football. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/officialformer.php
A.C. “Butch” Lambert, Sr., 2006 OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD CO-RECIPIENT Southeastern Conference
A legend among college officiating circuits, Butch Lambert, Sr., officiated college football for more than 30 years. Lambert began his illustrious career with the Southeastern Conference in 1953 and would serve as a line judge for the next 30 years before becoming a technical advisor in 1982.
Following his retirement from active officiating, he served as the SEC Supervisor of Officials until his death in 1985.
During his career, Lambert was selected to officiate in 12 college bowl games, two of which were to decide the National Championship. Lambert’s most famous moment on the field occurred in the 1978 Gator Bowl, where Ohio State coach Woody Hayes ended his career by hitting a player on the sidelines. Hayes hit a Clemson player right in front of Lambert, who penalized Ohio State. Lambert and Hayes would later become friends.
“I know he would be so overwhelmed by receiving this award,” said Butch Lambert, Jr. about his father. “It would be a week or so before he would be able to talk. He had such respect for the coaches and the players who played the game and was so happy to be able to be a part of the game through officiating.”
Lambert had an excellent reputation among his peers and a national reputation as an outstanding SEC official. For his long and distinguished career, Lambert received several unique honors. In 1985, the field at Mississippi Veterans’ Memorial Stadium was renamed the A.C. Lambert Field and in 1994, the new football stadium at Itawamba Community College was named A.C. Lambert Stadium. In 1980, he received the Distinguished American Award from the Central Mississippi Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
In addition to football, Lambert also enjoyed a 21-year career as an SEC basketball referee.
Lambert began his athletics career as an assistant football and basketball coach at Southwest Junior College in 1948 and became head football coach and athletics director of Itawamba Junior College one year later.
Highly active in his local community, Lambert was the first president of the Tupelo Touchdown Club, the Tombigbee High School Football Conference, the North Mississippi Kiddie League Baseball Association and the Natchez Trace Golf Club. A former president of the National Junior College Athletic Association, he also coached Little League Baseball for seven years.
A.C. “Butch” Lambert, Jr., 2006 OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD CO-RECIPIENT Southeastern Conference
An accomplished official on both the high school and collegiate levels, Butch Lambert, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps as one of the profession’s best. Lambert’s officiating career began in 1969 as a field judge for high school football. From there, he served as a field judge on the junior college level from 1972-74, which included the officiating of two junior college All-Star games.
In 1974, Lambert’s officiating career took off when he joined the Southeastern Conference. He officiated as a field judge for the first two years and then enjoyed a long 26-year career as an umpire. In this tenure, Lambert officiated 38 bowl games, 17 Blue-Gray All-Star games, 13 Senior Bowls, one National Championship game (Oklahoma-Washington in January 1985) and one SEC Championship game. He also officiated one game with his father, the Auburn-Georgia Tech game in Atlanta in 1981.
“This award is a credit to all the people that I’ve officiated with throughout the years,” Lambert said. “It’s a tribute to the officials I’ve known and worked with, and I feel like it’s a great honor for them as well as for my dad and me.”
Extremely active on the collegiate scene, Lambert was the president of the Southeastern Conference Football Officials Association and was twice named a nominee for the Ed Dudley Award for excellence among SEC officials.
Off the field, Lambert is the president of Butch Lambert & Associations, LLC and has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of solid waste management including marketing, business development, negotiations, landfill and cell construction and project management. For 35 years he has learned extensive experience in public, community and media relations as well as government affairs at the local, state and regional levels.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Lambert was an accomplished pitcher on the baseball team and received two professional contracts.
A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Board, Lambert remains extremely active in his local community serving many organizations including the University of Mississippi Alumni Association, M-Club Alumni Association, Jackson Touchdown Club and the 32 Degree Master Masons.
He is also a past board member of the Central Mississippi Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
With 119 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of nearly $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
Contacts:
Phil Marwill, director of communications 1-800-486-1865, ext. 118
Matt Sweeney, director of special projects 1-800-486-1865, ext. 116
www.footballfoundation.com
NFF ANNOUNCES 2006 MAJOR AWARDS RECIPIENTS
BOWDEN, PATERNO TO SHARE NFF’S HIGHEST HONOR, THE GOLD MEDAL
MORRISTOWN, N.J., May 25, 2006 – Bob Mulcahy, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Awards Committee, announced today via conference call the recipients of the NFF’s 2006 Major Awards:
GOLD MEDAL
Co-Recipients
Coach Bobby Bowden (Florida State University) & Coach Joe Paterno (Penn State University)
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD
Pat Tillman (posthumously)
Arizona State University, Arizona Cardinals and U.S. War Hero
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD ESPN’s College GameDay
JOHN L. TONER AWARD
DeLoss Dodds
Director of Athletics, University of Texas
OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD
Butch Lambert, Sr. (posthumously) & Butch Lambert, Jr.
