Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Temple's Bill Cosby to be Honored with National Football Foundation's Top Award
8.18.10 | Football, General
Cosby to receive the NFF Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor; respected journalist Tom Brokaw named 2010 NFF Distinguished American
PHILADELPHIA - Actor, comedian, and former Temple football letterwinner has been named the recipient of The National Football Foundation's Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor. A member of Temple University's Board of Trustees, Cosby will be joined at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City by NBC's Tom Brokaw, who will receive the NFF's Distinguished American award.
"We are honored to celebrate the storied careers of Bill Cosby and Tom Brokaw," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Both men are American institutions, cultural icons and football has played a significant role in each of their paths to success. It is a privilege to place the spotlight on their accomplishments, and we look forward to a truly special evening Dec. 7 when we will formally acknowledge their unique contributions to our country."
Cosby becomes the 56th recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. Bestowed since 1958, previous honorees include seven U.S. Presidents, four U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 28 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen, John Wayne, Jackie Robinson and 2009 co-recipients Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, the co-founders of Nike.
Brokaw becomes the 39th recipient of the NFF Distinguished American Award, joining a list that includes 1966 inaugural recipient Bill Carpenter, Vince Lombardi, Bob Hope, Jimmie Stewart, Pete Rozelle, the late Pat Tillman, T. Boone Pickens and 2009 recipient Billy Payne, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.
The winners of the NFF's other major awards were announced in July: the late Joe Kearney (longtime athletics administrator) - Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football; Robert Mulcahy (former Rutgers athletics director) - John L. Toner Award for an outstanding athletics director; Joe Starkey (University of California) - Chris Schenkel Award for broadcasting excellence; and Rogers Redding (SEC Coordinator of Officials) - Outstanding Football Official.
For ticket information to the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City, please contact Will Rudd at 800.486.1865 or via email at wrudd@footballfoundation.com.
THE GOLD MEDAL
The highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the Foundation, the Gold Medal has been awarded annually since 1958 and recognizes an outstanding American who has demonstrated integrity and honesty, achieved significant career success and has reflected the basic values of those who have excelled in amateur sport, particularly football.
BILL COSBY
Entertainer, Humanitarian and Scholar
Considered one of the most influential and celebrated stars in American show business, Bill Cosby has touched the lives of many people through his humor, fight for civil rights, charitable involvement and quest for higher education.
A native of Philadelphia, Cosby grew up fostering a lifelong love of sports. After finishing high school via a correspondence course while enlisted in the Navy, he enrolled at Temple University on an athletic scholarship and later earned academic honors. A member of the football team, Cosby lettered as a fullback in 1961 and also ran track for the Owls. An avid supporter of his alma mater, Cosby frequently attends games and even made media rounds during Temple's EagleBank Bowl berth against UCLA last fall. He also participated in the unveiling of the team's new uniforms in 2007.
A veteran performer, Cosby started at various comedy clubs before getting his big break from his first comedy album, "Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow-Right!" and a Tonight Show appearance. He was launched into the television world with the 1960s action show, I Spy. He broke television's racial barrier, becoming the first African American to costar on a television series and win three consecutive Emmys for "Outstanding Lead Actor" in a dramatic series. He later starred in his own series, the situation comedy The Bill Cosby Show; served as one of the major characters on the children's television series The Electric Company for its first two seasons; and created the educational cartoon comedy series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Perhaps Cosby's greatest contribution to American culture is The Cosby Show, about a close-knit, upper-class black family. The Cosby Show first aired in 1984 and ran for eight seasons on NBC (1984-92). It can still be seen in syndication to this day. Time magazine named his character "Cliff Huxtable" the No. 1 most memorable TV dad of all time.
For his philanthropic efforts and positive influence as a performer and author, Cosby was honored with a 1998 Kennedy Center Honors Award. In 2002, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, and the 2009 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Cosby earned a Masters Degree in Education (M.Ed.) in 1972 and his Doctorate in Education (Ed. D.) in 1977 from the University of Massachusetts. He and his wife Camille have five children and reside in New England.
