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Choosing NCAA Honorees
President Chris Howard’s last year as Honors Committee chair begins with inspiring 2020-21 awards.
Starting his final year a chair of the NCAA Honors Committee, President Chris Howard congratulated this year’s recipients of the college athletic association’s most prestigious awards for former student-athletes.
The NCAA gave its highest honor, the Theodore Roosevelt Award, posthumously to John McLendon, a coaching innovator and pioneer in integrating college basketball. Other major awards announced by the Honors Committee for 2020-21 include:
“The committee worked hard and diligently and made difficult decisions to choose the nominees and winners for this year’s NCAA awards,” Howard said. “We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all the honorees and their families and thank them for their efforts as student-athletes and for contributing so much to our society and indeed the world.”
As a running back for the U.S. Air Force Academy, Howard received the Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award in the country presented to a senior college football player. He also is a recipient of the Silver Anniversary Award, which recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their college athletic careers.
Howard previously served as one of 13 members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. He is a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
“I’m grateful to Chris Howard for his hard work and dedication to the Honors Committee,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert (pictured at left with Howard and Bill Hancock, executive director of College Football Playoff). “His experiences as a college athlete, as an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award winner and in governance positions as a university president made him perfectly suited to lead this committee. As chair, he has brought valuable insights, innovations and his signature good sense and humor that will positively impact the awards program for years to come.”