Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Banquet features 26 award presentations

The Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Banquet will feature the presentation of 26 awards, include four inductees into the Hall of Fame and the male and female Corbett Award winners as the top amateur athletes in the state of Louisiana. The sold-out event will be held Saturday, August 5, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Corbett Awards
Female: Ashleigh Gnat, LSU Gymnastics
Male: Sam Burns, LSU Golf

Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Dean Courtade (Bowling; Professional Bowlers Association, 1941-2016)
J.T. Curtis (Football; John Curtis Christian School, 1970-present)
Barbara Farris (Basketball; St. Martin’s Episcopal School, Tulane University, WNBA, 1990-2009)
Vaughan Johnson (Football; New Orleans Saints, 1986-93)

Eddie Robinson Award
Mark Slessinger (University of New Orleans)

Jimmy Collins Special Awards
Miracle League of New Orleans

Annual Award Winners
Outstanding Girls’ Prep Coach, New Orleans: Angi Butler (Destrehan Basketball)
Outstanding Boys’ Prep Coach, New Orleans (co-winner): Brice Brown (Edna Karr Football)
Outstanding Boys’ Prep Coach, New Orleans (co-winner): Paul Kelly (De La Salle Basketball)
Outstanding Female Amateur, New Orleans: Aleia Hobbs (LSU Track & Field)
Outstanding Male Amateur, New Orleans: Keytaon Thompson (Landry-Walker Football)
Outstanding Boys’ Prep Team, New Orleans: Edna Karr Football
Outstanding Girls’ Prep Team, New Orleans: Destrehan Basketball
Outstanding College Coach, Louisiana: D-D Breaux (LSU Gymnastics)

Greater New Orleans Amateur Athletes of the Month
June, 2016: Devin King (Southeastern Louisiana Track & Field)
July, 2016: Mason Vicknair (Pedal Valves Cardinals Baseball)
August, 2016: Dylon Cook (Northlake Christian Powerlifting)
September, 2016: Aldon Clark (Edna Karr Football)
October, 2016: Carlos Henderson (Louisiana Tech Football)
November, 2016: Thomas Vanderbrook (Archbishop Rummel Swimming)
December, 2016: Keytaon Thompson (Landry-Walker Football)
January, 2017: Cara Ursin (Destrehan Basketball)
February, 2017: Jake Rando (Holy Cross Wrestling)
March, 2017: Erik Thomas (UNO Basketball)
April, 2017: Aleia Hobbs (LSU Track & Field)
May, 2017: Ian Landreneau (John Curtis Baseball)

The Greater New Orleans Sports Selection Committee began in 1957 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. 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 – the honors enter their 61st year in 2017. To be eligible, an athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 27 national champions, 92 Hall of Fame players, 48 Hall of Fame coaches and 17 Heisman Trophy winners in its 83-year history. The 84th Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, will be played on January 1, 2018. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1.6 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors over 25,000 student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.5 billion into the local economy in the last decade.