Medal of Honor Bowl - South Carolina's Premier College Football Bowl Game
Charleston, South Carolina
January, 2018
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All posts tagged Medal of Honor Bowl Game

February 3, 2015
New England strong safety Malcolm Butler (21) intercepts a pass intended for Seattle wide receiver Ricardo Lockette (83) in the final minute of Sunday's Super Bowl to secure the Patriots' 28-24 victory.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler did it first at Medal of Honor Bowl

courtesy of Post and Courier

Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler was still trending on Twitter on Monday, a day after his game-saving interception in the New England Patriots’ 28-24 win over Seattle on Sunday night.

Butler also was hard to miss a year ago at the inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl in Charleston, a game that played no small part in Butler’s amazing rise from a Popeyes chicken restaurant employee to NFL player and Super Bowl star.

“I remember seeing him every day at practice,” says Austin Atkinson, the deputy director of player personnel for the Medal of Honor Bowl. “Every time he made a play — and he made a lot of them — he’d pound on his chest and yell, ‘Mr. D2! Mr. D2!’

“He was so proud of being from a Division II school. He was one of only a few Division II players we had in the game, and he was making plays all week.”

Medal of Honor Bowl coach Chan Gailey — now the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets — was so impressed with Butler, a 5-11, 190-pound cornerback from West Alabama, that he recommended him to Patriots coach Bill Belichick for a tryout. The Patriots signed Butler last May; he received no signing bonus.

Butler, from Vicksburg, Miss., began his college career at nearby Hinds Community College. Five games into his freshman season, he was dismissed from the program and worked at a Popeyes before getting a second chance at West Alabama.

Butler was twice an all-Gulf South Conference pick at West Alabama, and he picked off a pass in the first Medal of Honor Bowl. With the Patriots this season, he played 52 snaps on special teams and 184 on defense during the season. He didn’t get into the Super Bowl until the Patriots’ 32nd snap on defense, when Butler subbed in for Kyle Arrington as the nickel cornerback.

Butler was the defensive back victimized by a miracle catch by Seahawks’ receiver Jermaine Kearse, putting Seattle on the 5-yard line with a chance to win the game. Two plays later, Butler knifed in front of Seattle receiver Ricardo Lockette to pick off a slant pass at the goal-line with 20 seconds to play.

On ESPN radio Monday morning, talking heads debated whether the Medal of Honor Bowl alumnus had made the greatest play in Super Bowl history.

“It was just amazing to see a kid like that come out of nowhere and make the most of his opportunity,” Atkinson said.

News, Press Release Malcom Butler, Medal of Honor Bowl Game, Super Bowl No Comments
January 12, 2015
Nate Boyer, a 34-year-old Green Beret and long-snapper from Texas, will play in the Medal of Honor Bowl on Saturday. University of Texas photo
Green Beret, 34, is Medal of Honor Bowl’s most unlikely NFL prospect

courtesy of The Post and Courier

Monday morning during Medal of Honor Bowl week is when the assembled NFL hopefuls are paraded before scouts and personnel experts. The players are measured and weighed and otherwise inspected to make sure they stack up to the demanding physical standards of pro football.

There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Nate Boyer was called to the scales.

“Really?” said Boyer, recalling the reaction with a chuckle. “This guy is a long-snapper?”

Of the more than 100 NFL prospects who will take the field Saturday in the Medal of Honor Bowl at Johnson Hagood Stadium, Boyer is by far the most unlikely.

It’s not just that at 5-10 and 197 pounds, the University of Texas graduate is a few inches and about 40 pounds shy of even the modest standards of an average NFL long-snapper.

There’s also the fact that at 34, he’s about 12 years older than his Medal of Honor Bowl teammates.

And then there’s Boyer’s summer job – Green Beret with the Texas National Guard and the Army’s Special Forces.

Boyer was deployed to Afghanistan over the last two summers, returning to Austin each August in time for football season. After walking on as a safety, Boyer earned a scholarship and the job as the Longhorns’ starting long-snapper, where he never had a bad snap. He learned how to long-snap by watching videos on YouTube, and practiced while he was deployed by snapping a football into a net or at a piece of plywood.

Boyer also saw his share of action on the battlefield. Last July, he was involved in a firefight in Afghanistan as part of a patrol of about a dozen Americans and 100 Afghan soldiers they had trained. Boyer can recall a bullet whizzing by his head, he said in an article by Yahoo Sports.

