A packed room at the Athens Country Club on Monday did not leave disappointed at the 36th Annual Awards Presentation of the University of Georgia Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Current and former Bulldogs won awards throughout the night and keynote speaker Verne Lundquist delighted the crowd. Executive Director Loran Smith and President Lenn Chandler helped put on a tremendous show. Here are some of the highlights.
2022 College Football Playoff Championship Offensive MVP Stetson Bennett was honored with the Jack Turner Award which goes to the outstanding senior football player whose focus and energy goes beyond the playing of his chosen sport. Previous winners include Aaron Murray, David Andrews, Chris Conley, Malcolm Mitchell, and Rodrigo Blankenship.
Bennett spoke about what the university and his teammates mean to him in his speech and how great it was to meet Verne Lundquist.
A former recipient of Bennett's passes, tight end John FitzPatrick, won the Billy Payne Award is given to the individual who has been with the football team for four years, graduated, and had at least a 3.0-grade point average as well as other outstanding achievements.
Other former Bulldogs were recipients of the J. Reid Parker Post Graduate Achievement Awards. Larry Brown, Virgil Cole, Knox Culpepper, Robert Edwards, Howard Hudson, and Jon Stinchcomb had this year's honors.
Also in the audience were University of Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks and former Bulldog head coach Mark Richt, and Richt's wife Kathryn. Former Bulldog and current NFF UGA Chapter vice president Robert Miles was also present, as was his son Josh who gave the invocation as well as a special tribute to former NFF leaders and contributors Terry Winfield and Charlie Horton.
Two people won the Contribution to Amateur Football Award: Steve Hatchell and Mark Christensen.
Hatchell, who is the current President and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, spoke about how Atlanta became the destination of the hall of fame. He also mentioned how Charley Trippi was the oldest current hall of fame and mentioned how special it was to honor David Pollack last season. He mentioned how Champ Bailey will be honored later this year. Several other hall of fame members were in the audience: Vince Dooley, Jim Donnan, Scott Woerner and Kevin Butler.
Georgia's Executive Athletic Director in charge of Sports Medicine Ron Courson told the story of how Christenson began with the university in 2000 and has been a staple ever since. Mark was born with cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair but is one of the most positive people and vocal leaders you will ever meet.
Finally award-winning broadcaster Verne Lundquist, the keynote speaker, delighted the crowd with many fascinating stories about when he first started in the broadcasting business and unbelievable behind the scenes stories on two of his most famous calls (Jack Nicklaus's "Yes Sir" in 1986 and Tiger Woods' "In Your Life," in 2005). He ended his speech teary-eyed, mentioning how much he loved Athens, how good the University of Georgia has been to him, and how special his wife of 40 years, Nancy, has been to him.
The National Football Foundation's mission is to promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people. It began in 1959 and has over 120 chapters in 47 states with the University of Georgia chapter being among the largest.
