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Former Temple football coach Wayne Hardin and West Chester All-American
running back Rondell White added to honorees at PSWA’s 2104 dinner
For immediate release
Contact: John Weber 267-408-7500
Add two more distinguished Philly-area sports figures to the growing list of honorees at this year’s Philadelphia Sports Writers Association dinner, January 27th at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, NJ. Those purchasing tickets for the event ($95 at PSWA.org) will see former Temple and Navy coach Wayne Hardin, recently inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, receive a Special Achievement award. And West Chester running back Rondell White, the leading rusher in Golden Ram history and a member of the first team AP Little All-America squad, will be honored with Amateur Athlete of the Year.
Hardin, after a successful career as Navy coach where he coached Heisman winners Roger Staubach and Joe Bellino, took the Midshipmen to two bowl games and beat Army five straight games, moved on to lead Temple in 1970. Hardin became the program’s all-time leader in wins with 80 victories between 1970-82. His 1979 Owls team finished 10-2 in 1979, still a school record for wins in a season, was ranked 17th by both major polls and, as an underdog, beat California in the Garden State Bowl. Hardin’s teams set a Temple record of 14 straight wins (eight in 1973 and six in 1974). He was honored as the 1974 Kodak District II Coach of the Year. He produced numerous All-Americans and NCAA statistical leaders at Temple. Hardin was inducted into Temple’s Hall of Fame in 1994 and was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in May.
Rondell White of the Division II West Chester Golden Rams has concluded a senior year which saw him become the school’s all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards. White amassed 4,336 rushing yards, 41 rushing TDs and rushed for 100 yards in a game 19 times including seven games over 200 yards. He totaled more than 4,000 yards rushing, 2,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards in returns to become just the second player ever in NCAA history at any level to do that (the first was Eagles and Villanova great Brian Westbrook). His 2013 campaign totals: 1,989 rushing yards, 843 receiving yards and 275 return yards, totaling 3,107 all-purpose yards.
Hardin and White join a growing list of sports figures honored at this year’s dinner, including Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant; former Philadelphia Flyers’ player and coach Bill Barber (Living Legend); Denise Dillon, Drexel University’s women’s basketball coach (Special Achievement); Navy quarterback and MVP of the 2013 Army/Navy game Keenan Reynolds; members of the Philadelphia Flyers ’73-’74 Stanley Cup-winning team; former Eagles General Manager and Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House Founder Jim Murray; Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan from Chester, Pa.; and dozens more. Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. and Manager Ryne Sandberg will attend and will be seated on the dais.
As mentioned previously, tickets are available for $95 now through PSWA.org.
In addition, the Association has partnered with the Philadelphia branch of Coaches vs. Cancer, who will have a presence at this year’s dinner. Coaches vs. Cancer of Philadelphia is part of the national program created in 1993 by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and leverages the strength, community leadership and popularity of our country’s college basketball coaches to fight cancer. Since its inception, the Coaches vs. Cancer program has raised more than $87 million nationwide to support the Society’s lifesaving cancer research, education, advocacy, and community service efforts.
To learn more about Coaches vs. Cancer, visit http://www.cancer.org/involved/participate/coachesvscancer
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[To comment: larry at larry litwin dot com]