FORT WORTH, TX - Nominations for the 2025 Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the
Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) will be accepted through Oct 1.
Nominations with supporting documents and recommendation letters for the Armed Forces Merit Award must be
submitted to Tim Simmons (bfishinc@aol.com, 720-244-6580), the award’s coordinator. Nominations are also being
accepted on the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl website.
Coordinated by the staff at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by
the FWAA was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background and/or involvement
that have an impact within the realm of college football.”
With the 2025 honoree being announced the week of November 9, the 14th recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award
will be determined by a selection committee of seven FWAA members and two Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
representatives.
“We are pleased to join with the Football Writers Association of America to honor an individual with a military background
or a group that works with our armed services that has an impact within college football,” said Brant Ringler, the Executive
Director of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson echoed Ringler’s sentiments, adding, “We have an outstanding list of
candidates each year, and it is difficult to honor only one recipient when there are several individuals and programs that
are very deserving of the honor.”
With 40 nominations (35 individuals and five programs) considered for the 2024 award, Troy University Chancellor Dr.
Jack Hawkins was the 13th Armed Forces Merit Award recipient. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree in 1967 from
the University of Montevallo, Dr. Hawkins was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a
platoon leader during the Vietnam War. He received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and a citation from the Korean
Marine Corps for his combat duty.
During his tenure at Troy, academic standards for admission increased, new degree programs were established in all
academic colleges, and the university's intercollegiate athletics program joined the highest level of NCAA competition. A
Division II member when Dr. Hawkins became Troy’s chancellor, the school moved up to Division I-AA in 1994 and
transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2001.
Currently quarterbacking Jacksonville State this season, Huff played his first three seasons at Presbyterian (2019-2021)
and the last two campaigns at Furman (2022-2023). At Furman in 2023, he led the Paladins to a 10-3 record, a Southern
Conference title, and the Football Championships Subdivision playoffs quarterfinals.
Past recipients of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA include Nate Boyer (2012, Texas), Brandon
McCoy (2013, North Texas), Daniel Rodriguez (2014, Clemson), Bret Robertson (2015, Westminster College, Fulton,
Mo.), Steven Rhodes (2016, Middle Tennessee), Dr. Chris Howard (2018, Robert Morris), Mike Viti (2019, Army West
Point), Collin O’Donnell (2020, Bluefield College of Virginia.), Damien Jackson (2021, Nebraska) and Tyler Huff (2023,
Furman).
Kansas State and its football team were honored in November 2017 as the sixth Armed Forces Merit Award recipient
for the university’s partnership with the United States Army, which created a bond between the school’s athletic
department and the Iron Rangers at Fort Riley.
The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation received the 2022 Armed Forces Merit Award. Consensus All-American offensive
tackle Paris Johnson of Ohio State and his mother (Monica Daniels) headed the foundation to assist homeless veterans in
Cincinnati and Columbus. Johnson was the sixth pick in the 2023 NFL draft and is starting with the Arizona Cardinals.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) comprises 1,300
journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers, and key executives from all areas of college
football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting
awards and honors, including an annual All-America team.
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