Fort Worth, Texas (November 4, 2024) – With the 13th recipient to be announced on Veterans’ Day, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl has released the names of its “Pick 6” finalists for the 2024 Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
Coordinated by the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl staff, the Armed Forces Merit Award was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background and/or involvement that have an impact within the realm of college football.”
With the recipient being announced on November 11 during a “live” mid-day Sports Center on ESPN, the 2024 honoree of the Armed Forces Merit Award will be determined by a selection committee consisting of seven FWAA members and two representatives from the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Here are the sketches on this year’s “Pick 6” finalists chosen from an initial list of 40 nominations (35 individuals and five programs) for the 2024 award.
Bronze Boot Run – Honoring the military during the 1960s, when most college campuses were mired in protests over the conflict in Vietnam, was not popular with students. Despite the political and social atmosphere, the athletics programs at Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming used a football game between the two schools to help initiate “The Bronze Boot” for the 1968 game. This year, on the morning of November 14 and the day before the 57th meeting for “The Bronze Boot,” a Wyoming ROTC detachment heads south on US 287 from Laramie for a 27-mile run to the Wyoming-Colorado border. At the state line, the officials from both schools meet to witness the handoff to the Colorado State ROTC detachment that completes the final 38 miles in the shuttle run to Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins.
Rich Clark (U. S. Air Force) is the executive director of the College Football Playoffs. He had a 38-year career in the Air Force, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant General. Clark served as the Superintendent for the U.S Air Force Academy, directing a four-year regimen of military training, academics, and athletic and character development programs leading to a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Clark was a four-year letter winner as a defensive lineman at the Air Force Academy. As a senior, he played on a 1985 Falcon team that was 12-1, defeated Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl, and was ranked eighth in the AP and fifth in the coach’s polls.
Eric Goins, Notre Dame, K, 6-2, 209, Graduate Student, Herndon, Val (U. S. Army) – After completing his senior season at The Citadel in 2015, Goins served seven years as an active-duty Officer in the United States Army. He began as an Airborne Infantry Officer as a second lieutenant before becoming a first lieutenant. After four years, he was promoted to captain and served as a Signal Corps Officer. Goins enrolled at Notre Dame and is a kickoff specialist for the Irish.
Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., a member of the College Football Playoffs’ Board of Managers as a representative for the Sun Belt Conference, has been the Chancellor of Troy University since September 1, 1989. After completing his bachelor’s degree in 1967 from the University of Montevallo, Dr. Hawkins served in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a platoon leader during the Vietnam War. He received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and a citation from the Korean Marine Corps for his combat duty. Dr. Hawkins was an assistant dean at UAB and president of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. Dr. Hawkins is the longest-serving CEO of a public university in the nation. In 30-plus years at the school, Dr. Hawkins has orchestrated the change of Troy’s name, a move to Division 1-A, and helped oversee the investment of $400 million in new and modernized facilities. During Dr. Hawkins’ tenure, Troy University has been recognized as a leading institution for members of the military and veterans by U.S. News and World Report, GI Jobs, Military Times Edge, Advanced Military Education, and more. Dr. Hawkins holds advanced degrees from Montevallo (master’s) and Alabama (doctorate).
Tyler Huff (Jacksonville State, QB, 6-1, 216, Graduate Student, Orange Park, Fla., U. S. Army) – The 2023 Armed Forces Merit Award recipient, Huff is in his sixth season of collegiate football competition and is quarterbacking a Jacksonville State team that has won five straight games and leads Conference USA. He leads the team in rushing (784, 8 TDs) and passing (1,501, 8 TDs). Huff was commissioned into the U. S. Army Reserves as a second lieutenant in 2022 after graduating from Presbyterian, where he started at quarterback. Hed quarterbacked Furman to two Southern Conference titles before enrolling at Jacksonville State.
Bryce McDonald (U. S. Marine Corps) joined the UCLA staff in 2018 as chief of staff and was named deputy director of football administration under head coach DeShaun Foster in 2024. He joined UCLA from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was the Director of Football Operations for five seasons, the Executive Administrator and Military Liaison Officer for three seasons, and an on-field assistant as an offensive line coach. McDonald graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2003, where he was a letterwinner at fullback for the Midshipmen before serving in the United States Marine Corps. Following graduation, McDonald was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Officer and served until 2012. In 2006, while stationed in Iraq and Executive Officer of 2/4, he was injured and was awarded a Purple Heart.
Huff was selected from 46 nominations (41 individuals and five programs) as the 2023 recipient. During the 2023, Huff quarterback Furman to the Southern Conference title and a spot in the NCAA Football Championships Subdivision playoffs quarterfinals.
Other recipients of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA are Nate Boyer of the University of Texas (2012), Brandon McCoy of the University of North Texas (2013), Daniel Rodriguez from Clemson University (2014), Bret Robertson of Westminster College (Fulton, Mo., 2015), Steven Rhodes from Middle Tennessee State University (2016), Dr. Chris Howard from Robert Morris University (2018), Army West Point assistant coach Mike Viti (2019), Collin O’Donnell of Bluefield College of Virginia, (2020) and Damien Jackson of the University of Nebraska (2021).
Kansas State and its football team were honored in 2017 as the sixth recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA for the university’s partnership with the United States Army, which created a bond between the school’s athletic department and the Iron Rangers at Fort Riley. The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation won the award in 2022 as the consensus All-American from Ohio State coordinates a group to aid senior veterans.
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a nationwide portfolio of collegiate sporting events. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, ten college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, and the Band of the Year National Championship. These events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting over 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than ten cities nationwide, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools, and local communities and provides unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) consists of 1,300 journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team.
Media Contacts
- Tim Simmons, Armed Forces Merit Award Coordinator, 720/244-6580, bfishinc@aol.com
- Steve Richardson, Football Writers Association of America, 214/870-6516, tiger@fwaa.com
- Drew Harris, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, 254/716-8573, drew@firstpitchpr.com