Long-time SEC father-son officiating tandem
“We are honored to have the opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals with our major awards,” said NFF Awards Chairman Mulcahy.
“Their remarkable and selflessness contributions to the game and our country cry out for recognition. The awards committee takes great pride in providing them this much-deserved recognition.”
The Gold Medal, the NFF’s highest honor, has been presented to seven U.S.
Presidents, four U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 25 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen, John Wayne and Jackie Robinson.
Paterno and Bowden will become the 49th and 50th recipients of the award, which has been bestowed since 1958.
“The awards committee selected Coaches Bowden and Paterno for our highest honor because of their contributions to the coaching profession and their impact on the lives of countless of young men,” Mulcahy said. “Bowden and Paterno are unequalled in molding football players into tomorrow’s leaders, which is our central mission. Their legacies will be felt for years to come.”
Each of these awards will be presented at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner on December 5, 2006, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Also that evening, the NFF will recognize 15 National Scholar-Athletes, present the Draddy Trophy and induct the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class.
The GOLD MEDAL
The highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the Foundation, the Gold Medal has been awarded annually since 1958 and recognizes an outstanding American who has demonstrated integrity and honesty, achieved significant career success and has reflected the basic values of those who have excelled in amateur sport, particularly football. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/goldformer.php
BOBBY BOWDEN, 2006 GOLD MEDAL CO-RECIPIENT Head Coach, Florida State University
In 2006, Bobby Bowden will continue to build his legacy as he leads the Seminoles onto the field for the 31st year. He became the all-time winningest coach in major college history in 2003 and currently has 359 career wins. He is the only coach to lead his team to 14 straight seasons that ended with a ranking among the Associated Press Top five. He's coached two national championship teams including the 1999 squad that was the first ever to go through a season from start to finish as the AP No. 1. The field at Doak Campbell Stadium was named for him last season, and a national award given by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes now bears his name.
With a 19-9-1 record in bowl games, he trails the overall record of 21 career bowl wins held by Penn State's Joe Paterno by just two. FSU's Orange Bowl trip in 2005 marked the 24th straight season that the Seminoles reached a bowl game. Bowden is the only coach in NCAA history to win 11 consecutive bowl games (1985-95) and the only coach ever with 14 consecutive bowl appearances (1982-95) without a loss (FSU tied Georgia 17-17 in the 1984 Citrus Bowl).
Bowden took over an FSU program in 1976 that had won just four games over the previous three seasons. This past season, the school honored his success and longevity with the dedication of a statue of his likeness that sits in front of the Moore Athletic Center and with the official proclamation of Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. His record at Florida State is 286-75-4. The totals include a 149-23-2 record in Tallahassee, 32-9-1 record at neutral sites and 105-43-1 on an opponent's field.
Bowden achieved impressive numbers in his previous coaching stops, including a 31-6 record at his alma mater Howard College (now Samford University) between 1959 and 1962, and a 42-26 mark at West Virginia from 1970-75.
During his tenure with Florida State, his Seminoles have won 10 or more games in a season 18 times. Florida State had been to just eight bowls in the 29 years before him. The 2006 Orange Bowl marked the Seminole's 27th since his arrival.
Florida State is the only school to finish among the (Associated Press) Top Five for 14 consecutive seasons. The Seminoles finished first twice (1993, 1999); second twice (1987, 92); third, four times (1988, 89, 97, 99); fourth, five times (1990, 91, 94, 95, 96); and fifth in 2000. In their 14 seasons in the ACC, FSU is 108-13, has claimed 12 ACC championships and set the league record for consecutive victories. Bowden picked up ACC Coach of the Year titles in 1993 and 1997.
FSU also won more games in the decade of the 1990s than any other program.
