Broyles to be Honored with Distinguished American Award
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Former Arkansas head football coach and current athletic director Frank Broyles will be honored with the prestigious “Distinguished American” Award by the Walter Camp Football Foundation it was announced on Wednesday.
Broyles and the other major award winners including Ray Guy (Alumnus of the Year) and Dick Butkus (Man of the Year) as well as the members of the 2007 Walter Camp All-America team – the 118th honored by the foundation – will be recognized at the organization’s 41st annual national awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Yale University Commons in New Haven.
“It is a tremendous honor to be chosen by the Walter Camp Football Foundation for this prestigious award,” Broyles said. “To see those that have been honored before me with this award makes it even more special. I have been blessed to be associated with the University of Arkansas for nearly a half-century and I look forward to continuing my relationship with the University, the Razorback program and this state in the years to come.”
The Walter Camp “Distinguished American” recipient is an individual who has utilized his or her talents to attain great success in business, private life or public service and who may have accomplished that which no other has done. He or she may have a record of dedication to mankind which should not pass unrecognized and whose life has been dedicated to the preservation of the American ideal. The recipient need not have participated in football but must be one who understands its lesson of self-denial, cooperation and teamwork, and who is a person of honesty, integrity and dedication. He or she must be a leader, an innovator, even a pioneer, who has reached a degree of excellence which distinguished him or her from contemporaries and who lives within the principles of Walter Camp.
Past recipients of the Walter Camp Distinguished American honor include nationally-respected sportscaster Pat Summerall (2004), all-purpose television personality Regis Philbin (2003), NBC Sports Executive Dick Ebersol (1996), former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (1994), world-renowned entertainer Bob Hope (1985) and last year’s recipient former coaching standout Dick Vermeil.
Distinguished American – FRANK BROYLES
Former collegiate player, coach and athletic administrator Frank Broyles (Georgia Tech) is the recipient of the 2007 Walter Camp “Distinguished American” award.
As a quarterback, Broyles led Georgia Tech to four bowl appearances and was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1944. He entered the coaching ranks in 1947 and served as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech, University of Texas and the University of Florida before getting the head coaching position at the University of Missouri in 1957. After one just year, he moved to the University of Arkansas and over the following 19 seasons led the Razorbacks to one national championship (1964), two Cotton Bowl wins and seven Southwest Conference titles.
In 1974, he was appointed as the Men’s Athletic Director at Arkansas and under his leadership Razorback teams have won more than 40 national championships and have built several world-class athletic facilities.
Broyles is known for producing high quality coaches and the Broyles Award, the annual award for best assistant coach, is named after him.
Broyles will complete 50 years with the University of Arkansas in December. Although retiring as athletic director, effective Dec. 31, 2007, he will continue to serve the University of Arkansas and Razorback program in a fundraising and advisory role.
