Awards Presented at Inaugural Celebration of College Football Awards Dinner Held on January 31
Former NFL Coach Bobby Ross Served as Keynote Speaker
Hampton Roads, VA — The Hampton Roads Sports Commission (HRSC) hosted its inaugural Celebration of College Football Awards Dinner on January 31 to recognize and celebrate the local football programs of the Apprentice School, Christopher Newport University, College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Norfolk State University, and Old Dominion University.
During the dinner, the Hampton Roads Sports Commission Player of the Year Awards were presented to the top offensive and defensive players within the region. Jonathan Grimes, a Running Back from the College of William & Mary, was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Ronnie Cameron, a Defensive Tackle from Old Dominion University, was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Each football program nominated a student athlete for each category. A selection committee, consisting of local sports experts familiar with the school football programs, selected the top offensive and defensive players from the 12 nominees. The two winners were announced at the January 31 awards dinner.
During the dinner, Bobby Ross served as keynote speaker. Ross, a native of Virginia, is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel (1973–1977), the University of Maryland, College Park (1982–1986), the Georgia Institute of Technology (1987–1991), and the United States Military Academy (2004–2006), compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2. Ross was also the head coach of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers from 1992 to 1996 and the Detroit Lions from 1997 to 2000, tallying a career NFL mark of 77–68. He guided his 1990 Georgia Tech squad to a share of the national championship and coached the 1994 San Diego Chargers to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX. In 1997, Ross was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Awards include: Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award (1990); Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1990); Sporting News College Football COY (1990); Walter Camp Coach of the Year (1990); Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1990); and AFCA Coach of the Year (1991).
Thanks to event sponsors: Williams Mullen (Players of the Year); 94.1 FM ESPN, Old Dominion University and Huntington Ingalls Industries (Gold); Burton Lumber, City of Newport News, K&D Round’s Landscape Services and Monarch Bank (Silver).
About the Hampton Roads Sports Commission (www.HamptonRoadsSports.org)
In February 1999, the Hampton Roads Sports Commission (HRSC) was formed as a private/public partnership among the municipalities of Hampton Roads and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. The Sports Commission's primary function is to attract major amateur athletic events to the area to emphasize regional collaboration. The HRSC promotes Hampton Roads while enhancing the economy and quality of life of its residents by creating and recruiting local and national amateur, military and youth sporting events, while providing unparalleled customer service. Past HRSC events include: the AAU Junior Olympic Games (1998, 2001, 2006, 2010), the National Senior Games (2003), and the Red Cross Heroes Games (2004, 2005). During the past 12 years, the HRSC has generated more than $168 million in economic impact for the region. The Hampton Roads Sports Commission is an affiliate of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. Follow us on Facebook (Hampton Roads Sports Commission) and Twitter (HRSC757).
About the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce (www.HamptonRoadsChamber.com)
The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit, member-based business organization. The Chamber is a vigorous advocate for the economic success of its nearly 2,000 member businesses, which employ more than 280,000 men and women in southeastern Virginia. The Chamber promotes Hampton Roads’ healthy business climate through economic development, public policy initiatives, services and benefits to members. The Chamber is dedicated to creating economic opportunity and enhancing the quality of life in Hampton Roads.
To request high resolution photos, please contact Lisa Jones at [email protected] or
757-664-2531.
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