The win over Wake Forest on October 25, 2003 allowed him to become the all-time winningest major college coach. This December, Bowden will receive induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Bowden and his wife, Ann, have six children; daughters Robyn and Ginger and sons Steve, former Auburn head coach Terry, current Clemson head coach Tommy and current Florida State assistant coach Jeff.
JOE PATERNO, 2006 GOLD MEDAL CO-RECIPIENT Head Coach, Penn State University
This fall will mark Joe Paterno’s 41st season pacing the sidelines as head coach of the Nittany Lions. Last year, he joined another college football legend, Amos Alonzo Stagg, as the only major college coaches to have served 40 years as head coach at a single institution.
Paterno’s career at Penn State spans 56 years and 630 games. After 16 years as an assistant coach, he was rewarded in 1966 with the head coaching responsibilities following the retirement of Rip Engle, his college coach at Brown who appointed the 23-year-old Paterno to the Penn State staff in 1950.
The 2005 season represented one of the most memorable ones for Paterno, as his Nittany Lions earned an 11-1 record and captured both the Big Ten Championship and a thrilling triple overtime decision over Bobby Bowden and Florida State in the FedEx Orange Bowl.
Last year’s 11-win season represented another milestone, as Penn State earned at least 10 victories under Paterno in a fifth different decade and for the 19th time overall. The Nittany Lions were No. 3 in the polls, earning their 13th Top 5 finish under the legendary coach, and 21st Top 10 finish.
For his leadership in restoring the Nittany Lions to the nation’s elite, Paterno was recognized with numerous National Coach of the Year honors, capped by an unprecedented fifth selection by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He also earned national honors from the Associated Press, Bobby Dodd, Home Depot/ESPN, Maxwell Football Club (George Munger), Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C., The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
A member of the Nittany Lions’ coaching staff spanning the administrations of 11 U.S. presidents (starting with Harry Truman), Paterno passed Bear Bryant on October 27, 2001 when the Lions secured his 324th victory by rallying from a 27-9 deficit to defeat Ohio State, 29-27, in the greatest Beaver Stadium comeback under the legendary coach.
Paterno has posted a 354-117-3 mark in 40 seasons as head coach and ranks second to Bowden in career wins among major college coaches and fourth all-time. His winning percentage of 75.0 is sixth best among active Division I-A coaches (10 or more years) and he is second all-time in games coached (474) among major college coaches. Paterno is the all-time leader among coaches in bowl appearances (32) and post-season triumphs (21). His overall postseason record of 21-10-1 gives him a winning percentage of 67.2, tying him for No. 3 among the bowl season’s best of all-time. The Nittany Lions are 15-6 in New Year’s games under Paterno and 12-4 in the bowl games that comprise the Bowl Championship Series.
Since Paterno took over in 1966, Penn State has had 71 first-team All-Americans, 14 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes, 24 first-team Academic All-Americans and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners.
Paterno’s coaching portfolio includes two National Championships (1982, 1986); five undefeated, untied teams; 20 finishes in the Top Ten of the national rankings; five AFCA Coach-of-the-Year plaques, and more than 300 former players who have signed National Football League contracts, 29 of them first-round draft choices. This December, Paterno will receive induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Joe and Sue Paterno have five children, all of whom are Penn State graduates; daughters Diana and Mary and sons David, George and Jay, who currently serves as Penn State’s quarterbacks coach.
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD
Presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur sport in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/distinguishformer.php
PAT TILLMAN, 2006 DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD RECIPIENT Arizona State University, Arizona Cardinal and U.S. War Hero
Pat Tillman was an outstanding football player and scholar who left the National Football League as a young star to enlist in the military following the September 11 attacks. He lost his life during a combat mission in Afghanistan.
"It is a tremendous honor for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to recognize Pat for his leadership qualities and place him in the prestigious company of the previous recipients. Thank you for celebrating Pat's life and honoring his legacy,” said Marie Tillman, Pat's widow and chairman of the board for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
As a linebacker at Arizona State University, the 5’11” Tillman was the Pacific-10 Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, Second Team All-America and Academic All-America in 1997. He graduated summa cum laude in 3½ academic years with a 3.84 grade point average, earning a degree in marketing.
The 226th player selected in the 1998 NFL Draft, Tillman quickly became a starter for the Arizona Cardinals and helped lead them to the 1998 playoffs, their only appearance in 51 years. Tillman set a Cardinals record with 224 tackles in 2000 and warmed up for the 2003 training camp by competing in a 70.2-mile triathlon.