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD
Presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur football in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community.
TOM BROKAW
Respected Journalist and Author
One of the most trusted and respected figures in all of broadcast journalism, Tom Brokaw made his way from a small town in South Dakota to become the only person to anchor all three major NBC News programs: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, briefly, Meet the Press.
As a student at Yankton Senior High School, Brokaw played quarterback for the school's football team. Having a great respect for the game, he would later mention the sport numerous times in his best-selling book The Greatest Generation. After graduating from the University of South Dakota, Brokaw began his journalism career in 1962 at KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska. Following stints in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Brokaw was hired by NBC News in 1966 and from 1976-1981 he anchored NBC News' Today program.
In 1982, Brokaw began co-anchoring NBC Nightly News. Just a year later, he became the sole anchor of the show and also served as the program's managing editor until his retirement in 2004. Brokaw was regarded as the most popular news personality in the United States after Nightly News moved into first place in the Nielsen ratings in 1996 and held onto the spot for the remainder of Brokaw's tenure on the program, placing him ahead of ABC's Peter Jennings and World News Tonight and CBS's Dan Rather and the CBS Evening News.
Boasting an impressive list of "firsts," Brokaw landed the first exclusive U.S. one-on-one interview with Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, earning him an Alfred I. duPont Award. Brokaw was the first and only anchor to report from the scene the night the Berlin Wall fell, and he was the first American anchor to travel to Tibet to report on human-rights abuses, conducting an interview with the Dalai Lama. Brokaw also has interviewed every president since Lyndon B. Johnson and has covered every presidential election since 1968. Brokaw was NBC's White House correspondent during the national trauma of Watergate (1973-1976).
Currently serving as a special correspondent for NBC News, Brokaw reports and produces long-form documentaries and provides expertise during election coverage and breaking news events for the network. He has won a dozen Emmys, two Peabody and two duPont awards for his journalistic achievements. He is also an accomplished author with five best-selling books to his name. He and his wife Meredith have three daughters.
"We are honored to celebrate the storied careers of Bill Cosby and Tom Brokaw," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Both men are American institutions, cultural icons and football has played a significant role in each of their paths to success. It is a privilege to place the spotlight on their accomplishments, and we look forward to a truly special evening Dec. 7 when we will formally acknowledge their unique contributions to our country."
Cosby becomes the 56th recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. Bestowed since 1958, previous honorees include seven U.S. Presidents, four U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 28 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen, John Wayne, Jackie Robinson and 2009 co-recipients Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, the co-founders of Nike.
Brokaw becomes the 39th recipient of the NFF Distinguished American Award, joining a list that includes 1966 inaugural recipient Bill Carpenter, Vince Lombardi, Bob Hope, Jimmie Stewart, Pete Rozelle, the late Pat Tillman, T. Boone Pickens and 2009 recipient Billy Payne, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.
The winners of the NFF's other major awards were announced in July: the late Joe Kearney (longtime athletics administrator) - Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football; Robert Mulcahy (former Rutgers athletics director) - John L. Toner Award for an outstanding athletics director; Joe Starkey (University of California) - Chris Schenkel Award for broadcasting excellence; and Rogers Redding (SEC Coordinator of Officials) - Outstanding Football Official.
For ticket information to the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City, please contact Will Rudd at 800.486.1865 or via email at wrudd@footballfoundation.com.
THE GOLD MEDAL
The highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the Foundation, the Gold Medal has been awarded annually since 1958 and recognizes an outstanding American who has demonstrated integrity and honesty, achieved significant career success and has reflected the basic values of those who have excelled in amateur sport, particularly football.
BILL COSBY
Entertainer, Humanitarian and Scholar
Considered one of the most influential and celebrated stars in American show business, Bill Cosby has touched the lives of many people through his humor, fight for civil rights, charitable involvement and quest for higher education.
