NFL Players Gala and Awards

April 12, 2007 - NFL players from around the league were again honored at the annual NFL Players Gala and JB Awards Presentation in recognition of their outstanding off-the-field accomplishments through building better communities and stronger families.

This year’s awardees included Tony Dungy, (Head Coach of the reigning Super Bowl XLI Champs Indianapolis Colts), who received the JB Award for Perseverance.

Marshall Faulk of the St. Louis Rams (who officially announced his retirement earlier this month), was the recipient of the Award for National Service for his post-Hurricane Katrina efforts. Everson Walls (retired, Dallas Cowboys) accepted the Award for Compassion for having donated his kidney to former teammate, Ron Springs in 2006.

The JB Award for Community Dedication, went to the New Orleans Saints (accepted by teammates Deuce McAllister, Michael Lewis, and Scott Fujita) for the teams’ efforts in supporting and participating in the rebuilding efforts of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

The evening’s highest honor, the Byron “Whizzer” White Award, awarded to the individual who best personifies the characteristics of the late Supreme Court Justice, Byron Raymond White in area of service to team, community and country, went to Denver Bronco’s John Lynch.

Nominees for the Whizzer Award included Cleveland Brown’s Darnell Dinkins, Green Bay Packers' Donald Driver; Tampa Bay Buccaneers’, Ryan Nece; New York Giants’, Shaun O’Hara; Oakland Raiders’ Cornerback, Duane Starks; New York Jets’ Quarterback, Chad Pennington; the Seattle Seahawks’ Grant Wistrom; Miami Dolphins’ Defensive Lineman, Jason Taylor; and home-town Washington Redskins’ Defensive Lineman, Renaldo Wynn.

Past Byron “Whizzer” White Award winners include last year’s winner, Steve McNair (Tennessee Titans), and 2005 winner Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts).

This year’s judges for the highly esteemed award included Dr. Sheila Johnson, Washington Mystics President; George Michael, former NBC host of the ‘Sports Machine’; and Doug Allen, National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild.

The annual event, which has helped raise over $2 million dollars since its partnership with the NFLPA, benefits the D.C. Special Olympics, the organization that provides opportunities for students and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Says D.C. Special Olympics Executive Director, Stephen Hocker, "There are 17,000 individuals in our area with intellectual disabilities. D.C. Special Olympics helps to celebrate the abilities of these special individuals."

Mr. Hocker is especially appreciative that the JB Awards and the NFL Players, Inc. provides a platform for the D.C. Special Olympics to make the public cognizant of what the student-athletes are capable of doing.

The Special Olympics Rookie Training Camp, held earlier in the day at Cardinal Stadium on the campus of Catholic University, allowed NFL players the opportunity to interact with the D.C. Special Olympics athletes by demonstrating a variety of offensive and defensive drills which included passing, kicking, and ball handling techniques.

DC Urban Sports spoke to Renaldo Wynn during his participation with the student-athletes to find out why this event is important to him.

Says Wynn, “As professional athletes, we didn’t make it on our own; we got some encouragement to get to this point. “I know I did coming up; whether it was an encouraging word or support - and we all have something to give back.”

“God has given us the ability to be where we are and I think it’s only telling to give back to the kids.”

Renaldo and his wife LaTanya, through their Family of Faith Ministries, provide assistance to needy families in the D.C metro areas through counseling and financial support.

Cleveland Brown’s, Darnell Dinkins provided his take on the event telling DC Urban Sports, “This is a way for people to see the good that NFL players do outside of all the negativity that you hear.”

“There are guys all over (the NFL) who do positive things in our communities, like Deuce (McAllister) doing things for Hurricane Katrina; so this is what this event is all about.”

DC Urban Sports spoke with Athletic Director, Perry Nichols to find out what's the most rewarding experience he's gained since working with the student-athletes.

"Watching the progress of the students is the most rewarding of all."

"It's really no big deal to coach athletes who don't have disabilities, but to see the progression of athletes, with disabilities, overcome the challenges is where the reward comes."

When asked how Mr. Perry got involved in teaching students with disabilities he stated, "I remember when I was in school, no one bothered to ask the special needs children if they wanted to be on sporting teams, and often times they were overlooked."

"I just remember seeing them sitting out on all the fun." That's what made me get involved so I could help provide them with the same opportunities in sports all the other kids received."

Through the generous financial support of JB Awards and NFL Players gala, D.C. Special Olympics is able to provide training and competition opportunities along with free yearly medical, dental, and vision screening and other much needed services to individuals from St. Coletta’s School of Greater Washington, D.C., and the Kennedy Institute.