Howard Schnellenberger Named to Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee
Louisville, Ky. – November 14, 2014 – Howard Schnellenberger, the very successful, longtime college and NFL coach – and former high school teammate of Paul Hornung – has been named the 16th member of the Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee. The Award is presented by Texas Roadhouse and given annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football.
The Paul Hornung Award Selection Committee is made up of 16 national sports journalists and former NFL stars who vote for the Hornung Award, with fan voting powered by Texas Roadhouse comprising the 17th vote. All votes are tabulated independently by regional accounting firm Dean Dorton. The winner will be honored at a banquet presented by KentuckyOne Health on January 27, 2015, at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Schnellenberger coached at the college and professional levels for nearly 50 years, most recently as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University, retiring at the end of the 2011 season. He previously held head coaching positions with the University of Oklahoma, University of Louisville and the University of Miami, where he won a national championship in 1983, and the Baltimore Colts. He ended his college coaching career with a perfect 5-0 record in bowl games. Schnellenberger learned his football tactics as a player for the legendary Bear Bryant and Blanton Collier at the University of Kentucky, served as an assistant to Bryant at Alabama, moved on to pro ball as an assistant to George Allen with the Los Angeles Rams, and was offensive coordinator for Don Shula’s Miami Dolphins that won two Super Bowls and went undefeated in 1972.
Famed for his offensive football genius, Schnellenberger has influenced a memorable list of quarterbacks, including: Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler, Roman Gabriel, Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Bert Jones, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Mark Richt, Browning Nagel, Jay Gruden, Jeff Brohm and Rusty Smith.
Schnellenberger’s new memoir, which was released on Sept. 1, is called “Passing the Torch: Building Winning Football Programs…with a Dose of Swagger Along the way.” The book documents his career from the time he played at University of Kentucky through his years as a college head coach and his time with the NFL. In his typical outspoken manner, Schnellenberger tells it like he sees it, whether he’s writing about success or failures.
Hornung and Schnellenberger have a long history together, having played football, basketball and baseball together at the now defunct Louisville Flaget (fla-jay’) High School, a catholic school in the city’s west end. “Howard was one tough and talented guy in high school, and competitive at every sport,” Hornung said. “He played end in football, was our leader and catcher on the baseball team, and center in basketball, where he was an outstanding defender and rebounder. We had a few guys on our team who like to shoot – including me – so Howard knew that the only way he could get off a shot was to haul down the rebound, dribble the length of the court and not pass the ball to anyone.”
Tickets to the annual Paul Hornung Awards Banquet presented by KentuckyOne Health are now on sale. Single tickets are available for $100 each; corporate tables of 10 are $1,500. For more information regarding tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Julie Howell at (502) 587-6742 or jhowell@louisvillesports.org.