Sandberg statue highlights ’84 Cubs reunion
Without the names and numbers on their uniforms, some of the members of the 1984 Cubs found it difficult initially to recognize all of their former teammates.
Yet soon the memories and recognition returned during last weekend’s 40-year celebration of one of the franchise’s most iconic seasons. The ’84 Cubs won 96 games en route to a division title and came […]
Singletary and Moorehead among 2024 Gridiron Greats inductees
Two former members of the Super Bowl champion 1985 Chicago Bears were among the inductees to the Gridiron Greats 2024 Hall of Fame.
Mike Singletary, a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, and stellar tight end Emery Moorehead joined former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent in the select fraternity during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare […]
Former Fred Mitchell Award winner named co-chairman
Congratulations to Matt Cotiguala for becoming co-chairman of the Fred Mitchell Award selection committee, joining incumbent Rob Perry.
Matt was the 2015 winner of the Fred Mitchell Award for his kicking exploits and exceptional community involvement. As co-chairman of the FMA Selection Committee, Cotiguala will assist Perry with the daunting task of identifying worthy candidates for the preseason Watch […]
Lifetime Achievement Award: Fred Mitchell
Fred Mitchell is an award-winning sportswriter and columnist who spent over 41 years with the Chicago Tribune. He is the author of 12 books, including biographies with Bears Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and Richard Dent and Cubs Hall of Farmers Billy Williams and Ryan Sandberg.
Hired in 1974 as the Tribune’s first African-American sportswriter, Mitchell’s stack of accolades encompass the […]
Ottawa’s Reeves 2023 Fred Mitchell Award winner
The road to glory and success often includes a few potholes and detours.
Landon Reeves of Ottawa University in Arizona has experienced that journey on the way to winning the 2023 Fred Mitchell Award as the best kicker among more than 750 non-FBS colleges in America.
Landon Reeves is […]
Pro Football Hall of Fame writer named to Fred Mitchell Award panel
Esteemed veteran pro football writer Dan Pompei has been added to the Selection Committee of the Fred Mitchell Award.
“It is an honor and a privilege,” said Pompei, who is a member of the writers’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now a senior writer for The Athletic, Pompei previously wrote for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago […]
Former NFL star writes about travails of pioneering black players
The history of African Americans in professional football is a complicated, alarming, and yet remarkable journey that warrants detailed research and analysis.
Gary Burley, a former outstanding defensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons, has made it his mission to chronicle those often-overlooked chapters in a new book entitled: “Glory: The Struggle For Yards.” It is written with acclaimed […]
Ethan Gettman’s 56-yard field goal “would have been good from 65”
Chris Merritt, head football coach at Bryant University, realizes he has a tremendous weapon in 2022 Fred Mitchell Award winner Ethan Gettman.
Gettman, from Ormond Beach, Fla., led the nation (FCS) in field goal percentage (93.3) in addition to booming a school-record 56-yard field goal last season as a junior.
“I think this football team and this coaching staff has a tremendous […]
Sayers’ bronze statue unveiling “bittersweet” for his widow
The recent dedication of a Gale Sayers statue in Omaha, Neb., offered a precious opportunity for friends and longtime acquaintances to extend emotional support for the Sayers family.
Sayers, who passed away Sept. 23, 2020, was an iconic Hall of Fame running back for the Chicago Bears who was further immortalized because of his relationship with teammate Brian Piccolo. They became […]