By TOM SHANAHAN
Sportswriters tend to only celebrate the world champions in pro sports and national titles in college athletics. For the individuals athletes in the pros, it’s the season MVP awards. In college football Heisman and a bunch of others.
Credit the Football Writers Association of America for thinking beyond winners and dismissing the vanquished. The FWAA announced its nominations for the 2020 Armed Forces Merit Award, an honor coordinated by the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl that has been presented since 2012.
Last year’s winner was Army assistant football coach Mike Viti for co-founding Legacies Alive. The non-profit supports Gold Star families of fallen heroes and brings awareness to the character of service members that paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and nine of his assistants are among the nominees for the 2020 award.
“The Armed Forces Merit Award is a fantastic award,” Calhoun said. “We’re about service. The men and women here at Air Force Academy — and our staff too — we want to give to others. That’s who we are.
“Do we want to try and do a really, really good job with our guys here when it comes to having them earn a heck of an education, develop more discipline and even a stronger sense of responsibility and to try and play competitive football too? Yes, we do. If you serve and give to others, I don’t know anyone who has ever done that that looks back and says, ‘I regret that.’ We certainly do not.”
Calhoun and his staff were among 38 individuals and three programs nominated.
The Falcons, who opened their season three weeks ago with a 40-7 win over Air Force take a leg up for the round-robin Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, opens Mountain West Conference play Saturday at San Jose State.
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2020 Armed Forces Merit Award Nominations
Programs
- Athletes Of Valor, Alex Stone, Founder & CEO, Athletes of Valor (U.S. Marines)
- Battlefields To Ballfields, Mike Pereira, CEO/President/Director
- National Association of College Directors of Athletics, Wounded Warrior Project
Active Players
- Cornelius Andrews, Union College, WR, 5-7, 148, Jr., Stockbridge, Ga.
- Alexander Findura, Bloomsburg, DL, 6-6, 255, Sr., Woodland, Ga. (U.S. Marine Corps)
- Rashaud Freeman, Webber International, LB, 6-0, 225, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (U.S. Army)
- Rasheed Holloway, Union College, WR, 6-0, 198, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Damian Jackson, Nebraska, DL, 6-2, 275, Jr., Las Vegas, Nev. (U.S. Navy)
- Kenwon Mack, Union College, CB, 5-9, 165, So., Detroit, Mich.
- Collin O’Donnell, Bluefield College, DL, 6-0, 250, Jr., North Tonawanda, N.Y. (U.S. Army)
- Josh Schenck, Oklahoma, LB, 5-11, 210, Sr., Knightdale, N.C. (ROTC Cadet)
Football Coaching Staff
- Troy Calhoun, Head Coach, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Jake Campbell, Assistant Backfield, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Jordan Eason, Assistant Offensive Line, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Robert Green, Defense Assistant & Director of Racial Equality, United States Naval Academy (U.S. Marine Corps)
- Brian Knorr, Inside Linebackers, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Steed Lobotzke, Offensive Line, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Alex Means, Outside Linebackers, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Ben Miller, Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Andre Morris, Spurs, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- John Rudzinski, Defensive Coordinator, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Trent Steelman, Quarterbacks, Eastern Kentucky University (U.S. Army)
- Mike Thiessen, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Charlton Warren, Defensive Backs, Georgia (U.S. Air Force)
- Mick Yokitis, Wide Receivers, United States Naval Academy (U.S. Navy)
Football Support Staff
- Clayton Kendrick-Holmes, Chief of Staff/Football Operations, United States Military Academy (U.S. Navy)
- LTC John Nawoichyk, Assistant AD/Military Operations, United States Military Academy (U.S. Army)
- Omar Nelson, Director of Player Development, United States Naval Academy (U.S. Navy)
- Capt. Ross Pospisil, Director of Player Development, United States Naval Academy (U.S. Marines Corps)
- CPT Blake Powers, Admission Support, United States Military Academy (U.S. Army)
- CPT Zachary Reichert, Assistant Director of Football Operations, United States Military Academy (U.S. Army)
- Steve Senn, Director of Recruiting, United States Air Force Academy (U.S. Air Force)
- Jordan Simmons, Strength & Conditioning, Nevada (U.S. Army)
- Mike Sullivan, Director of Recruiting, United States Military Academy (U.S. Army)
- Rusty Whitt, Football Strength & Conditioning Coach, Troy University (U.S. Army)
- Nick Zinani, Sports Performance Coordinator, Wake Forest University (U.S. Army)
- Jake Zweig, Director of Man Development, University of Illinois, (U.S. Navy)
University Leadership
- Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor, Troy University (U.S. Marine Corps)
- Jim Knowlton, Director of Athletics, University of California, Berkeley (U.S. Army)
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