The attacks on September 11 compelled Tillman to try to make a difference off the football field, and he turned down a multi-million dollar contract with the Cardinals to enlist in the Army in 2002.
“My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has ...
gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that,” Tillman told NBC News in an interview the day after the attacks.
Pat enlisted with his brother Kevin Tillman — who also is a highly regarded athlete, having once been a minor league baseball prospect in the Cleveland Indians’ organization. Both denied requests for media coverage during their basic training and ultimate deployments. The brothers both successfully completed training for the Rangers, the Army’s elite infantry regiment. Pat Tillman was first deployed to Iraq in March 2003 and then sent to Afghanistan, where he served in the same unit with his brother.
On April 22, 2004, as a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Fort Lewis, Wash, Tillman was killed in action. The battalion was involved in Operation Mountain Storm in Southeastern Afghanistan, part of the U.S. campaign against the Al Qaeda terror network and the former Taliban government along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. U.S. military spokesmen stated that Tillman was killed in a firefight at about 7 p.m. on a road near Sperah, about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. base at Khost.
Arizona State University retired his #42 jersey and the Arizona Cardinals have funded a scholarship program in his honor. In 2004, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, a Silver Star and the United State’s Sports Academy Humanitarian Award. The military order of the Purple Heart named an award after him, the Pat Tillman Patriot Award. In addition, the Pacific-10 conference named their defensive player of the year award after him.
Tillman will become the award’s 35th recipient, joining a list that includes Vince Lombardi, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Pete Rozelle and Tom Osborne.
Information on the Pat Tillman Foundation can be found at www.pattillmanfoundation.org.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD This award is intended to provide national recognition to an individual(s) whose efforts and activities in support of the Foundation and its goals have been local in nature. It also applies to individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of football either to the manner in which it is played and coached or to the manner in which it is enjoyed by spectators. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/outstandingformer.php
ESPN's COLLEGE GAMEDAY, 2006 OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL AWARD RECIPIENT
Entering its 20th season, ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot has become a Saturday fixture for more than 1.4 million fans every week during the fall. With five Emmy nominations to its credit, the show provides fans unparalleled coverage of the day’s top teams, match-ups, player profiles and storylines.
College GameDay has pioneered a format that captures the rich history and pageantry of college football like no other show. Traveling to college campuses across the country, College GameDay has generated newfound excitement for fans, routinely drawing thousands of spectators – and 15,000-plus on several occasions -- to watch the show live. College GameDay ’s popularity continues to grow with the show experiencing its most-viewed episode ever in 2005 (1,861,000 households). Notable moments include its first road show on Nov. 13, 1993 for the Florida State at Notre Dame game, and a special tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces after 9/11 at the Nov. 3 Army at Air Force game.
Highly entertaining, the show is hosted by Chris Fowler with analysts Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit and contributor Desmond Howard. Fowler joined the show in 1990 and has earned a reputation as one of football’s top commentators and analysts. In addition to College GameDay, Fowler has hosted ESPN’s Heisman Trophy Presentation since the network began its coverage of the event in 1994, and ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards show since its inception in 1993. He has also covered basketball, horse racing, tennis and the X Games and Winter X Games and hosts ESPN Classic’s SportsCentury, the network’s signature series.
"We're truly honored - and certainly stunned - to be recognized by the National Football Foundation with such a prestigious award,” said Chris Fowler. “We've just been privileged to share our passion for college football's enduring greatness throughout the show's 20 year growth curve.
Joining a list of previous honorees that includes legends and pioneers is humbling and flattering to say the least."
Corso, one of college football’s most knowledgeable, opinionated and engaging analysts, joined the show in 1989 after 28 years as a football coach, including head coaching jobs at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois and work as an assistant at Florida State, Maryland and Navy. His seasoned presence on College GameDay has helped the show earn a huge following as the most authoritative and comprehensive college football pre-game show.
“I have been involved with college for over half a century as a player, coach and on television,” said Lee Corso. “This is one of the finest awards that I have ever been a part of. And I can think of no higher honor for a TV show then to receive an award from an organization as prestigious as the National Football Foundation.”
