NEW ORLEANS – Bill Polian, former Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts, along with Brian Kelly, Head Coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Prep Coach Barry Wilson of the Holy Cross Fighting Tigers, and Ken Trahan, President and General Manager of SportsNOLA.com will be honored for their contributions to football by The Touchdown Club of New Orleans at a banquet on March 9 at The Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier Street in New Orleans. Additionally, former Saint Steve Gleason and his wife, Michel, will be recognized for their service to the community
Tickets are available by calling The Touchdown Club at (504) 242-4545. Peter Finney, Jr., Executive Editor/General Manager, Clarion Herald, will serve as master of ceremonies.
The Club will present Polian with the 23rd annual Pete Rozelle Award, given each year to the person who has made outstanding contributions to professional football and the National Football League. Polian's tenure with the NFL began with the Chiefs. He later served as GM of the Bills, Panthers and as Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts.
Collegiate Award recipient Kelly started coaching in 1983 as an assistant. He became a Head Coach at Grand Valley State in 1991, Central Michigan in 2004, the University of Cincinnati in 2007, and took the reins of Notre Dame in 2010 compiling a 199-67-2 record. The Fighting Irish have a 28-11 record under his leadership including a# 1 ranking in national poles after the regular season.
Barry Wilson is synonymous with commitment. This year's Prep honoree was an All-SEC Center and Captain of LSU. He started coaching with the Tigers, did stints with Mississippi State, Oregon State, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Arizona State before returning to New Orleans to coach high school. He started at Jesuit and in 2002 assumed the Head Coach duties at his Alma Mater –Holy Cross. He has done an outstanding job with the Fighting Tigers after the school's historic campus was destroyed by Katrina and has restored the football program to an elite status going 7-2-1 in 2012
Ken Trahan will receive the Bob Roesler Media Award for his work as a Sports Writer and broadcaster. A New Orleans native, Trahan has been a fixture in sports media for 35 year. He has received awards from the National Football Foundation, College Hall of Fame, Professional Bowlers Tour and numerous regional awards including LA Prep Sports Writer of the Year in 2011. He is an ordained deacon and served with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