A native of Philadelphia, Cosby grew up fostering a lifelong love of sports. After finishing high school via a correspondence course while enlisted in the Navy, he enrolled at Temple University on an athletic scholarship and later earned academic honors. A member of the football team, Cosby lettered as a fullback in 1961 and also ran track for the Owls. An avid supporter of his alma mater, Cosby frequently attends games and even made media rounds during Temple's EagleBank Bowl berth against UCLA last fall. He also participated in the unveiling of the team's new uniforms in 2007.
A veteran performer, Cosby started at various comedy clubs before getting his big break from his first comedy album, "Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow-Right!" and a Tonight Show appearance. He was launched into the television world with the 1960s action show, I Spy. He broke television's racial barrier, becoming the first African American to costar on a television series and win three consecutive Emmys for "Outstanding Lead Actor" in a dramatic series. He later starred in his own series, the situation comedy The Bill Cosby Show; served as one of the major characters on the children's television series The Electric Company for its first two seasons; and created the educational cartoon comedy series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Perhaps Cosby's greatest contribution to American culture is The Cosby Show, about a close-knit, upper-class black family. The Cosby Show first aired in 1984 and ran for eight seasons on NBC (1984-92). It can still be seen in syndication to this day. Time magazine named his character "Cliff Huxtable" the No. 1 most memorable TV dad of all time.
For his philanthropic efforts and positive influence as a performer and author, Cosby was honored with a 1998 Kennedy Center Honors Award. In 2002, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, and the 2009 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Cosby earned a Masters Degree in Education (M.Ed.) in 1972 and his Doctorate in Education (Ed. D.) in 1977 from the University of Massachusetts. He and his wife Camille have five children and reside in New England.
DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN AWARD
Presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur football in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community.
TOM BROKAW
Respected Journalist and Author
One of the most trusted and respected figures in all of broadcast journalism, Tom Brokaw made his way from a small town in South Dakota to become the only person to anchor all three major NBC News programs: The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, briefly, Meet the Press.
As a student at Yankton Senior High School, Brokaw played quarterback for the school's football team. Having a great respect for the game, he would later mention the sport numerous times in his best-selling book The Greatest Generation. After graduating from the University of South Dakota, Brokaw began his journalism career in 1962 at KMTV in Omaha, Nebraska. Following stints in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Brokaw was hired by NBC News in 1966 and from 1976-1981 he anchored NBC News' Today program.
In 1982, Brokaw began co-anchoring NBC Nightly News. Just a year later, he became the sole anchor of the show and also served as the program's managing editor until his retirement in 2004. Brokaw was regarded as the most popular news personality in the United States after Nightly News moved into first place in the Nielsen ratings in 1996 and held onto the spot for the remainder of Brokaw's tenure on the program, placing him ahead of ABC's Peter Jennings and World News Tonight and CBS's Dan Rather and the CBS Evening News.
Boasting an impressive list of "firsts," Brokaw landed the first exclusive U.S. one-on-one interview with Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, earning him an Alfred I. duPont Award. Brokaw was the first and only anchor to report from the scene the night the Berlin Wall fell, and he was the first American anchor to travel to Tibet to report on human-rights abuses, conducting an interview with the Dalai Lama. Brokaw also has interviewed every president since Lyndon B. Johnson and has covered every presidential election since 1968. Brokaw was NBC's White House correspondent during the national trauma of Watergate (1973-1976).
Currently serving as a special correspondent for NBC News, Brokaw reports and produces long-form documentaries and provides expertise during election coverage and breaking news events for the network. He has won a dozen Emmys, two Peabody and two duPont awards for his journalistic achievements. He is also an accomplished author with five best-selling books to his name. He and his wife Meredith have three daughters.
Evan Simon/Sekou Kromah, 9/13/25
Saturday, September 13
K.C. Keeler, 9/13/25
Saturday, September 13
Ep. 3: Temple Volleyball Head Coach Linda Hampton-Keith || Lacrosse Student-Athlete Jenna Facciolli
Friday, September 12
Kajiya Hollawayne, 9/8/25
Monday, September 08
