June 14, 2004

DALLAS, Texas-- Stephen F. Austin State University athletics director Steve McCarty was recently awarded the Gen. Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award by the All-American Football Foundation during an awards dinner in Dallas. McCarty joined Marvin Tate of Texas A&M, Dr. Don Parham of Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Gerald Myers of Texas Tech University in receiving the award at the groups regional banquet.

The award is named in honor of legendary University of Tennessee football coach Robert Neyland. A native Texan, Neyland attended the U.S. Military Academy and later became an aide to Gen. Douglas MacArthur at West Point. He began a coaching career at Tennessee in 1925, taking time off during World War II when he was re-called to active duty, before leading the Vols to a national title in 1951. He retired from coaching in 1952, but remained the athletics director at Tennessee.

The All-American Football Foundation was founded in 1994 and is supported by 165 colleges and universities nationwide. The organization was established to honor individuals for distinguished contributions to the game of football in all phases of the game. The group annually honors those associated with college football from university presidents to managers and trainers.

"I am both humbled and excited to be honored with the Neyland Award from the All-American Football Foundation," said McCarty. "This is more an honor for SFA and our football program than it is for me, and I am very happy that SFA and Lumberjack football is thought of in such high regard."

The dinner was dedicated to the Junction Boys, Texas Tech's E.J. Holub and Jack Pardee, one of the Junction Boys, who was honored as a coach representing the University of Houston. Tate was also a member of the Texas A&M football team coached by Paul "Bear" Bryant that became the famous Junction Boys, and later served as an athletics director at Texas A&M.