Legacies: Air Force, Louisville Have Dozens of Football Alumni Recognized Nationally on Multiple Fronts
Hennings, Strom, Dowis, Scott Thomas, Cole, the Morgan brothers, Bonham, Russ, George – all from Air Force…
Unitas, Lamar Jackson, Akers, Branch, Bridgewater, Buffone, Clayton, Dumervil, Tom Jackson, Jacoby, Madison, Oben, Gay – all from Louisville…
These past stars from the two programs competing in the 2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl have livened up television sets (and now personal communications’ devices) for two centuries and laid the groundwork for the two teams Tuesday.
Yes, NFF College Hall of Fame defensive lineman Chad Hennings, defensive back Scott and tackle Brock Strom are just three Air Force football heroes who left indelible marks on their undergraduate programs, served in the U.S. military and went onto successful careers in aviation, community service and dozens of other areas.
Add in superior triple-option quarterbacks Dee Dowis, Beau Morgan and Blane Morgan (current head coach at Lamar University), NFL veterans Larry Cole, Shane Bonham, Steve Russ and Ron George, among others, and the Falcons have the makings of 17 professional football standouts in spite of the mandatory, three-year military service agreement for all AFA grads.
Louisville football, operating without a required military service agreement for its gridiron alumni, has been a literal “bell cow” for NFL teams for decades.
Besides 2017 Heisman Trophy winner QB Jackson and 18-year Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas (also namesake for the Johnny Unitas Memorial Golden Arm Trophy) is a sterling list of 147 other NFL alumni from the revered Cardinals program. Despite the success, it often has been overshadowed by Louisville’s annual success on the national basketball scene as a blueblood program.
Jackson and 2011 NFL first round QB selection Teddy Bridgewater are watching from their NFL practice facilities as they try to keep their teams in the playoff race and professional postseason activity in 2022.
David Akers kicked 377 field goals and was good on 81 percent of his NFL attempts over 16 seasons. Wideout Deion Branch made 518 receptions with 39 TDs in a 12-year career, and Doug Buffone starred for 14 years as a linebacker with the Chicago Bears.
Mark Clayton was an integral part of the Miami Dolphins’ powerful offense for 11 seasons with 582 catches and 84 TDs, All-America LB Elvis Dumervil, 14-year Denver Broncos stalwart LB Tom Jackson, and Joe Jacoby, a famed member of the Washington Football Team’s famed “Hogs” offensive interior line corps for 13 seasons all played at U of L.
The NFL legacies for the Falcons and Cardinals remain in force as well as hundreds of Air Force Academy grads who have made their marks in battle heroism and aviation history – among whom are Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the orchestrator, pilot on the famed commercial flight landing on the Hudson River, No. 1 pilot in his graduating class, and a scholar in Latin; and his 1973 Air Force classmate/community service leader Dennis Clark who finished near the top of his graduating class at Sheffield (Ala.) High School before his academy appointment and had a distinguished flying career with FedEx.
This history of competitive flair, service to the nation and community engagement make Tuesday’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl one of the most beloved of the postseason, and competing players from both schools this December have been involved in several service projects in Dallas to honor first responders and their schools.
For additional information and ticketing, please access Firstresponderbowl.com.
-Firstresponderbowl.com-