FSU Head Coach Bobby Bowden will be honored by the New Orleans Touchdown Club.

Seminole head coach will be the third recipient of the College Award.

May 25, 2007

New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden, Wayne Reese head coach of the McDonogh #35 Roneagles, and Sports Columnist Peter Finney will be recognized for their contributions to football by The Touchdown Club of New Orleans during a banquet on June 16 at the Plimsoll Club atop the World Trade Center in New Orleans.

Tickets are available by calling The Touchdown Club at (504) 242-4545. Mike Hoss, News Anchor at WWL-TV, will serve as master of ceremonies.

The Club will present Benson with the 18th annual Pete Rozelle Award, given annually to the person who has demonstrated and made outstanding contributions to professional football and the National Football League.

Bowden, whose record with the Seminoles is 293-81-4, will receive the collegiate award. Wayne Reese, Head Coach of the McDonogh #35 Roneagles, will be acknowledged for his achievements in prep football and Sports Columnist, Peter Finney, will be receive the Roesler Media Award, presented in honor of former Times-Picayune Executive Sports Editor Bob Roesler.

In announcing Benson as the 2007 Rozelle recipient, Charles Heim, Chairman of the Awards Committee, praised Benson for his dedication to football and especially to New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast following Katrina. He returned the team to its home and has helped tremendously in the efforts to rebuild the city, state and region.

Bowden is receiving the Club's third annual Collegiate Award for developing the most consistently excellent program in the history of college football. He is the only coach in NCAA history to win 11 consecutive bowl games (1985-95) and the only coach ever with 14 consecutive bowl appearances (1982-95) without a loss.

In 35 years of coaching at five different New Orleans area school, Reese has been most credited by his players with teaching them solid football as well as life-long lessons that mold them into productive citizens. Most noteworthy was Reese's assisted 11 of his Roneagle players in obtaining full college scholarships after Katrina in spite of having to cancel the 2005 season post hurricane.

As the Roesler Media Award winner, Finney is the most read and recognized sports columnist in Louisiana. He has covered the Saints since their inception, the LSU Tigers since 1954 as well as numerous Super Bowls and Sugar Bowls. Additionally, Finney has authored three books.

The Touchdown Club was founded in 1967 initially to promote the best interests of the New Orleans Saints, and has grown promote the American game of football and sports generally in the New Orleans area. Its members are among the most avid Saints fans and of football generally.

Pete Rozelle Award Recipients
2005	Jerry Markbreit, NFL Official
2004   	Dick Vermeil, Head Coach, Kansas City Chiefs
2003 	Steve Sabol, President, NFL Films
2002 	Vince Lombardi, former coach, Green Bay Packers
2001 	Bill Walsh, former coach, San Francisco 49er's
2000	Don Weiss, former executive director of the NFL
1999	Ralph Wilson, president, Buffalo Bills
1998	Tex Schramm, former general manager, Dallas Cowboys
1997	Marv Levy, former coach, Buffalo Bills
1996	Don Shula, former coach, Miami Dolphins
1995	Tom Landry, former coach, Dallas Cowboys
1994	Lamar Hunt, owner, Kansas City Chiefs
1993	Jim Finks, former general manager, New Orleans Saints
1992	Art Modell, owner, Baltimore Ravens
1991	Wellington Mara, president, New York Giants
1990 	Dan Rooney, President, Pittsburgh Steelers
1989	Pete Rozelle, the former NFL Commissioner
College Award Recipients
2005    Tommy Tuberville, Head Coach, Auburn Tigers
2004	Nick Saban, Head Coach, LSU Tigers
Prep Award Recipients
2005 	Tony Reginelli, Newman Greenies
2004	J.T. Curtis, Curtis Patriots
Bob Roesler Media Award Recipients
2005	Buddy Diliberto, Sportscaster
2004	Bob Roesler, former Executive Sports Editor, The Times-Picayune