Before joining the military, Boyer worked on a fishing boat, trained as a firefighter, tried acting and volunteered at a refugee camp in Sudan. That last experience sparked his interest in the military.

During his Army career, Boyer was deployed many times into war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. The native of Dublin, Calif., was awarded a Bronze Star and was the first recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award, an award also presented to Clemson receiver Daniel Rodriguez, another military veteran playing in the Medal of Honor Bowl.

“This is a great opportunity for me and all these guys,” Boyer said of the bowl. “This week has meant a lot to me because of my background. It brings together two things that I love, the military and football. I’m always amazed at how much college football embraces the military and veterans.

“I tell these (players) here, they don’t realize what a huge thing college football is to soldiers who are deployed. We watch all the games, even though they are on at five in the morning. We’ll stay up all night to watch college football, if we don’t have a mission. We’ll all huddle around whatever TV we can find and watch.”

Rodriguez’s story was well known to bowl officials Cal McCombs and Austin Atkinson, who put together the rosters for this year’s game. But McCombs was not aware of Boyer’s story until he called a coaching friend in Texas who said, “Do you need a long-snapper?”

Now, Boyer is hoping an NFL team has the same need.

“If I can get an opportunity I will make the most of it,” said Boyer, who already has a job lined up as an intern with a Hollywood production company. “That’s how I live my life, and that’s what I’m into. If someone takes a chance on me, I’ll do everything I can to not let them down.”

News, Players Schedule Medal of Honor Bowl Game, Nate Boyer, Texas Longhorns No Comments
January 8, 2015
Frank Wooten Columnist
Win one for the Medal of Honor Bowl

Courtesy of The Post and Courier

Charleston is a big-time player in tourism, fine dining and epic history.

It’s just not a big-time sports town.

Not that’s there anything wrong with that.

Sure, Daniel Island has the Family Circle Cup, a high-profile event on the women’s pro tennis circuit. And Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course had the 2012 PGA Championship and the 1991 Ryder Cup. (More on our local athletic-mecca victories later in this column.)

But when the eyes of the nation’s sports fans turn to our state, it’s usually to watch telecasts of college football or basketball games in Clemson or Columbia.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, though, NBC Sports Network will carry a football game live from Johnson Hagood Stadium.

And if you’re already mourning the season’s looming end, why not get a final in-person dose of America’s most popular sport at the Medal of Honor Bowl?

After all, that second annual all-star spectacle will feature the best array of football talent at Johnson Hagood since Sept. 2, 1967.

That’s where and when I saw Miami linebacker Wahoo McDaniel kick a 27-yard field goal to lift the Dolphins to a 20-17 NFL exhibition victory over the New Orleans Saints. McDaniel also was a widely beloved pro wrestler who long and frequently graced Charleston’s County Hall with his devastating “Tomahawk Chop,”

No, there aren’t any likely high-round draft choices (or rasslers?) on Saturday’s American (under head coach Willie Jeffries of S.C. State fame) and National (under head coach Chan Gailey of Dallas Cowboys, Georgia Tech and Buffalo Bills fame) teams.

Yet the talent level significantly exceeds last year’s Medal of Honor Bowl. And that inaugural edition included three players who were drafted four months later – and 73 more who were invited to NFL camps as undrafted free agents.

Lest you underrate undrafted free agents and/or players from non-big-time football schools, consider that “America’s Team” (aka the Dallas Cowboys, aka Chris Christie’s Team) signed Tony Romo in 2003 as an undrafted free agent from Eastern Illinois.

Lest you underrate the in-state appeal of Saturday’s game, consider that while it will spotlight pro prospects from across the land, the rosters also include players from The Citadel, Charleston Southern, S.C. State, Furman, Coastal Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina.

And as a decorated (Bronze Star, Purple Heart) combat veteran, Clemson wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez is a particularly fitting participant.

More good reasons to attend the game: It benefits the Medal of Honor Museum and the Wounded Warriors of S.C. – and 15 recipients of our nation’s highest military honor are expected to attend.

But he wasn’t small

Back to Johnson Hagood:

Among the players who have competed there in my lifetime as Citadel Bulldogs before moving up to the NFL: John Small (Atlanta picked him as the school’s only first-round draft choice ever), Stump Mitchell, Travis Jervey (ex-Wando High star and one of the American team’s assistant coaches this week), Andre Roberts (now with the hapless Washington Redskins) and Cortez Allen (now with the playoff-ousted Pittsburgh Steelers).

