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     Gene Upshaw Biography2007 Winner - Brandon Barnes2006 Winner - Mike McFadden2005 Winner - Mike McFadden2004 Winner - Nathan Baker2005 Cactus Bowl Photos      |
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Manheim Touchdown Club Announces New DII Football Award Manheim, Pa.--The Manheim Touchdown Club announced on Wednesday the creation of a new Division II Football award, the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award, which will go to the top lineman, offensive or defensive, in the nation each year. Upshaw, currently the Executive Director of the National Football League Players Association, was a standout offensive lineman first at then Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) and later in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders. The native of Robstown, Texas, earned numerous honors at A&I and was picked by the Raiders in the first round of the 1967 draft (Complete bio on Upshaw follows this release). “It is an incredible honor to be recognized for your contributions to the game of football by having an award created in your name,” said Upshaw. “I hope all young men who earn this award have the same passion for the game that I had while playing college football.” Offensive and defensive linemen from any of the 150 football playing members of the NCAA Division II will be eligible. The following criteria have been established for candidates: a) Must be a junior or senior in athletic eligibility and competed in at least 70 percent of the team’s regular season games.
“We have taken the award process one step further by recognizing the best college players that have come out of the L/L League. One of those awards goes to a big school player (Division I & Division I-AA) and the other goes to a small school player. (Division II & Division III) as voted on by our Club members.” “As we looked at the awards that are given out on a national basis we noticed that there was no award given to a Division II lineman. We felt that this would be a great opportunity for the Manheim Touchdown Club to step out on to a much larger stage and create a national award that would recognize these individuals who do so much for the game. We realized that the Division III awards (Gagliardi Trophy & Melberger Award) were created by organizations such as ourselves.” “In conversation with several Sports Information Directors we felt that the award needed to be named after a Division II lineman who not only excelled in football but also in his life’s work. As we looked around at all of the potential candidates, Gene Upshaw was by far and away the clear leader. Gene was an All American at Texas A & I and he was a perennial All Pro in his 16 year career in the NFL. He is in both the Division II College Hall of Fame as well as the NFL Hall of Fame.” “Gene has been recognized for his work as a humanitarian, his business acumen and he was recognized by The Sporting News as one of the most powerful people in sports. It was easy for us to name this award after Mr. Upshaw. The Manheim Touchdown Club is both pleased and honored that Mr. Upshaw would lend us his name for this award.” The award will be voted upon by Sports Information Directors at each of the 150 football playing members of NCAA Division II. Each school will have one vote and will be limited to one nomination, due by 5 p.m. EST on November 8. From there, the nominations will be voted upon by region and the top two vote recipients in each of the four NCAA Division II football regions (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest), will reach the national ballot. The winner of the inaugural Gene Upshaw Award will be announced at the Cactus Bowl, the Division II All-Star Game on January 7 in Kingsville, Texas. “Gene Upshaw epitomizes excellence, from his All-America college football career at Texas A&M-Kingsville (formerly Texas A&I), to his Hall of Fame pro football career with the Oakland Raiders, and to his stature as one of the most powerful and influential labor leaders in the nation as Executive Director of the NFL Players Association,” said Greg Wright, Sports Information Director at Millersville University of Pennsylvania and liaison with the Manheim Touchdown Club. “The Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award will provide both an opportunity and incentive for offensive and defensive linemen across the country to excel. And, I am delighted that the Manheim Touchdown Club and the Division II sports information directors have teamed up to make this new honor a reality.” Upshaw is the fourth former Oakland Raider to have an award named after him. He joins Fred Biletnikoff, Ted Hendricks and Ray Guy as members of the Silver and Black to have national awards named after them. On the Division II level, the award is just the second national award recognizing excellence on the gridiron. The Harlon Hill Award annually is given to the top player in Division II. For more information about the award go to the Manheim Touchdown Club web site at: www.manheimtouchdownclub.com or contact the National Chair of the Award, Derek Smolik, Texas A&M-Kingsville Sports Information Director, at derek.smolik@tamuk.edu or (361) 593-2870. |
“In the six years that the Manheim Touchdown Club has been in existence we have always tried to recognize excellence,” Harris said. “We recognize excellence in athletics as well as excellence in the classroom. Each year we honor the best high school football player that comes out of our Lancaster/Lebanon League. (As voted on by our local media) We have also awarded twenty one $1,000 scholarships to Manheim Central High School student athletes. These have become known as ‘The Baron Tradition of Excellence’ awards.”