THE TOUCHDOWN CLUB OF HOUSTON
Founded in 1966, the Touchdown Club of Houston is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the sharing of fellowship through football. We are a 'non-denominational' organization, meaning we have members who support football teams at all levels and in different geographic areas. Although we put an emphasis on having fun at banquets and luncheons, we also are a community-service organization that uses football as our catalyst.
We have several community-service projects we contribute our profits to, they are:
Weight Room Refurbishing Project. We have put about $150,000 worth of weights and weight equipment into 29 Greater Houston high schools. They are Booker T. Washington, Forest Brook, Reagan, Smiley and Houston Sterling in 2002; Kashmere, Madison, Scarborough, Wheatley and Worthing in 2003; Milby,Northbrook and Westbury in 2004; Furr, Sharpstown and Houston Austin in 2005; Willowridge, Jones, Sam Houston, Aldine and Yates in 2006; Eisenhower, Pasadena, Scarborough (again) and Houston Lamar in 2007; in 2008, Dulles, South Houston, Spring Woods and Furr (again); and in 2009, Spring, Booker T. Washington (again) and Waltrip.
Scholarships.We have awarded about $140,000 in scholarships over the last 10 years. The scholarships go to the top senior area high school football players who are considered starters with the highest grade-point averages. Finalists are selected by the presidents of the football-playing universities in Houston -- UH, Rice and Texas Southern.
Play It Smart Program.In addition, dues for joining the TD Club go to the National Football Foundation office, which funds the Play It Smart program. Play It Smart puts academic counselors at more than 135 high school campuses across the country. The aggregate graduation rate at those high schools for athletic teams was less than 30 percent before Play It Smart; the schools now boast a graduation rate of more than 95 percent. And of those 95 percent who graduated high school, more than 80 percent have gone on to college. We hope to build on our community-service programs.
*******Please contact us at 281-754-4867 if you want to donate to these fine projects.*******
In addition to the community-service projects, we have annual events that we run to raise monies for those projects. These include:
The High School Awards Dinner. Since its inception in 1980, the dinner has become the nation's most-prestigious event of its kind. It is the largest event of its kind in the country. Representatives from more than 30 colleges are among the sellout crowd of 1,000. The event recognizes 10 finalists for Greater Houston's Offensive Player of the Year, 10 for the Defensive Player of the Year, and 10 for the Coach of the Year. The winner in each category is announced at the end of the program. The players are selected by a blue-ribbon committee of area high-school coaches, while the coaches are selected by a blue-ribbon committee of area high-school athletic directors. A coach is ineligible to win the award again for five years after being named Coach of the Year.
The Texas-Texas A&M Luncheon. The TD Club hosts an annual preview of the Longhorns and Aggies before their annual grudge match, and does it in a fun fashion.
Rice-UH Bayou Bucket Luncheon. This luncheon has taken place every year since 1972, one year after Rice and Houston began playing on the football field. Both the head football coaches and the athletic directors at each school address the gathering. The Touchdown Club created the Bayou Bucket Trophy, which is awarded on the field immediately after the contest to the game's winner. All profits go to our Weight Room Refurbishing as well as our Scholarship funds.
TSU-PVAMU Labor Day Classic Luncheon. Begun in 2001, this luncheon was an instant hit with followers of Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University. The program brings in a guest speaker and gives out a special-achievement plaque. The head football coaches and athletic directors from both schools also speak. The Touchdown Club also created the Durley-Nicks Trophy, named for the top football coach at each of the two schools, and club representatives present the trophy annually on the field immediately after the TSU-PVAMU game.
Billy Nicks Sr. won five mythical, black-schools national championships with the Panthers, the last in 1968.
Alexander Durley was the winningest football coach in TSU history, and won a mythical, black-schools national championship in 1952.
The Touchdowner of the Year Award. This is Houston's longest-continuing football award presentation, given annually for extraordinary contributions and outstanding achievements reflecting honor and sportsmanship to football over a lenghty period of time. Anyone from the pro, college or high school levels as well as the media is eligible for the honor. We also name our Preseason All-Greater Houston High School Team during this gala.
