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Bernie Flowers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football
This annual award is intended to provide recognition to an individual whose efforts and activities support the goals of the National Football Foundation on the local level. The award identifies an individual who works tirelessly out of love for football and a desire to help children play the game. The award winner can be a league organizer, administrator, fundraiser, coach, doctor, athletic trainer, official or anyone who excels in representing and supporting the foundation’s fundamental creed.
Selection process: Nominations are accepted throughout the year from NFF chapter members and considered by the Awards Committee, which recommends no more than one recipient per year. This recommendation must be ratified by the Board of Directors and the presentation should be made at the annual Honors Dinner.
2005 Honoree: Kay Hunt of West Lafayette Little Gridiron Football League
2006 Honoree: John Robinson of Lafayette 56ers Youth Football League
2007 Honoree: Dr. Bob Hagen of Lafayette Orthopaedic and Sportsmedicine Clinic
2008 Honoree: Brad Smith of Attica and Indiana Football Coaches Association
2009 Honoree: Tom Kubat of Lafayette Journal & Courier Sports Department
2010 Honoree: Joe McConnell of Learfield Sports and Purdue Radio Network
2011 Honorees: Lane Custer and Jon Speaker of West Side Flag Football
2012 Honorees: Clay and Chris Oppy of Dream Season
2013 Honoree: Mark Ebelhar of West Lafayette Little Gridiron
2014 Honoree: Linda Rohrman of Lafayette
2015 Honoree: David M. Williams of Lafayette Area Little Gridiron
2016 Honoree: Larry Leverenz, Eric Nauman and Tom Talavage of Purdue Neurotrauma Group
2017 Honoree: Darren Hicks of Lafayette Central Catholic Little Gridiron
2018: Brad Cohen of Arni's and Orlando Itin of Bruno's
2019 Honoree: Tracy Brown of Harrison Youth Football
2020 Honoree: Rob Kochon of West Lafayette Little League
2021 Honoree: Young Lee of Merrill Lynch
2022 Honoree: Nate Barrett of Twin City Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat and Purdue Radio Network
2023 Honoree: Mike Bauer of Greater Lafayette Subway
Mike Bauer received the Bernie Flowers Award for Outstanding Contributions to Amateur Sports presented by Adella Flowers (right) at the National Football Foundation’s Joe Tiller Chapter Honors Brunch, Sunday, Jun. 25, 2023 in West Lafayette.
Nate Barrett received the Bernie Flowers Award for his contributions to the Greater Lafayette sports and business communities.
Rob Kochon of West Lafayette Little League at the microphone after receiving the Bernie Flowers Award in 2020
After decades of service coaching in the Harrison youth football program, Tracy Brown won the Bernie Flowers Contribution to Amateur Football Award in 2019.
Greater Lafayette pizza legends Brad Cohen (second from left) and Orlando Itin (second from right) shared the 2018 Bernie Flowers Contribution to Sports Award for their decades of service to the local sports community.
Darren Hicks was honored with the Bernie Flowers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football after 25 years of selfless service with the Central Catholic Little Gridiron Program.
Lafayette resident Linda Rohrman's generosity to the National Football Foundation and other local causes earned her the 2014 Bernie Flowers Award for Contribution to Amateur Football.
Chris and Clay Oppy accept the Bernie Flowers Award for Contribution to Amateur Football after starting Dream Season, a series of non-contact football camps for the disabled. Presenting the award is Adella Flowers, widow of Bernie.