Among the players who have competed there against The Citadel before moving up to the NFL: Terrell Owens of Chattanooga and the Dallas Cowboys; Dexter Coakley of Wando, Appalachian State and the Dallas Cowboys; Stanford Jennings of Summerville High and Furman; and J.J. Wilcox of Georgia Southern and now the Dallas Cowboys.

Among the high school seniors in the 2010 NUC (National Underclassman Combines) All-World Gridiron Classic at Johnson Hagood: 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel (aka “Johnny Football”) and 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota.

Among the coaches who have trod the Johnson Hagood sidelines …

Frank Howard (Clemson); Tom Nugent (VMI before going to Florida State and Maryland); Billy Murphy (Memphis State); Marvin Bass (South Carolina); Red Parker (The Citadel before Clemson); Thad “Pie” Vann (Southern Mississippi); Jim Carlen (West Virginia before Texas Tech and South Carolina); Lou Holtz (William & Mary before N.C. State, the New York Jets, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina); Bobby Ross (The Citadel before Maryland, Georgia Tech, the San Diego Chargers and Army); and Dick Sheridan (Furman before N.C. State).

A man-to-man tradition

Beyond football, John Kresse’s triumphant 1979-2002 tenure at the College of Charleston rates a special spot in local sports lore. His Cougars won nearly 80 percent of their games, the 1983 NAIA title and reached four NCAA tournaments with consistently tenacious defense.

In baseball, The Citadel won 1990 College World Series game, and the College of Charleston almost made it to the 2014 College World Series.

And the Charleston RiverDogs (pro baseball), Charleston Battery (pro soccer) and South Carolina Stingrays (pro hockey) all make this a much livelier sports town.

So show TV viewers Saturday that folks around here will show up to see future NFL players, help worthy causes and honor true heroes.

So what if it’s supposed be a bit chilly (near 50) by our spoiled standards?

That’s a lot warmer than it will be in Green Bay on Sunday when Romo leads “America’s Team” to a playoff victory over the Packers.

And you can count on S.C. State’s “Marching 101″ band to heat up Johnson Hagood on Saturday.

Frank Wooten is assistant editor of The Post and Courier. His email is wooten@postandcourier.com.

News, Press Release Bobby Ross, Lou Holtz, Medal of Honor Bowl Game, SC State Marching 101 Band, Tony Romo No Comments
January 7, 2015
Hunter Mullins (left) and kicker Ty Long will be among the last players to wear an Alabama-Birmingham football helmet at the Medal of Honor Bowl on Saturday. UAB dropped its football program on Dec. 2. (Grace Beahm/Staff)
UAB Blazers play for shuttered program in Medal of Honor Bowl

Courtesy of The Post and Courier

On the night of Nov. 1, Alabama-Birmingham kicker Ty Long made a 24-yard field goal with three seconds left in the game, lifting his Blazers to a 31-28 win over Florida Atlantic.

It was a great night for the Blazers, their fifth win of the season pushing them closer to their goals of a winning record and a bowl game after the team went just 2-10 in 2013.

But that night, Long and his teammates noticed a tweet from former UAB great Roddy White, an Atlanta Falcons receiver and James Island Charter High School graduate.

“Help me save UAB football,” White posted on his Twitter account.

It was the first serious indication for Long and his teammates that their football program was in immediate jeopardy.

“We had no idea what was going on,” Long said this week. “We were like, ‘What is he talking about?’ But Roddy knew a lot of stuff before we did.”

As it turned out, White was right; UAB shuttered its football program on Dec. 2. The Conference USA school became the first FBS school to drop football since Pacific in 1995.

That means that at the Medal of Honor Bowl on Saturday, Long and UAB teammates J.J. Nelson and Hunter Mullins will be among the last Blazers to wear a UAB helmet in a game. It’s something they don’t take lightly.

“The hard part is, we feel like (the administration) doesn’t want us there,” said Long, a senior from Roswell, Ga. “But we are going to make it clear that we are still here. I’m proud to say I’m from UAB and proud to wear that helmet this week. We want more people to know what happened and for people to support us.”

As rumors around the program grew during the season, the players began to feel they could save Blazers football if they could win enough games. The Blazers defeated Southern Miss by 45-24 on Nov. 29 to win their sixth game and become bowl eligible for the first time in 10 years.

“That was a weird feeling,” said Mullins, a senior punter from Tallassee, Ala. “Everybody was jumping and down, excited because we had won our sixth game. But I was thinking, is that enough? I didn’t know if it was enough to save our program.”

