Trusted Sports, Inc. (TSI) today launched the 2010 High School Football Rudy Awards and the search for the nation’s most inspirational high school football player.
In partnership with co-founder Daniel 'Rudy' Ruettiger, the inspiring figure of the film RUDY, the search is focused on finding those football players who best define what Rudy refers to as the “The Four C’s”: Character, Courage, Contribution and Commitment.
“This award has put the spotlight on our youth and their extraordinary achievements, allowing us to share their inspiring stories with America. I’m blown away by these kids, the struggles they’ve overcome and the fact that the Rudy Award has allowed us to literally change lives,” said Ruettiger.
In 2009, TSI developed the High School Football Rudy Awards to recognize outstanding youth athletes – not because of their statistical performance, but because of their ability to inspire teammates, classmates and communities. This award is aimed at not only celebrating incredibly inspiring player stories, but also to motivate other kids to thrive in life through youth sports. Last year, 396 incredible young athletes from 48 states were nominated by coaches, parents and teammates for this prestigious award, and generated over 1.6 million votes from fans across the country. Said former NFL Quarterback and Selection Committee Chairman Drew Bledsoe, “Nothing matches the purity of heart and desire of a high school athlete determined to overcome all obstacles. The motivation has nothing to do with money or fame. High school athletes, and especially the ones being considered for the Rudy Awards, are motivated to prove there is no injury too severe, no setback too big and no circumstance too difficult to overcome. Hats off to these young men! They remind us of all that is right with athletics.”
A total of $25,000 in academic scholarships will be awarded. A Selection Committee along with a fan vote will choose the Rudy Award winner who will receive a $10,000 college academic scholarship while the two runners-up and fan favorite will each receive $5,000 scholarships. 2009 High School Rudy Award recipient, Calob Leindecker received his scholarship from Ruettiger in an award ceremony in his hometown of Baton Rouge, LA. Now attending LSU, Leindecker had lost his leg in an automobile accident. After nine surgeries and returning to the football field, he inspired everyone with his words “You can take my leg, but you can’t take my heart”.
The 2010 Selection Committee includes Leigh Anne Tuohy, mother of NFL player Michael Oher and inspirational figure of film The Blind Side; Shaun Alexander, former Seattle Seahawks running back and NFL MVP; Jimmy Pitaro, Co-President of Disney Interactive Media Group; NBC Football Sideline Reporter, Andrea Kremer; Jenn Brown, ABC/ESPN sideline reporter and ESPN GameDay correspondent; and former Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints Head Coach, Jim Mora, Sr.
Real life stories and videos of each nominee will be posted at HighSchoolRudyAwards.com and parents, kids, and coaches are encouraged to go to the website and identify their most inspiring nominees before the November 23, 2010 cutoff. The top 50 nominations will be announced on November 28, 2010. People can nominate a player they believe is a ‘Rudy’ online.