Herbstreit came on board in 1996. His experience as a former standout Ohio State quarterback lends itself to providing insightful and entertaining analysis. His talents were quickly noticed, as after just two seasons he was nominated for a 1997 Sports Emmy Award as television’s top studio analyst.
He is widely respected for his no-nonsense analysis and fresh-out-of-the-game perspective. In addition to his College GameDay and ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime duties, Herbstreit will serve as analyst on ABC’s new weekly ABC Saturday Night College Football series (at 8 p.m. ET) with commentator Brent Musburger, analyst Bob Davie and reporter Lisa Salters.
JOHN L. TONER AWARD
Presented annually, the Toner Award is given to a director of athletics who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. Past
recipients: http://www.footballfoundation.com/tonerformer.php
DELOSS DODDS, 2006 JOHN L. TONER AWARD RECIPIENT Director of Athletics, University of Texas
The leader behind one of the nation’s most successful athletics programs, DeLoss Dodds begins his 25th year as men’s athletics director at The University of Texas. Dodds has guided Texas through some of the school’s most successful times since assuming the position as UT’s ninth athletics director in the fall of 1981.
“This award affirms what we at The University of Texas, and Longhorn fans throughout the nation, have felt about DeLoss Dodds for many years,” said William Powers, Jr., President of The University of Texas at Austin. “He is simply the best Director of Men¹s Athletics in the country. And even more, he is a man of enormous integrity, and he’s built a championship program that reflects that integrity. We are blessed to have DeLoss here at UT.”
During his tenure at Texas, the Longhorns have claimed 12 National Championships and 82 conference (Southwest and Big 12) titles in nine different sports. UT has earned 18 bowl berths, received an NCAA basketball tourney bid 15 times and won three NCAA baseball titles while advancing to the College World Series 12 times under Dodds’ watch. The Horns also have claimed eight NCAA titles and 25 conference swimming & diving crowns, made
13 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament in tennis (seven league titles) and been a regular among the nation’s best in golf (10 conference crowns and
13 Top 10 NCAA finishes) and track & field (15 conference indoor/outdoor titles).
The beginning of the 2005-06 season saw football win its first National Championship since 1970 with a thrilling 41-38 victory over No. 1 USC in the Rose Bowl on January 4, 2006. The win wrapped up a school record-setting 13-0 season and gave the Longhorns the longest winning streak in the nation at 20.
Baseball's run to the NCAA Championship during the 2004-05 season capped arguably the most successful four-year stretch in UT Athletics history.
Football has posted four straight 10-win seasons and ranked among the nation's top six three times, among the top 12 all four years, and won three bowl games, including a 38-37 thriller against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Men’s Basketball had advanced to three "Sweet 16s" in this span, including a trip to the 2003 Final Four. Baseball has won a pair of NCAA titles and advanced to the College World Series all four years. Swimming and diving won the 2002 National Championship and finished among the top-three three times. Golf has registered three top 10 showings at nationals, while the outdoor track and field program has registered two top nine finishes at the NCAA Championships. Indoor track and field has placed among the top 10 at nationals three times, and cross country has made three NCAA Championship appearances.
Dodds, who manages an $83 million athletics budget at UT, has helped the Longhorns renovate or build $150 million in facilities during the last seven years with plans for further expansion. He set the stage for a $90 million project at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium/Jamail Field, which nearly doubled the size of the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center. Dodds followed that project with a $52 million renovation of the Frank Erwin Center, which included the construction of the two-story, 44,000-square foot basketball training facility, the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion.
While overseeing the athletics department at Texas, Dodds also has been a pivotal force in some of the most significant events in college athletics.
He played a major role in the development of the Big 12 Conference, is a past president of the NCAA Division I-A Directors of Athletics, served as a member of the prestigious NCAA Basketball Committee and was an original member of the NCAA Postseason Football Committee.
After completing his tenure on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in spring 1997, Dodds is now a leader in the future planning for college football, concentrating on the issue of a playoff for NCAA Division I-A football. Dodds has chaired the College Football Association Television Committee, was appointed to head a subcommittee to study the possibility of a NCAA football playoff to determine a National Champion and served on the NCAA Governance Committee (dealt with critical issues of women’s athletics and NCAA restructuring).
Prior to coming to Texas in 1981, Dodds served for three years as director of athletics at Kansas State and as assistant commissioner of the Big Eight Conference for two years.