The Blazers did not receive a bowl invitation, and that Southern Miss game turned out to be their last – maybe ever.

“The season went really well,” said Nelson, a senior receiver from Midfield, Ala. “We wish we could have won a few more games, but coming from two wins, we could not have done much better than we did. I guess it wasn’t enough.”

In the weeks since the program was disbanded, many UAB players have found new schools to attend, but coach Bill Clark has yet to find a new job.

“A lot of guys have found a spot to play, but some have not and that’s what stinks,” Long said. “It’s hard to see guys you played with, guys you are friends with, and now they are struggling.”

Newspaper reports have questioned the financial numbers UAB used in dropping football, and many in Birmingham rallied to the Blazers’ support.

“The response has been awesome,” Mullins said. “It shows that people see the work we put in. I think a lot of UAB fans are thinking, this should not be happening to our team. We should have been better fans.”

Some are holding out hope that this story is not over.

“In my personal opinion, it will come back,” Long said. “A lot of the numbers they said are not true, and it’s been proven they are not true. The whole time it was going on, we wanted to keep it positive. We were not trying to riot or anything. We were just standing up for what we believe in and what we love.”

Notes

. Singers Lt. Col. Mike Corrado and John Ford Coley will join the S.C. State Marching Band during the halftime show of the Medal of Honor Bowl on Saturday at Johnson Hagood Stadium. Corrado, an active duty Marine, is known for his song “Stand.” Coley, a Lowcountry resident and half of the duo “England Dan and John Ford Coley” will sing “God Bless America.”

. Events for fans to attend this week include the Gridiron Greats panel discussion Thursday at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant. Ticket information is at www.mohbowl.com.

. Former Clemson standout quarterback Tajh Boyd and ex-South Carolina two-sport athlete Bruce Ellington will be at the pregame Tailgate FanFest on Saturday in the stadium’s parking lot from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The duo will meet and greet with fans, take pictures and sign some autographs. There is no admission charge to the Tailgate Fanfest.

. Medal of Honor Bowl chairman Tommy McQueeney said a solid turnout for Saturday’s game is vital for the event’s first year on TV. The game will be shown on NBC Sports Network. Fans have a chance to win a Mercedes Benz at the game, and a donation of $20 will earn fans a chance at a Super Bowl VIP package. See www.mohbowl.com for details.

News, Press Release Alabama-Birmingham football, Atlanta Falcons, James Island Charter High, Medal of Honor Bowl Game, Roddy White No Comments
January 6, 2015
Former Citadel All-American center Mike Sellers is back for the Medal of Honor Bowl this week. (Grace Beahm/Staff)
Ex-Citadel All-American Mike Sellers gets his shot in Medal of Honor Bowl

Courtesy of The Post and Courier

When Mike Sellers was forced to leave The Citadel two years ago, a part of him thought his football career was over.

Sellers was an FCS All-American as a center for the Bulldogs, a prime mover in The Citadel’s 7-4 season in 2012 and a major reason for Bulldogs optimism during spring practice in 2013. But in February 2013, word came down that Sellers would be forced to leave The Citadel just before his senior year, accused of a violation of the military school’s honor code.

The news plunged Sellers into depression. The Fort Dorchester High School graduate had just celebrated the birth of a son; now it seemed as if his football career and a chance at a college degree might be done.

“After that happened, I went through a really down period,” Sellers says now. “I just had my son, and now I was going to have to leave my family and all my friends, leave all the coaches I had developed close connections with. It was hard.”

With the encouragement of his father, Sellers decided to continue his career at Winston-Salem State, a Division II school in Winston-Salem State, N.C. After sitting out the 2013 season, Sellers started at center for the Rams last season, playing well enough to earn an invitation to Saturday’s Medal of Honor Bowl all-star game at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

Ironically, Sellers found himself back at The Citadel on Monday, dressing in the Bulldogs’ locker room and working out in front of NFL scouts on The Citadel’s practice field.

“It’s really kind of bittersweet,” Sellers said. “I really wanted to stay here and graduate from The Citadel. But being back here and seeing a lot of old friends and getting to play in this game, it’s really a blessing.”

The big question for Sellers this week is finding a position where he can fit in pro football. At The Citadel, Sellers was a 6-0, 290-pound center with a quick first step and a mean streak. But that’s not big enough to project as an offensive lineman in the NFL, where the average lineman is about 6-5 and 310 pounds. At the NFL Scouting Combine last year, the shortest lineman stood 6-2; the lightest weighed 299 pounds.

