COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Former Tennessee Tech football standout Barry
Wilmore, who is orbiting the earth aboard the International Space
Station, will deliver the official welcome and a taped message to
the honorees tonight at the annual National Football Foundation
Middle Tennessee Chapter Dinner. The event, which will bring
together some of the most outstanding high school and college
players from the mid-state, will be held at the Sheraton Music City
Hotel.
As a senior for the Golden Eagles in 1984, Wilmore record 143 total tackles, which ranks third on the school's all-time single-season tackles list. He recorded 21 tackles in a game against Austin Peay, which is the second-most in the program's history.
The Middle Tennessee Chapter will honor 61 local high school players at the event by presenting each with a $500 scholarship in recognition for their accomplishments on and off the field.
In 2010 the chapter honored Wilmore with the Fred Russell Distinguished American Award.
Wilmore and two Russian cosmonauts traveled to the Space Station on Sept. 25. Wilmore assumed command of the expedition in November. Since he's been in orbit, Wilmore has Tweeted pictures of himself watching college and NFL games on his computer and wearing a Tennessee Tech sweatshirt and Predators jerseys on game days.
Wilmore will return on March 12 after spending 167 days in space.
"It's hard to imagine a more demanding role than commanding the
International Space Station," said NFF chairman Archie Manning.
"Barry Wilmore represents the countless number of football players
who have taken important life lessons away from the gridiron to
become leaders later in life."
NFF Middle Tennessee Chapter president Bob Sullins said the
expected gathering of about 600 will hear a message from a former
student-athlete who excelled in both the classroom and on the
field.
"His accomplishments and his history as a college football
player send a strong message to our scholar-athletes about the
opportunities created by playing football," Sullins said.
Wilmore, 51, played linebacker at Tech as a walk-on. He started as
a freshman in 1981, and he led the team as a captain his senior
season in 1984. He was inducted into the Golden Eagles Sports Hall
of Fame in 2003.
“Barry was always a tremendous competitor,” said
Dewayne Alexander, who played with Wilmore at Tennessee Tech and
now serves as the assistant head coach on offense for the Golden
Eagles. “He was not the biggest or fastest, but he always
came with a great attitude. He was a walk on, and he wanted to
prove to people that he could do it. He never missed a game or
practice… If you knew Barry, you’re not surprised by
what he has accomplished. He flew some of the first combat missions
during the first Iraqi war, taught at Top Gun and commanded the
Space Shuttle. When he puts his mind to it, he can do anything, and
he’s always very humble.”
Alexander, who serves on the board of the chapter, worked with
NASA to arrange the taping of the special message for the
scholar-athletes.
“It’s not surprising to me that Barry wanted to do
this,” said Alexander. “When he was presented the
chapter’s Distinguished American Award in2010, he applauded
every kid that came across the stage. Our banquet is not just about
recognizing football players but those who have excelled off the
field. Barry loved playing the game, but more importantly he is
grateful for the characteristics that it has instilled in
him.”
Raised in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., Wilmore graduated from Tennessee Tech
with a bachelor’s degree in science and master’s
degrees in electrical engineering and aviation systems. A highly
decorated pilot and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School,
he amassed more than 6,800 flight hours, 663 carrier landings, and
21 combat missions. His service includes Operations Desert
Storm, Desert Shield and missions over Bosnia. He joined NASA in
2000, and he has logged more than 259 hours in space, including
shuttle flights to the International Space Station and several
spacewalks.
“Using his perch high above the earth provides a unique way
to inspire today’s student-athletes with a message that the
sky really is the limit,” Manning said.
“Our chapters stage countless events each year, honoring
more than 3,300 high school scholar-athletes and distributing more
than $1 million,” said NFF President & CEO Steve
Hatchell. “Each chapter has its own unique tradition for
creating a special night for the honorees. This year the Middle
Tennessee Chapter has certainly established a new high water mark
for creativity. We know that Commander Wilmore’s remarks will
be an extremely memorable moment for the student-athletes in
attendance, and we applaud everybody at the chapter who played a
role in making this happen.”
About the National Football Foundation & College Hall
of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas
MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal
journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation &
College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that
runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in
developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in
young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF
programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, the
NFF Leadership Hall of Fame, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards
presented by Fidelity Investments, the NFF High School Showcases,
the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF Faculty Salute Initiative
presented by Fidelity Investments, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete
Alumni Association, and scholarships of more than $1.3 million for
college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF also collaborates
with the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to release
the FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll; awards the William V.
Campbell Trophy presented by Fidelity Investments and prominently
displayed at its official home inside the New York Athletic Club;
and bestows several other major awards at the NFF Annual Awards
Dinner. NFF corporate partners include the Allstate Sugar Bowl,
Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, the Pasadena Tournament of
Roses, the Sports Business Journal and Under Armour. Learn more at
www.footballfoundation.org.