Football’s Team Selected as GNO Jimmy Collins Award Winner
Jul 19, 2023 | Football
New Orleans – Tulane's football team, after enjoying one of the greatest seasons in program history in 2022, was honored on Wednesday as one of two winners of the Jimmy Collins Award from the Greater New Orleans area by the Allstate Sugar Bowl
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selects annual award winners in a variety of categories; it also selects Amateur Athletes of the Month and each year's Hall of Fame class. Overall, 24 individuals and three teams will be honored for their 2022-23 achievements at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on August 5. Honorees are currently being announced over a two-week period, wrapping up with the Corbett Awards for the top male and female amateur athletes in the state on Friday, July 28.
Tulane's football team had a magical 2022 season. The Green Wave posted a fantastic 12-2 record and won its first American Athletic Conference title while shocking the nation with a thrilling Cotton Bowl victory over USC. The Wave closed the year at No. 9 in the final Associated Press Top 25 and AFCA USA Today Coaches Polls. In the Cotton Bowl, the underdog Greenies trailed the blueblood Trojans 45-30 with 4:30 to go. However, Tyjae Spears scored on a four-yard TD run, the Wave added two points on a safety and then Michael Pratt found Alex Bauman for a six-yard touchdown with nine seconds to go. Valentino Ambrosio's extra point gave Tulane its first lead of the game and the improbable victory. The Cotton Bowl was Tulane's first appearance in a major bowl game since 1940 when it lost to Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. The Wave's seven league victories were its most since 1934 and the win in the AAC Championships was the school's first conference championship game victory. In order to reach the conference championship game, the Wave defeated No. 23 Cincinnati on the road – it was the first Tulane win over a ranked opponent since 1984 and the first time the Green Wave won a ranked-against-ranked match-up since 1956.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee came together when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month and a variety of annual award winners. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top amateur athlete in the Greater New Orleans area each month as well as a range of annual awards – the honors enter their 67th year in 2023.
While there are many different categories of awards presented by the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, some years the committee finds that there are people deserving of recognition who do not necessarily fit into one specific category. For that reason, the Committee presents the Jimmy Collins Special Awards to outstanding individuals and organizations. Collins was a leader of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post and a hard-working community contributor, who is credited with creating the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards and forming the awards committee in 1958.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 102 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
TICKETS
Tickets for the upcoming 2023 football and volleyball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Social Media
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selects annual award winners in a variety of categories; it also selects Amateur Athletes of the Month and each year's Hall of Fame class. Overall, 24 individuals and three teams will be honored for their 2022-23 achievements at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Awards Banquet on August 5. Honorees are currently being announced over a two-week period, wrapping up with the Corbett Awards for the top male and female amateur athletes in the state on Friday, July 28.
Tulane's football team had a magical 2022 season. The Green Wave posted a fantastic 12-2 record and won its first American Athletic Conference title while shocking the nation with a thrilling Cotton Bowl victory over USC. The Wave closed the year at No. 9 in the final Associated Press Top 25 and AFCA USA Today Coaches Polls. In the Cotton Bowl, the underdog Greenies trailed the blueblood Trojans 45-30 with 4:30 to go. However, Tyjae Spears scored on a four-yard TD run, the Wave added two points on a safety and then Michael Pratt found Alex Bauman for a six-yard touchdown with nine seconds to go. Valentino Ambrosio's extra point gave Tulane its first lead of the game and the improbable victory. The Cotton Bowl was Tulane's first appearance in a major bowl game since 1940 when it lost to Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. The Wave's seven league victories were its most since 1934 and the win in the AAC Championships was the school's first conference championship game victory. In order to reach the conference championship game, the Wave defeated No. 23 Cincinnati on the road – it was the first Tulane win over a ranked opponent since 1984 and the first time the Green Wave won a ranked-against-ranked match-up since 1956.
The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee came together when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month and a variety of annual award winners. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize the top amateur athlete in the Greater New Orleans area each month as well as a range of annual awards – the honors enter their 67th year in 2023.
While there are many different categories of awards presented by the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, some years the committee finds that there are people deserving of recognition who do not necessarily fit into one specific category. For that reason, the Committee presents the Jimmy Collins Special Awards to outstanding individuals and organizations. Collins was a leader of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post and a hard-working community contributor, who is credited with creating the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards and forming the awards committee in 1958.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 102 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 89-year history. The 90th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2024. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
TICKETS
Tickets for the upcoming 2023 football and volleyball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Social Media
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
- TulaneGreenWave -
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