NFL Players' Union Gives John Lynch its Highest Honor

[BroncoBuff]

The award is named after Colorado Buffalo All American fotball player and 40+ year Supreme Court Justice Byron White.

DENVER BRONCOS SAFETY JOHN LYNCH GIVEN TOP HONORS
AT 2007 NFL PLAYERS GALA FEATURING THE JB AWARDS


John Lynch accepts Byron Whizzer White
Award from NFLPA President Troy Vincent

April 13, 2007 — On Thursday, April 12, Denver Broncos safety John Lynch was presented with the 41st annual Byron “Whizzer” White Award, the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) highest honor. Lynch was one of several NFL players honored at the NFL Players Gala by James Brown, host of CBS Sports’ “THE NFL TODAY,” and Michael Wilbon, of the Washington Post and ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption.”

The event, which recognized NFL players for their individual contributions to their communities, raised more than $1 million to benefit Special Olympics D.C. It was the fourth consecutive year the NFLPA and PLAYERS INC partnered with Brown to honor some of the NFL’s biggest heroes.

An eight-time Pro Bowl safety and a Super Bowl champion, Lynch was chosen from among 10 JB Award winners as a result of his unwavering commitment to his foundation, which works to develop quality young leaders through its numerous community programs. These programs include John Lynch Star of the Month, a student-athlete recognition program; John Lynch Salutes the Stars program, a community event where the area’s brightest student-athletes come together to be honored; and Lynch’s Safety Zone program, which provides tickets for every Broncos home game to Boys & Girls Club members who meet educational goals. Since its inception in 2000, the John Lynch Foundation has also sent 40 student-athletes onto four year universities through its Lynch Family Legacy Scholarships program.

Lynch was selected by an independent celebrity panel of judges which included SAG Executive Director Doug Allen, Washington Mystics President Sheila Johnson and George Michael, formerly of NBC4’s the “George Michael Sports Machine.” The “Whizzer” White Award is presented annually to the player who serves his team, community and country in the spirit of Byron Raymond “Whizzer” White. The late Supreme Court Justice was a scholar, athlete, patriot, humanitarian and public servant – the personification of the ideal to which professional football players aspire.

The 10 JB Award winners and Byron “Whizzer” White Award finalists were personally selected from a field of 32 players by Brown after each team nominated a player at the end of the season for his commitment to achieve excellence off the field through building better communities and stronger families. In addition to Lynch, the following nine players received a JB Award: Darnell Dinkins (Cleveland Browns), Donald Driver (Green Bay Packers), John Lynch (Denver Broncos), Ryan Nece (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Shaun O’Hara (New York Giants), Chad Pennington (New York Jets), Duane Starks (Oakland Raiders), Jason Taylor (Miami Dolphins), Grant Wistrom (Seattle Seahawks), and Renaldo Wynn (Washington Redskins).

Brown also presented special JB Awards to recognize the personal accomplishments of others around the NFL.Honorees who received individual JB Awards included Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts) – Perseverance; Marshall Faulk (Retired) – National Service; the late Lamar Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) – Executive Leadership; Everson Walls (Retired) – Compassion; and Deuce McAllister, Michael Lewis, and Scott Fujita, who accepted the JB Award for Community Dedication on behalf of all the players from the New Orleans Saints.

“The recipients of these prestigious awards are a small representation of the hundreds of NFL players who donate their time, energy and resources to give back to their communities. They are leaders in the locker room and role models for our youth,” said Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association.

Earlier in the day, the NFL players-honorees joined D.C. Special Olympics athletes for the “Special Olympics Rookie Training Camp,” a football clinic that featured more than 50 local Special Olympics athletes participating alongside NFL players in five friendly, non-contact football stations.

The gala and surrounding activities were filmed for a one-hour television special set to air on CBS on July 28 from 2-3 pm. ET. Reebok is the presenting sponsor of the NFL Players Gala, which is also sponsored by EA Sports, Snickers, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and AOL LLC.

Since the awards banquet was founded in 1972, the NFLPA and PLAYERS INC have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to several worthy causes, and Special Olympics D.C. has benefited from the event for more than a decade. For more information on the NFL Players Gala, please visit NFLPLAYERS.com.

ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS:

Special Olympics DC (SODC) is the sole provider of sports and fitness training, competition and health screenings for people with intellectual disabilities in the District of Columbia . SODC provides everything needed to deliver a high quality athlete experience while offering life-changing programs to some of the District’s most vulnerable citizens. The goal of SODC is to create opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities to demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics Athletes and the community. The NFLPA and NFL PLAYERS have significantly impacted the programs of SODC, with generous financial support for more than a decade.

ABOUT PLAYERS INC:

Formed in 1994, PLAYERS INC is the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association. Representing more than 1,800 active and many memorable retired NFL players, PLAYERS INC “takes the helmets off” the players and markets them as personalities as well as professional athletes. Through an exclusive sponsorship agreement between the NFL and PLAYERS INC, NFL players are integrated into NFL sponsor activation programs through PLAYERS INC. In addition, under an exclusive agreement between the NFL and PLAYERS INC, NFLPLAYERS.COM, PLAYERS INC’s official website, is part of the NFL Internet Network. Each year PLAYERS INC negotiates and facilitates more than 3,500 player marketing opportunities for NFL players. PLAYERS INC activities include retail licensing, corporate sponsorships and promotions, special events, radio and television projects, publishing and internet. For more information, please visit NFLPLAYERS.COM

http://nflpa.org/newsandevents/NFLPA_GALA_2007.aspx

[watermock]

Sounds like he needs to be fined again.

[smalltowngrll]

Congrats Lynch! I can't think of any other player more deserving of high honors!!

[Tredici]

I think Lynch's Salute the Stars program will have a lunch on May 15 at Invesco. There is information on his website.

$100.00 gets you a ticket.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by watermock

Sounds like he needs to be fined again.

Geez you're right. It took me a minute to understand what you were saying ... but isn't he the most fined active player? Maybe the most fined player ever. That KC hit was $75,000, right?

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Well deserved. The many folk who give to their community are always over shadowed by a few morons that can't stay out of trouble.

[Popcorn Sutton]

Way to go Lynchy.

[Los Broncos]

Wtg Lynch, ur all class baby!

[Crushaholic]

It can't be him because he's a dirty player. Just ask some of the Chiefs fans.

Congratulations, John. You deserve it...

[Drek]

Best true safety since Atwater, great guy, congrats to him, despite only joining us for the last half of his career I'll always consider him a true Bronco.

[kmartin575]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Geez you're right. It took me a minute to understand what you were saying ... but isn't he the most fined active player? Maybe the most fined player ever. That KC hit was $75,000, right?

No way it could have been that large of a fine, could it? I can't think of anything that deserves that large of a fine.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

The NFLPA is a bunch of gangsters.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Geez you're right. It took me a minute to understand what you were saying ... but isn't he the most fined active player? Maybe the most fined player ever. That KC hit was $75,000, right?

I love that hit. Dante was never the same after it. It ruined his career. He's since gotten Aligator arms and the dropsies/fumblitis.

He went on Injury Report with lip fungus after that game too.

[BroncoBuff]

Lip fungus?!