University of Tennessee Athletics
Tressel, Ford and Nessler to Be Honored by NFF East Tennessee Chapter
April 12, 2023 | General
Jim Tressel, Bud Ford and Brad Nessler are among the honorees at the 2023 awards banquet of the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Since 1966, the East Tennessee Chapter has been honoring those who have made significant contributions to both collegiate and amateur football. This year's banquet is set for Saturday, April 15, at Calhoun's on the River, with a program set to begin at 11 a.m. ET.
Tressel will receive the Gen. Robert R. Neyland Trophy as selected by The Knoxville Quarterback Club. The trophy honors outstanding individuals who have contributed greatly to intercollegiate athletics. Tressel was a longtime football coach at Youngstown State and Ohio State, leading those schools to a combined five national titles. Serving as a head coach from 1986-2010, Tressel owns a .742 career winning percentage with an impressive 229-79-2 record. Tressel earlier this year retired as president of Youngstown State University after serving in that capacity since July of 2014.
Ford will be honored with the chapter's Distinguished American Award, which is presented to an individual who has exhibited superior leadership qualities in amateur athletics and in the community. Ford served for almost 46 years in the University of Tennessee Athletics Media Relations office and is now the department's official historian. A Knoxville native, Ford is a member of three Halls of Fame (Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, CoSIDA Hall of Fame and Tennessee Sports Writers Hall of Fame). In 2006, he received the prestigious Arch Ward Award as the CoSIDA member who had made outstanding contributions to the field of College Sports Information.
This year's Lindsey Nelson Broadcasting Award is presented to Brad Nessler, CBS' lead SEC college football play-by-play announcer the past seven years. Nessler also boasts experience calling NFL games as well as SEC basketball action. A well-known and respected voice across both collegiate and professional sports, Nessler began his broadcasting career in the Atlanta radio market and later spent 24 years with ESPN calling a variety of assignments across multiple sports, including NBA coverage on ABC. He expanded his broadcasting skills to include speed skating coverage during the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France.
The East Tennessee Chapter also will honor multiple high school coaches with Distinguished Service Awards in addition to honoring 18 high school scholar-athletes.
Since 1966, the East Tennessee Chapter has been honoring those who have made significant contributions to both collegiate and amateur football. This year's banquet is set for Saturday, April 15, at Calhoun's on the River, with a program set to begin at 11 a.m. ET.
Tressel will receive the Gen. Robert R. Neyland Trophy as selected by The Knoxville Quarterback Club. The trophy honors outstanding individuals who have contributed greatly to intercollegiate athletics. Tressel was a longtime football coach at Youngstown State and Ohio State, leading those schools to a combined five national titles. Serving as a head coach from 1986-2010, Tressel owns a .742 career winning percentage with an impressive 229-79-2 record. Tressel earlier this year retired as president of Youngstown State University after serving in that capacity since July of 2014.
Ford will be honored with the chapter's Distinguished American Award, which is presented to an individual who has exhibited superior leadership qualities in amateur athletics and in the community. Ford served for almost 46 years in the University of Tennessee Athletics Media Relations office and is now the department's official historian. A Knoxville native, Ford is a member of three Halls of Fame (Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, CoSIDA Hall of Fame and Tennessee Sports Writers Hall of Fame). In 2006, he received the prestigious Arch Ward Award as the CoSIDA member who had made outstanding contributions to the field of College Sports Information.
This year's Lindsey Nelson Broadcasting Award is presented to Brad Nessler, CBS' lead SEC college football play-by-play announcer the past seven years. Nessler also boasts experience calling NFL games as well as SEC basketball action. A well-known and respected voice across both collegiate and professional sports, Nessler began his broadcasting career in the Atlanta radio market and later spent 24 years with ESPN calling a variety of assignments across multiple sports, including NBA coverage on ABC. He expanded his broadcasting skills to include speed skating coverage during the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France.
The East Tennessee Chapter also will honor multiple high school coaches with Distinguished Service Awards in addition to honoring 18 high school scholar-athletes.
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