Steve Spurrier named 2022 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Award winner
Steve Spurrier, who coached Florida to seven SEC titles and one national championship, is the recipient of this year's AutoZone Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Award.
Spurrier, a native of Johnson City who also led South Carolina to victory in the 2006 Liberty Bowl, will be in Memphis on June 5 to accept the award. It will be presented during a dinner that is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis. Last year's honoree was Hall of Famer and former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning.
“Coach Spurrier joins a decades-long list of renowned Americans who have distinguished themselves and reached the pinnacle of their chosen field,” Steve Ehrhart, executive director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, said in a press release. “We are proud to include coach Spurrier among the luminaries who have been honored by the AutoZone Liberty Bowl over our 64-year history.”
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Spurrier, nicknamed "The Head Ball Coach," won the 1966 Heisman Trophy as the Florida Gators' quarterback. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 1967. Spurrier, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee as a coach and player, began his head coaching career at Duke before taking over at his alma mater. He coached the Washington NFL franchise for two seasons (2002-03) before taking over at South Carolina. Most recently, Spurrier coached the now-defunct Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football, which also featured the Memphis Express.
Spurrier's career record at the college level is 228-89-2.
A three-sport star at Science Hill High School, Spurrier was the winning pitcher in his school's state championship victory over Christian Brothers in 1963.
Other past winners of the Distinguished Citizen Award include Archie Manning, Elvis Presley, Bear Bryant, Tony Dungy and Dick Vitale.
The Distinguished Citizen Award dinner will be held the day before the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic benefiting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at TPC Southwind.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Steve Spurrier named Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Award winner
