2018 NQBC Awards Dinner & HOF Ceremony to Honor Jim McMahon, Danny White, Jim Kelly & Ken Stabler
The Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club (GCSGC), Arizona’s most meaningful advocate of high school football, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Washington D.C.’s National Quarterback Club. The two organizations will bring the 2018 National Quarterback Club Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Ceremony to Arizona on January 19, 2019. The reception at Scottsdale Resort McCormick Ranch will begin at 5 p.m. and dinner will commence at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony will honor the National Quarterback of the Year in the high school, college and professional ranks, and will also induct two individuals into the National Quarterback Hall of Fame.
In 1985, the National Quarterback Club began a tradition of hosting annual fundraising events to honor the National Quarterback of the Year recipients. Annual awards dinners have been hosted in great sports cities such as Washington D.C., Miami, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Green Bay, Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Houston. “With continued support from sponsors, athletes, fans and host cities, the National Quarterback Club Awards Dinner has remained popular throughout its lifetime,” said Bob Geoghan, founder of the National Quarterback Club. “These awards represent a veritable timeline honoring great quarterbacks and great men in American football history.”
Based on year-long deliberations within a jury that convenes intermittently throughout the regular season, the National Quarterback Club will announce the three Quarterbacks of the Year on December 8, following the conclusion of the regular playing seasons.
Jim McMahon
The Chicago Bears drafted Jim McMahon as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft. In 1985, McMahon led the Bears to win their first 12 games and finished 15-1 for the season, including a 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. During the 1984 – 1987 seasons, he posted wins in 25 consecutive starts, the longest “regular season winning streak by any NFL quarterback at that time. In his 15 years in the NFL, McMahon logged 97 starts in 119 games played, threw for 18,148 yards and 100 touchdowns. At Brigham Young University, McMahon broke or tied 56 NCAA Division I-A marks, led the Cougars to Western Athletic Conference title in his last two years and was twice named All-American. McMahon finished fifth in 1980, then third in the 1981 Heisman Trophy balloting behind Hershel Walker and the 1981 winner, Marcus Allen. McMahon posted starts with six NFL teams in his 15-year career: the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers. He won two Super Bowl titles, the first with the Bears in Super Bowl XX, and the second with their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in Super Bowl XXXI.
McMahon was the first recipient of the National Quarterback of the Year Award in 1985. During his career, he also won the Davey O’Brien Award, Sammy Baugh Trophy, and Brian Piccolo Award. McMahon’s storied career and dynamic personality continue today in his charitable work with Folds of Honor, and social activism in the world of brain injuries and how they are treated.
Danny White
For over 40 years, Danny White quietly thrilled sellout crowds as a player and coach without the high-flying, high-impact, razzle dazzle brand of football that other hall of famers bring to the game. Off the field, Danny was exactly the same: quiet and thoughtful; steady and true; clean cut and polite.
White’s football career began with baseball at Mesa Westwood High School and then Arizona State University, where legendary Frank Kush convinced ASU Baseball Coach Bobby Winkles to offer White a baseball scholarship and allow him to punt for the football team.
White developed as a quarterback and by the time his 2.5 years as a starting quarterback was over, he had firmly established himself as one of the greatest ASU quarterbacks in the program’s history earning two All-American honors, a ninth place finish in the 1973 Heisman vote, and a total yards passing record that would stand for almost 30 years.
His collegiate statistics include seven NCAA passing records, including leading the nation in passing yards in 1973. In the NFL, White earned two All-Pro honors, a trip to the Pro Bowl, and threw for 29,959 yards and 155 touchdowns.
White was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1974 and played two seasons in the WFL before joining Dallas for long and prosperous career. As a starting quarterback, White would led the Cowboys to five consecutive playoff seasons and three NFC East titles.White led the expansion Arena Football League’s Arizona Rattlers for 14 years and two championships.
White was placed in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
He currently serves ASU as a consultant and provides color commentary for Cowboys games on Compass Media Networks' America's Team Radio Network.
Annually, the National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter awards one high school scholar athlete with the Danny White Quarterback Award.
2018 Legacy Recognition Awards
The National Quarterback Club seeks out and honors quarterbacks for contributions made after retiring from football. In these cases, the men that their communities have come to know and love, and the works of their generosity and compassion are sincere and inspirational. Their on-going legacy is worthy of additional recognition in a manner that showcases the man beyond the player. The Legacy Recognition Award will be presented to two National Quarterback Hall of Famers:
Jim Kelly - NQBC Hall of Fame 2005
Jim Kelly’s arrival in Buffalo, New York in August 1986 is notorious. After two years lighting up the USFL with the Houston Gamblers, the NFL rookie arrived in Buffalo to parades and celebrations from throngs of Buffalo Bills fans believing he would be the greatest thing to come to their city in a very long time.