A native of Riley, Kan., Dodds and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children (Doug, Deidre and Debra).
OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD
Honors an official for his officiating abilities, demonstrated in intercollegiate competition and for his sportsmanship, integrity, character and contribution to the sport of football. Past recipients:
http://www.footballfoundation.com/officialformer.php
A.C. “Butch” Lambert, Sr., 2006 OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD CO-RECIPIENT Southeastern Conference
A legend among college officiating circuits, Butch Lambert, Sr., officiated college football for more than 30 years. Lambert began his illustrious career with the Southeastern Conference in 1953 and would serve as a line judge for the next 30 years before becoming a technical advisor in 1982.
Following his retirement from active officiating, he served as the SEC Supervisor of Officials until his death in 1985.
During his career, Lambert was selected to officiate in 12 college bowl games, two of which were to decide the National Championship. Lambert’s most famous moment on the field occurred in the 1978 Gator Bowl, where Ohio State coach Woody Hayes ended his career by hitting a player on the sidelines. Hayes hit a Clemson player right in front of Lambert, who penalized Ohio State. Lambert and Hayes would later become friends.
“I know he would be so overwhelmed by receiving this award,” said Butch Lambert, Jr. about his father. “It would be a week or so before he would be able to talk. He had such respect for the coaches and the players who played the game and was so happy to be able to be a part of the game through officiating.”
Lambert had an excellent reputation among his peers and a national reputation as an outstanding SEC official. For his long and distinguished career, Lambert received several unique honors. In 1985, the field at Mississippi Veterans’ Memorial Stadium was renamed the A.C. Lambert Field and in 1994, the new football stadium at Itawamba Community College was named A.C. Lambert Stadium. In 1980, he received the Distinguished American Award from the Central Mississippi Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
In addition to football, Lambert also enjoyed a 21-year career as an SEC basketball referee.
Lambert began his athletics career as an assistant football and basketball coach at Southwest Junior College in 1948 and became head football coach and athletics director of Itawamba Junior College one year later.
Highly active in his local community, Lambert was the first president of the Tupelo Touchdown Club, the Tombigbee High School Football Conference, the North Mississippi Kiddie League Baseball Association and the Natchez Trace Golf Club. A former president of the National Junior College Athletic Association, he also coached Little League Baseball for seven years.
A.C. “Butch” Lambert, Jr., 2006 OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL AWARD CO-RECIPIENT Southeastern Conference
An accomplished official on both the high school and collegiate levels, Butch Lambert, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps as one of the profession’s best. Lambert’s officiating career began in 1969 as a field judge for high school football. From there, he served as a field judge on the junior college level from 1972-74, which included the officiating of two junior college All-Star games.
In 1974, Lambert’s officiating career took off when he joined the Southeastern Conference. He officiated as a field judge for the first two years and then enjoyed a long 26-year career as an umpire. In this tenure, Lambert officiated 38 bowl games, 17 Blue-Gray All-Star games, 13 Senior Bowls, one National Championship game (Oklahoma-Washington in January 1985) and one SEC Championship game. He also officiated one game with his father, the Auburn-Georgia Tech game in Atlanta in 1981.
“This award is a credit to all the people that I’ve officiated with throughout the years,” Lambert said. “It’s a tribute to the officials I’ve known and worked with, and I feel like it’s a great honor for them as well as for my dad and me.”
Extremely active on the collegiate scene, Lambert was the president of the Southeastern Conference Football Officials Association and was twice named a nominee for the Ed Dudley Award for excellence among SEC officials.
Off the field, Lambert is the president of Butch Lambert & Associations, LLC and has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of solid waste management including marketing, business development, negotiations, landfill and cell construction and project management. For 35 years he has learned extensive experience in public, community and media relations as well as government affairs at the local, state and regional levels.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Lambert was an accomplished pitcher on the baseball team and received two professional contracts.
A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Board, Lambert remains extremely active in his local community serving many organizations including the University of Mississippi Alumni Association, M-Club Alumni Association, Jackson Touchdown Club and the 32 Degree Master Masons.
He is also a past board member of the Central Mississippi Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
With 119 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of nearly $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
Contacts:
Phil Marwill, director of communications 1-800-486-1865, ext. 118
Matt Sweeney, director of special projects 1-800-486-1865, ext. 116
posted by Don @ 5/27/2006 10:50:00 AM
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