I don't know if Tom Osborne has room for any more awards at this point, but he's getting another one. The Football Bowl Association announced Thursday that Osborne and former Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning are the dual recipients of this year's Champions Award.
Billed as the FBA's "highest award," it has been presented annually since 2009 to a
“coach or administrator who over a long career furthers the cause of the college football bowl industry, with special emphasis on the student-athlete experience.”
Manning, who you might best know simply as a quarterback or progenitor of all-pros, checks the "coach or administrator" box thanks to this two decades of work with the National Football Foundation (among many other football activities). Osborne, of course, is the classic example of who the FBA is looking for with this award.
“Tom Osborne achieved milestones that we may never see again in college football,” FBA executive director Wright Waters said. “When you look back at what he and his Nebraska teams accomplished, what they did has more than passed the test of time. Coach Osborne created a culture that literally enveloped the entire state of Nebraska, a culture that remains to this day.”
Osborne is the fifth coach to earn the Champions Award based primarily on his coaching and contributions to the game via that route. At least that's my determination, but not an official one. LaVell Edwards (BYU, 2011 honoree), Bobby Bowden (FSU, 2012), Frank Beamer (VT, 2017) and Mack Brown, (UNC/Texas, 2019) were all really good coaches and best known for their abilities on the sidelines.
Grant Teaff (2013) was a pretty good coach at Baylor, all things considered, but has also been a key figure in the American Football Coaches Association. Lee Corso (2015) was, well, also a coach but definitely a key part of college football's history as a commentator.
Osborne and Manning will be honored at the FBA's Champions Award dinner on April 11.
The Grab Bag
- Nebraska signee Akol Arop is all in on the Huskers again after meeting with Fred Hoiberg. (Premium)
- Derek Peterson looks at the Huskers’ strange year when it came to finishing at the rim. (Premium)
- Alex Davis is impressing this spring.
- Kyle Kardell previews this weekend’s Nebraska-Purdue series.
Today’s Song of Today
Brandon is the Managing Editor for Hail Varsity and has covered Nebraska athletics for the magazine and web since 2012, Hail Varsity’s first season on the scene. His sports writing has also been featured by Fox Sports, The Guardian and CBS Sports.
