Fort Knox, KY (December 1, 2008) -- The U.S. Army sponsored a nine-city Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Football Classic Tour for the 2008 football season assigning African-American Army leaders to attend the Classics and present the Army Strong Leadership Award to outstanding student athletes. The Soldiers also participated in Classic activities including coaches’ luncheons, parades and pre-game coin toss and game ball presentations.
At each Classic, the Army presented the Army Strong Leadership Award to two outstanding players who exemplify the ‘Army Strong’ spirit and are leaders on the football field, as well as in academics, community service and citizenship. HBCU coaches and athletic directors selected the award recipients for their teams.
The 2008 HBCU Football Army Strong Leadership Award winners are:
Labor Day Classic (Houston, TX): Robert “Bobby” Reid -Texas Southern, Anthony Beck - Prairie View A&M
Southern Heritage Classic (Memphis, TN): Marcus Smith - Jackson State, Erick Benson - Tennessee State
100 Black Men Atlanta Classic (Atlanta, GA): Erick Benson - Tennessee State, Phillip Sylvester - Florida A&M
Circle City Classic (Indianapolis, IN): Dmitri Pelaez - Tuskegee University, Xavier Manuel - Alabama A&M
Southern University Homecoming (Baton Rouge, LA); Robert “Bobby” Reid -Texas Southern, Vincent Lands - Southern University
Battle of the Bay (Hampton, VA): Don Carey - Norfolk State University, Kevin Teel – Hampton University
Magic City Classic (Birmingham, AL): Nathan McCall - Alabama State, Xavier Manual - Alabama A&M
Delta 4 Literacy Classic (Little Rock, AR): Gabriel Fleming - Grambling State, John Keith, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Florida Classic (Orlando, FL): Travis Roland- Bethune-Cookman, Philip Sylvester - Florida A&M
The Army also “Celebrated Soldiers” at the Classics and recognized personnel who are currently serving or have served in the military with color guard presentations, PA announcements and stadium wide salutes. The Army’s Operation Tribute to Freedom Program also recognized Soldiers who are HBCU alumni and have been deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom at several Classics.
This is the second year the U.S. Army has sponsored HBCU Football Classics. The Army and HBCUs share the common goal of preparing young people for adulthood through education, mentoring and leadership training. The Army is committed to supporting HBCUs and the African-American community’s efforts in providing education beyond high school.
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The U.S. Army offers a range of opportunities - money for education, more than 150 career choices, high-tech training and leadership skills development. The Army’s career options include technology, healthcare, communications and engineering. Young men and women serving in the Army receive unparalleled training and challenging experiences to help prepare them for a lifetime of success. A career in the U.S. Army builds Soldiers who are mentally, physically and emotionally strong – Army Strong.
For information on the United States Army and the more than 150 career choices, education benefits and leadership training available, visit
www.goarmy.com or call 1-800-USA-ARMY.
There’s Strong and then there’s Army Strong.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Monday, December 8th 2008 at 5:09PM
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