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Byron Anderson of the Friends of Dartmouth Football and head coach Buddy Teevens
announce the new Reggie Williams '76 Award last Saturday morning. (BGA photo)
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Selected by the Dartmouth coaching staff and presented to a football player at the post-season banquet, the Reggie Williams '76 Award will be given to the football player who, through leadership in action and word, has made Dartmouth College a better place.
The award recognizes the exceptional leadership Reggie exhibited as a player and co-captain while at Dartmouth.
One of the best players ever to come out of an Ivy League school, Reggie went on to a distinguished 14-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dartmouth Head Football Coach Eugene "Buddy" Teevens '79, who authored the award's qualifications, remembers all too well the pounding he and others took from Reggie while on freshman scout team. "Reggie was a seasoned senior and I was a freshman, and it was no joke when you got in his way during practice, but then he would help you up off the ground and pat you on the back and say, 'Good job today, Teevens.' To get that encouragement from REGGIE, that was huge."
At Dartmouth's recent Homecoming victory over Yale, Reggie said, "You know what this day reminds me of? It reminds me of when our '73 team started the season 0 and 3 and came back to win the Ivy Championship. We had a coach who believed we could do it, like Buddy does. We had a College that taught us Do Not Quit, Be Excellent. You carry that with you when you leave Dartmouth. This College made me a better person, and I am grateful."
The Reggie Williams Award was announced by Athletic Director Harry Sheehy on Saturday morning at the Friends of Dartmouth Football semi-annual meeting.
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The forecast for kickoff against Bucknell today is 60 degrees and partly sunny. It will be interesting to see if the excitement of the first two home games and the nice weather will offset a struggling non-league opponent and result in a respectable crowd.Given that they are averaging 3,702 fans at home it wouldn't seem the Bison (1-4) will bring many fans on their longest road trip (431 miles) since 2003. Last week's Bucknell home game against Holy Cross drew just 2,815.
Dartmouth, meanwhile, had 10,983 turn out for last week's Homecoming game against Yale and is averaging 10,105 for its two home games to date.