That’s why Sellers will spend time at H-back, fullback, linebacker and tight end this week.

“That will be hard, but that’s what I need to do,” said Sellers, who now weighs about 265 pounds. “I feel like I can play center at the next level, but a lot of scouts say they like me at fullback. Whatever they like me at, that’s where I’ll play.”

Running pass routes is definitely something new for Sellers, who did play fullback at Fort Dorchester.

American Team offensive coordinator Cam Turner played with Sellers for one season at The Citadel.

“He’s going to be a utility guy for us,” said Turner, the quarterbacks and receivers coach at Florida International. “We’re going to try to move him around and see what we can do with him. We’ll see if he can block at the point of attack on run plays, and then get him out in the flat and see if he can catch the ball.

“He’s strong, he’s athletic. We’ll move him around and then let the scouts do their job and see where he fits.”

For now, Sellers is just happy to have a second chance to show that he can fit somewhere.

“I’ve learned a lot,” he said. “Bad things happen, mistakes happen. But you just have to keep going.”

Notes

Most of the Medal of Honor Bowl players with local ties are on the American Team along with Sellers. Citadel players Jake Stenson (running back) and Justin Oxendine (defensive end) are on coach Willie Jeffries’ American squad, along with linebackers Gabe Middlebrook of Charleston Southern and Michael Gruber of Dorchester Academy and Brevard College.

N.C. State defensive tackle Thomas Teal had to pull out of the Medal of Honor Bowl with an eye injury. He’s been replaced by tackle Brandon Smith of Division II Miles College.

Events for fans to attend this week include the Heroes Luncheon for The Wounded Warriors of S.C. on Tuesday and the Gridiron Greats panel discussion on Thursday. Ticket information for both events is at www.mohbowl.com.

Former Clemson standout quarterback Tajh Boyd and former South Carolina two-sport athlete Bruce Ellington will be at the pregame Tailgate FanFest on Saturday in the stadium’s parking lot from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

The duo will meet and greet with fans, take pictures and sign some autographs. There is no admission charge to the Tailgate Fanfest.

Medal of Honor Bowl chairman Tommy McQueeney said a solid turnout for Saturday’s game is vital for the event’s first year on TV. The game will be shown on NBC Sports Network.

Fans have a chance to win a Mercedes Benz at the game, and a donation of $20 will earn fans a chance at a Super Bowl VIP package. See www.mohbowl.com for details.

News, Press Release Fort Dorchester High School, Medal of Honor Bowl Game, MOH Bowl, The Citadel No Comments
January 2, 2015
Florida lineman Max Garcia (right), here battling South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney last year, will play in the Medal of Honor Bowl. (AP Photo/ Richard Shiro)
Medal of Honor Bowl boasts 38 players from SEC, ACC

Courtesy of The Post and Courier

The second annual Medal of Honor Bowl will feature 38 players from SEC and ACC schools, including two from Clemson and at least one South Carolina Gamecock.

Two players from The Citadel, running back Jake Stenson and defensive end Justin Oxendine, and Charleston Southern linebacker Gabe Middlebrook also are on the all-star game’s rosters, released Wednesday.

Clemson cornerback Garry Peters and wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez had previously committed to the game, set for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at Johnson Hagood Stadium. South Carolina safety Brison Williams also will play, and bowl officials say a second Gamecock could be added to the roster.

The American and National team rosters, made up of draft-eligible college football players from around the country, include 20 players from the ACC, with 15 of the 16 member schools represented thus far. There are 18 SEC players on the rosters, including Florida linemen Max Garcia and Chaz Green.

Quarterbacks in the game include Tyler Murphy of Boston College, Jake Waters of Kansas State, Terrance Broadway of Louisiana Lafayette, Gary Nova of Rutgers and Ryan Williams of Miami.

Other local players of note include ex-Citadel center Mike Sellers, now a 6-0, 265-pound lineman at Winston-Salem State. The Fort Dorchester High School product will play H-back and running back in the Medal of Honor Bowl.

Also playing is former Dorchester Academy standout Michael Gruber, a Division II All-American linebacker at Brevard (N.C.) College. Gruber, 6-3 and 240 pounds, finished his career as Brevard’s all-time leading tackler. Linebackers Gary Wilkins of Furman and Quinn Backus of Coastal Carolina also were selected.

Also Wednesday, the Medal of Honor Bowl announced that former Citadel and NFL player Travis Jervey and NFL Hall of Famer Chris Doleman have been added as assistant coaches. Doleman replaces Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea, who had to withdraw from the game for family reasons.

