Howard Schnellenberger Award Will Honor MVP in UK – UofL Football Game

Louisville, KY (September 12, 2011) – For the second consecutive season, the Louisville Sports Commission will present the Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award to the most valuable player on the winning team in the annual rivalry between the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky football teams. The Cardinals and Wildcats hook up 7 p.m. EDT September 17 at Commonwealth Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

Schnellenberger was recruited to UK out of Louisville Flaget (fla-jay’) High School by the legendary Bear Bryant, earned varsity letters in 1952-53-54-55 and was an All-American tight end for the Wildcats under Blanton Collier as a senior. Schnellenberger was an assistant coach at UK under Collier in 1959 and 1960. As the head coach at UofL for 10 years (1985-1994), Schnellenberger is credited with rejuvenating the football program and boosted support for a new, on-campus stadium. He led the Cardinals to victories in the Liberty and Fiesta Bowls.

The 77-year-old Schnellenberger is in his final year as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University. The veteran coach announced his retirement August 10, effective at the conclusion of the 2011 season. He is 6-0 in career bowl games as a head coach, including the Miami Hurricanes’ watershed victory over Nebraska 31-30 in the Orange Bowl January 2, 1984, and FAU’s 24-20 win over Central Michigan in the 2008 Motor City Bowl.

The Howard Schnellenberger MVP is selected by a vote of the working press covering the game as identified by the sports information directors from each school. Voting will take place near or at completion of the game at the discretion of the SIDs, and the Award will be presented on the field immediately following the game.

The Howard Schnellenberger Award trophy is a genuine Louisville Slugger bat, hand made in Louisville, Kentucky. The renowned bat maker has crafted bats in the colors of both schools, Cardinal red for U of L and Wildcat blue for UK. The red bat is engraved with the Louisville Cardinal logo and the blue bat has the inter-locking block UK logo. Louisville Slugger will engrave the name of the MVP on the bat representing his school.

In 2010, Kentucky senior running back Derrick Locke was named the inaugural recipient of the Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award for his performance in a 23-16 win over Louisville on Sept. 3, 2010 at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Locke registered 104 yards rushing on 23 carries in the game while recording two first quarter touchdowns on runs of 32 and one yards. It marked the first time in his career that Locke had registered two rushing touchdowns in a game. Locke also had a 23-yard kick return.

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Louisville Sports Commission

The Louisville Sports Commission is a Kentucky-based 501 c-3 organization whose mission is to attract, host and create quality sporting events and activities in the Louisville area that increase economic vitality; enhance the quality of life; promote healthy lifestyles; and brand Louisville as a great sports town. For more information, visit www.louisvillesports.org and follow the Louisville Sports Commission on Twitter (@SportsinLou).