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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Manning Named Bagnell Award Winner
8/9/2011 | Football
Aug. 9, 2011
PHILIDELPHIA, Pa. - The Maxwell Football Club (MFC), the oldest football club in America, announced today that National Football Foundation (NFF) Chairman Archie Manning has been selected as the winner of the 23rd Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award for Contributions to Football. Mr. Manning joined the NFF Board of Directors in 1993 and became chairman in 2008.
"Archie's accomplishments as a player at both the collegiate and professional levels are well documented, and he has continued his involvement in his post playing days through his efforts as the Chairman of the NFF which is an exceptional football organization." said MFC Executive Director Mark Wolpert. "He certainly has had a tremendous impact on the game and is most deserving of recognition as the winner of the Reds Bagnell Award."
The Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award was established in 1989 by the Maxwell Football Club and named in honor of long time Maxwell Football Club president, Reds Bagnell. The award is given to an individual who through his efforts has helped to foster and promote the integrity of the game of football. Bagnell was an All American running back for the University of Pennsylvania and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. He also served as the President of the National Football Foundation from 1990 until his death in 1995.
Notable past winners of the Reds Bagnell Award include; George Bodenheimer (President ESPN/ABC Sports), Steve Sabol (President NFL Films), Ralph Wilson (Owner Buffalo Bills), Vince Dooley (Head Football Coach & Athletic Director University of Georgia), Darrell Royal (Head Football Coach University of Texas), Don Shula (Head Coach Miami Dolphins), Joe Paterno (Head Football Coach Penn State University), Art McNally (NFL Consultant), Lamar Hunt (Owner Kansas City Chiefs), and Pete Rozelle (NFL Commissioner).
Manning will receive the award at the Maxwell Football Club's 75th Anniversary Awards Gala that will be held on March 2, 2012 at the Harrah's Atlantic City Resort. Event tickets will be available for purchase on the Maxwell Football Club website beginning in October.
Manning was born May 19, 1949, in Drew, Mississippi. He attended Ole Miss where he was named an All-American Quarterback and is the only Rebel player to have his number retired. He was voted Mississippi's Greatest All-Time Athlete in 1992, and recently named Mississippi's Most Popular Athlete of the Century. He was elected to the 50-Year All-South Team (1940-1990), named one of the Top 25 Athletes of the Century in Louisiana, and he and his son Peyton were named among the 100 All-Time Greatest College Football Players. Archie was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame and is a member of other Halls of Fame including Louisiana and Mississippi.
In 1971, he was the second player chosen in the NFL draft - the number one draft choice of the New Orleans Saints. He set Saints passing records, played in two Pro Bowls and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1978. He was the first player in Saints history to be inducted into the Louisiana Superdome Wall of Fame. He concluded his 15-year career in 1985. He was also drafted four times by major league baseball. While in pro football, he received the Byron "Whizzer" White Humanitarian Award, the Bart Starr Humanitarian Award, the Spirit of Good Sports Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the U.S. Jaycees named him one of 10 Outstanding Young Americans. In 2005 Archie received the Legends award from the Davey O'Brien Foundation and the Aspire award, a tribute to life's coaches, from the Cal Ripken Foundation.
His community activities include Louisiana Special Olympics, the New Orleans Area Boy Scout Council, the Salvation Army, United Way Speakers Bureau, Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee, New Orleans Sports Foundation, and National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Board of Directors. Archie and his wife Olivia reside in New Orleans and have three sons, Cooper, Peyton and Eli.
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football club of its kind in America. The organization is devoted to recognizing excellence at all levels of football from high school through the NFL ranks. Under the stewardship of MFC President Ron Jaworski the Club has grown rapidly and has members in 40 states. The MFC provides educational and training programs for players and coaches, and also provides scholarships to outstanding student-athletes who demonstrate excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