Doleman played for the Vikings, Falcons and 49ers and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Players are set to report Sunday for a week of practices. The game will be televised nationally by NBC Sports Network.

Medal of Honor Bowl rosters

American Team

Quarterbacks: Chris Bonner, Colorado State-Pueblo; Jake Waters, Kansas State; Terrance Broadway, Louisiana Lafayette; Tyler Murphy, Boston College.

Running backs: Akeem Hunt, Purdue, Prince-Tyson Gulley, Syracuse; Jake Stenson, The Citadel; Tony Creecy, N.C. State; Mike Sellers, Winston-Salem State.

Wide receivers: J.J. Nelson, Alabama-Birmingham; Cam Worthy, East Carolina; Curry Sexton, Kansas State; R.J. Harris, New Hampshire; Glenn Coleman, Florida Atlantic; Kyle Prater, Northwestern.

Tight ends: Jack Tabb, North Carolina; Steven Borden, Kentucky.

Linemen: Jake Smith, Louisville; Junior Salt, Utah; Garrett Frye, Ga. Southern; Chris Jasperse, Marshall; Ian Silberman, Boston College; Terrence Jones, Troy; Kendall Lamm, App State; Blaine Causell, Mississippi State; Rob Crisp, N.C. State; Quinterrius Eatmon, South Florida.

Defensive linemen: Zack Allen, Wake Forest; Justin Oxendine, The Citadel; Ryan Mueller, Kansas State; Nigel Crawford, St. Augustine; Thomas Teal, N.C. State; Terry Williams, East Carolina; Angelo Blackson, Auburn; Alfy Hill, Winston-Salem State.

Linebackers: Reshard Cliett, S. Florida; Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina; Michael Gruber, Brevard; Gabe Middlebrook, Charleston Southern; Edwin Jackson, Ga. Southern; Norkeithus Otis, North Carolina.

Defensive backs: Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern; Terry Johnson, Florida A&M; Will Brown, Missouri S&T; Merrill Noel, Wake Forest; Jacob Hagen, Liberty; Ace Clark, Western Carolina; Jamerson Love, Mississippi State; Justin Halley, Florida International.

Specialists: K Ty Long, Alabama-Birmingham; LS Charlie Coggins, East Carolina; P Hunter Mullins, Alabama-Birmingham.

National Team

Quarterbacks: Gary Nova, Rutgers; Ryan Williams, Miami; Kevin Rodgers, Henderson State.

Running backs: Kevin Parks, Virginia; Mike Burton, Rutgers; Brandon Wegher, Morningside.

Wide receivers: Kenny Cook, Gardner-Webb; David Frazier, Miami (Ohio); Issac Blakeney, Duke; Daniel Rodriguez, Clemson; Malcome Kennedy, Texas A&M; Demetrius Wilson, Arkansas.

Tight ends: C.J. Uzomah, Auburn; Khari Lee, Bowie State.

Offensive linemen: Austin Gund, Richmond; Torrian Wilson, Central Florida; Matt Rotheram, Pitt; Caleb Farris, Va. Tech; Chaz Green, Florida; Brey Cook, Arkansas; Max Garcia, Florida; David Wang, Va. Tech; Cameron Jefferson, Arkansas.

Defensive linemen: Brock Hekking, Nevada; Joe Drummond, Army; Kristjan Sokoli, Buffalo; Jordan Williams, Tennessee; Terrell Hartsfield, Cincinnati; Vince Taylor, Vanderbilt; Shaq Riddick, West Virginia; Jasper Coleman, William & Mary; Caushaud Lyons, Tusculum.

Linebackers: Andrae Kirk, Florida Atlantic; Tank Jakes, Memphis; Serderius Bryant, Mississippi; Gary Wilkins, Furman; Paul Quessenberry, Navy; Thurston Armbrister, Miami.

Defensive backs: Garry Peters, Clemson; Cariel Brooks, Adams State; Brison Williams, South Carolina; De’Vante Bausby, Pittsburgh State; Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas; Jermaine Whitehead, Auburn; Keenan Lambert, Norfolk State.

Specialists: P Kyle Christy, Florida; K Will Conant, Air Force; LS Nate Boyer, Texas.