On the field, he was everything Buffalo had hoped for. Off the field, he was even more. It is tough to remember the Buffalo Bills without Machine Gun Kelly, and today it’s even harder to think of Buffalo without Jim Kelly finger prints on everything good in Buffalo. Immediately upon arrival in Buffalo, the core of the man began to demonstrate himself with the founding of Kelly for Kids Foundation in 1987. It was his inspiration and hope that the foundation would help improve the quality of life for disabled and disadvantaged children in Western New York. Kelly had just signed the biggest contract in Buffalo Bills’ history and wasted no time setting the course for what has become a 33-year long scramble by Jim Kelly and his legions of friends, fans and teammates to place his adopted home of Buffalo in the business of making dreams come true.
He retired from football following the 1996 season being regarded as the greatest quarterback in Buffalo Bills history, having completed 60 percent of his passes for 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns.
During his retirement speech, Kelly said, “While I do agree with the many people that have said this is the end of an era, it is not the end of me. To me, my life is just beginning.”
Little did he know at the time he made that speech that he was laying a second course for his life and family with the soon to come Hunter’s Hope Foundation, an additional component to his life dedicated to service for the common good and welfare of the people of Buffalo and Western New York.
Within weeks of his retirement, Jim and his wife, Jill, welcomed the birth of their son. Hunter was born to the family on Jim’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1997. In the weeks that followed, the Kellys learned that Hunter had a fatal genetic disease call Krabbe Leukodystrophy, a diagnosis that included an average life expectancy of 14 months. For the next 8 years, Hunter Kelly led his mother, father and two sisters, Erin and Camryn on an unreal journey of strength, perseverance, and love that can only be summed up as Kelly Tough.
Hunters Hope Foundation was established in 1997 as the Kelly’s lifelong commitment to increase public awareness of Krabbe Disease and other childhood leukodystrophies, as well as increase early detection, identify new treatments, therapies, and ultimately, a cure.
With 33 years of accomplishments in the books, Kelly for Kids Foundation and Hunter’s Hope Foundation continues to raise its commitment to bring encouragement to suffering children and hope to the families in the midst of that suffering.
Prepared to discuss it with anyone who is willing to listen, Jim Kelly will frequently refer to his philosophy of the Four Fs: Faith, Family Friends, and Fans. In the measure of this family, the qualities of determination, grace, bravery and joy cannot be overlooked. This family is an inspiration.
Jim’s entire family was with him when he was inducted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and again when Jim was inducted into the National Quarterback Hall of Fame in 2005. Hunter passed away on August 5, 2005, supercharging the family’s mission and charting the course for a determined future with the manta: Make a difference today in someone else’s tomorrow.
Jim Kelly received the Jimmy V Award for perseverance in 2018 for demonstrating throughout his life what he showed on the field: Never give up.
This “never give up” attitude is the inspiration for the entire Kelly Family as they all participate in the social welfare programming of Hunter’s Hope Foundation and Kelly for Kids Foundation.
Ken Stabler - NQBC Hall of Fame 1994
Ken Stabler, nicknamed "Snake”, had a remarkable career on the field and was an extraordinary man off the field. He lived life to the fullest. From being a quarterback at the University of Alabama, to his years with the Raiders and two other NFL teams, and even during his time in the booth as a sports analyst for CBS and the Crimson Tide Sports Network, he entertained fans. But, the job Stabler coveted the most was that of being a father.
On the field he was a durable and fierce competitor. He was a leader. Off the field, in addition to the widely publicized stories and mythical stature, he was a victor in campaigns to help those in need. The list of national and regional causes that Stabler would tackle during his life is the content of the true legend of Snake Stabler.
In 2003, Stabler, with help from his biggest fan and daughter, Kendra Stabler Moyes and his loving companion, Kim Bush, formalized his lifetime of leading the way and battling for causes. The result was the XOXO Stabler Foundation.
During the 15 years since the formation of XOXO Stabler Foundation, and including the years prior, Ken Stabler and his family have supplied support for organizations that provide multi-layered programing for the children and families living within cumbersome suffering of childhood diseases. Some of his favorite places and relationships were founded through his generosity within Ronald McDonald Houses, Cystic Fibrosis, American Cancer Society and many others.
Ken Stabler passed away on July 8, 2015. As a silver lining to the black cloud of cancer, his family believes he may have eluded the worst of CTE. Stabler’s CTE story may be different than most but the symptoms were becoming more obvious and beginning to make a more significant impact on Snake’s daily life. His family continues to live Snake’s philosophy of identifying the needs of people suffering and has not let the impacts of CTE go unnoticed.
During the period since his death, the XOXO Stabler Foundation has continued his efforts to seek out opportunities to support people, children and families in need. They have expanded their reach to include funding research and programs related to traumatic brain injuries and how they are diagnosed and treated.
For more information about the National Quarterback Club, the awards dinner and Hall of Fame induction ceremony visit www.nationalqbclub.com. A limited number of media credentials can be reserved by emailing info@gcsgridiron.com.