News, Press Release ACC Football, Charleston, College Football, College-football all-star games, Medal of Honor Bowl Game, MOH Bowl, SEC Football 1 Comment
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Shelly Nuttall Gardner

Shelly Nuttall Gardner is the owner/director of WheelHouse Concepts Inc., a firm specializing in strategic sales and events as well as creative project management.
Shelly Nuttall Gardner
Her current projects include:

* The Medal of Honor Bowl, director of Sales and Marketing. Gardner leads the sponsorship team, oversees the production of events as well as generates community and regional awareness and excitement about The Medal of Honor Bowl through advertising and marketing campaigns.

*Taste of Atlanta, director of Restaurants. Gardner works closely with Atlanta area chefs to produce and coordinate the restaurant participation in this festival, which draws 50,000 attendees annually over the 3 day schedule of culinary events.

*The Stray Dog Society, executive director. This member based social organization is for supporters (both graduate or non-graduate) of The Citadel. Gardner runs the membership and sponsorship campaign, as well as plans and executes the Society’s many events including the tailgate parties before each home game and the Annual Homecoming Jamboree to the sell-out crowd of 1500.

Gardner is originally from Charlotte, and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. Before starting WheelHouse Inc , she was a surgical sales representative for Medtronic’s neurosurgery division.

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Andy Solomon

Native Charlestonian Andy Solomon, who handles the media relations for the Medal of Honor Bowl Game, is concluding his 39th year in athletic administration and his 23rd year as an associate athletics director at The Citadel.
Andy Solomon
Having served in marketing, promotions and sports information capacities since joining The Citadel, Solomon now devotes his efforts on special events and coordinating the school’s licensing program. He also produces The Blue & White, the official publication of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation, and Today’s Blue & White, a weekly electronic newsletter. 

He is also a Visiting Professor in the school’s Health, Exercise and Sport Science Department and teaches Sports Management courses. He has served as the NCAA representative and tournament director at baseball regionals every year since 2003. Solomon also served a term as president of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and remains active as a member of the Board of Directors.

Solomon was selected as the inaugural Marketer of the Year (1999-2000) for NCAA Division I-AA and I-AAA institutions by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and was named National SID of the Year in 1983 by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), becoming the youngest ever to win the award.

In March 2004, Solomon was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame and became the third native Charlestonian to be enshrined in a national sports hall of fame, joining Art Shell (NFL) and Beth Daniel (LPGA). In 2009, he was inducted into Winthrop’s Hall of Fame.

Prior to his arrival at The Citadel, Solomon served in athletic administrative positions at College of Charleston (1973-77), Charleston Southern (1977-78), Winthrop (1978-84) and Limestone (1984-88).  He was the public relations manager at Wild Dunes Resort in 1988-89, and serves as a media relations consultant for the Charleston RiverDogs, the Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Solomon earned his bachelor’s degree from College of Charleston in 1977 and a master’s from Winthrop.  He and his wife, Amy, have two daughters, Anna and Addie.

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Tommy McQueeney

W. Thomas ‘Tommy’ McQueeney is the Chairman and Founder of The Medal of Honor Bowl Game, and works closely with our beneficiaries, The National Medal of Honor Museum and the Wounded Warrior Project.
Tommy McQueeny
A native Charleston area businessman with a background in sports development he chaired the Southern Conference Basketball Championships and the Charleston Area Sports Commission twice. McQueeney also chaired the $44.5 million Johnson Hagood Stadium Revitalization, has served on The Citadel’s Board of Visitors, the MUSC Children’s Hospital Board, and the Patriot’s Point Maritime Museum Foundation.

A 2009 recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, he is a local columnist and author.

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Thomas J O'Rourke

Tom O’Rourke is the Executive Director of the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. Tom’s Agency has been nationally recognized for operating an ever-expanding park system without using tax increases to fund growth.
Tom O'Rourke

Tom has the direct oversight responsibility for over 10,000 acres of parkland consisting of a very diverse offering of parks, programs and services.

Prior to joining Charleston County PRC, Tom was the Director of the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department in Mt. Pleasant South Carolina, and also worked as Manager of the Sports and Recreation Division for Seamon Whiteside and Associates a Landscape Architect and Engineering firm. Tom’s first job was as a high school Athletic Director and Coach.

Currently Tom spends a significant amount of time educating park and recreation professionals. In the past three years he has spoken at 13 different State Association Conferences and has presented sessions at the NRPA Congress for the past 12 years. He is on the Board of Regents at the NRPA Revenue School, The NRPA Directors School and a past member of the Supervisors Managements School Board.

Tom is the Chair of the Clemson University Parks Recreation and Tourism Management Advisory Board, and the Chair of the Charleston Area Sports Commission Board of Directors.

Recreation is his profession, but his passion has always been coaching. Tom currently is the Pole Vault Coach at Hanahan High School.

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Hoyt "Rusty" Holt, Jr.

Hoyt “Rusty” Holt, Jr. serves as the Medal of Honor Bowl’s Operations Director.

Rusty Holt

Having recently retired from a successful insurance career at New York Life, Holt is an active member of Savannah’s Sports Council, and a charter board member of the Savannah Hockey Committee. Holt was the presiding force behind Savannah’s Inaugural Rock n Roll Marathon in 2011.

Holt is a proud graduate of The Citadel’s class of 1973, earning his B.S. in Business Administration and lettering in both football and track. In 1988, Holt was inducted into The Citadel’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his excellence in both sports – football and track .

Originally from Mullins, SC , he currently shares his time between Savannah and Charleston with Mignon, his wife of 39 years. They are the proud parents of 3 children and 7 grandchildren whom they delight in spending time with.

In addition to his love of sports, and his involvement in The Medal of Honor Bowl, Holt is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys boating, fishing, hunting and riding his Harley Davidson.

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Rick Raybon

Rick Raybon Director of Finance

Senior Financial Executive with more than 35 years of achievement improving corporate financial performance through financial leadership in banking relations, operations, mergers and acquisitions, organizational development and global systems integration.

Raybon has served in senior financial leadership roles with both Northrop Grumman and Litton Industries. Additionally, he has served as an interim CFO in several smaller equity backed businesses.

A 1974 graduate of The Citadel he has also attended executive level leadership courses at both Harvard Business School and Wharton. He is a licensed CPA, a retired Commander, Supply Corps. USNR and resides in Mt. Pleasant, SC with his wife Vicki.

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Samuel Rivers

Samuel Rivers

Bio Coming Soon…

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Cal McCombs

McCombs1200mugCal McCombs enjoyed a standout career as a track and football athlete at The Citadel, graduating in 1967.
His coaching career included stints at The Citadel, the United States Air Force Academy and as Head Football Coach at VMI, where he was named both State of Virginia Coach of the Year and Southern Conference Coach of the Year.

McCombs also spent five years as a top player development scout for the Denver Broncos of the American football League. Through these experiences, he gained a solid reputation for assessing draft-level NFL talent.

His skills in the area of quantifying NCAA football talent brings an enormous asset to the Medal of Honor Bowl.
He coached on the winning American Team in the inaugural Medal of Honor Bowl in January of 2014.

McCombs is a native of Belton, SC, and lives on the Isle of Palms with wife Lynn. They have three children and six grandchildren.

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Austin B. Atkinson, J.D.

Austin B. Atkinson, J.D. Austin B. Atkinson, J.D. is an NFLPA Certified Contract Advisor and is a registered Athlete Agent in the State of South Carolina. Austin earned a B.A. in Political Science from The Citadel in 1999, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Charleston School of Law in 2011.

As an NFL agent, Austin was able to put players from the FBS, FCS, and Division II levels of college football into NFL camps in recent years. His eye for talent at all levels of football is invaluable in his personnel role for the Medal of Honor Bowl.

Active in the community, Austin has served as the Vice-Chairman of the Town of Mount Pleasant Board of Zoning Appeals, member of the Town of Mount Pleasant Historical Commission, Past-President of the Mount Pleasant Sertoma Club, assistant coach of the Wando High School boys lacrosse team, and is a member of the Theta Commission of Kappa Alpha Order. Austin lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife and children.

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Roy Hamlin Jr.

roy_hamlinMr. Hamlin’s strong success in video and television projects for the nation’s leading nonprofit and sports organizations has helped him network across a broad range of corporate, celebrity and charitable leaders to achieve important goals. He founded AdCraft Associates, which became recognized as a national leader through innovative marketing. After selling AdCraft Associates to Host Communications, Roy’s next venture, NorthStar Visions, took an innovative approach to a marriage between the sports and entertainment worlds. His Fairway Productions Group has been a leader in television concepts and production.
Mr. Hamlin has produced numerous sports publications and live television broadcast programming, while developing many of today’s accepted sports traditions, including the National Championship Trophy Program, Director’s Cut (Div. I, Div IAA, Div III), Basketball Poll, Women’s Basketball Poll, Football Coaches Poll, Baseball Coaches Poll, Baseball National Championship Trophy, Mohamed Ali Museum and the PGA of America Library.

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