Three generations of Pensacola's decorated football history earned a night of recognition at Thursday’s Pensacola Sports Annual Awards Banquet.
The Hall of Fame inductions of legendary Pine Forest head football coach Jerry Pollard and former NFL star Josh Sitton were followed by celebration of the city’s latest football heroes: NCAA Division II national champion University of West Florida football.
Pensacola Sports’ annual banquet honored 30 athletes, coaches and sports philanthropists at Skopelo’s at New World Landing, with the biggest contingent coming from the athletic department of the newly inaugurated national champions.
UWF football head coach Pete Shinnick served as the night’s guest speaker and was joined by well over a dozen players and coaches who took full advantage of a second hometown opportunity to celebrate their title after participating in last weekend’s Mardi Gras Parade.
Shinnick humorously recounted his journey to Pensacola, which began with skepticism and anxiety over the prospect of starting another Division II football program.
His previous football founding at UNC-Pembroke came with a painful season away from football, making the potential two seasons without football at UWF an even more daunting sell to Shinnick’s family.
“When you start a program from scratch, it’s a difficult process,” Shinnick told the capacity crowd. “…You don’t coach a game [for a year] – and that’s really what we love to do.
“I told my wife during that process: Don’t ever let me start another program again. It’s miserable. I don’t like not coaching. I want to be around games.”
Pensacola’s beaches – as well as UWF’s untapped college football potential – made the project an easier sell and one that has been fruitful beyond belief after the first four seasons of UWF football.
Shinnick wasn’t the night’s only national champion to be honored.
For Pollard, Thursday night’s Hall of Fame induction was the latest in one of the city’s most decorated football coaching resumes, one which links current generations to Carl Madison and the greats of Pensacola’s past.
Pollard's influence includes a hand in multiple state championships, including Pine Forest's 2000 Class 4A state and national title, as well as an impact on today's city coaching tree.
“I’ve had a great time doing what I do,” Pollard said. “I never had to work. I had great people to work with and I’ve always had great players and assistant coaches. We’ve had players go to every college in the country, I believe.
“I think the thing I’m most proud of is the things they learned from the sport of football… We’ve had doctors, coaches, lawyers, businessmen, the whole thing.”
Pensacola’s football player angle was more than well represented by Sitton, who officially retired with the Green Bay Packers last December after an NFL career that included four Pro Bowl’s and a Super Bowl title in 2010.
Sitton has returned to Pensacola in recent years with a prominent construction business as well as investments in other businesses.
SItton made sure to thank any and everyone who played a hometown role in his sporting career, as well as a light-hearted nod to legendary Pensacola Catholic baseball coach and current athletic director Richard LaBounty.
“I’d like to thank Coach LaBounty: Thank you for not letting me play baseball in ninth grade. I didn’t like that at the time, but I think it worked out for me so I appreciate you.”
Eric J. Wallace can be reached at ejwallace@pnj.com or 850-525-5087. Do you appreciate local journalism? Consider subscribing to PNJ: https://ift.tt/2w9VAR4.
Pensacola Sports Annual Awards Banquet
Special Achievements
Larry Tilley – World-record weightlifter
Navarre Cheerleading – FHSAA state championship
Tate Cheerleading – FHSAA state championship
Ryan Williams – Gulf Breeze girls soccer; State Coach of the Year
Koriyunna Arrington – Pine Forest girls track; Hurdling state champion
Blake Rimmer – Pensacola Christian; Pole vault state champion
Kennedy Hansen – Milton; Water ski national champion
Gulf Coast Texans – Girls youth soccer; FYSA State Cup champion
Pensacola Women’s FC – Women’s soccer; WPSL national champion
Pensacola Christian College – Men’s soccer; NCCAA DII national champion
Jed Martin – Firefighters Challenge organizer
Joel Richardson – Firefighters Challenge organizer
Josh Szeliga – Firefighters Challenge organizer
Joe Bartlinski – UWF women’s soccer; 500 career wins
Margie Stone – Pensacola State swimmer
Berta Bonardi – UWF women’s tennis
Serdar Bojadjiev – UWF men’s tennis
Vitinho Galvao – UWF men’s tennis
Christian Bosso – UWF men’s tennis
Ester Rizzetto – UWF swimming and diving
Rhiannon Sassman – UWF softball
Pete Shinnick – UWF football; DII Coach of the Year
Hall of Fame
Jerry Pollard – Longtime Pine Forest football coach
Brian Sakey – Longtime figure in Pensacola tennis
Josh Sitton – Former Green Bay Packers lineman
Amateur Athlete of the Year
UWF Football – DII national champions
Pro Athlete of the Year
Joe Durant – Professional golfer
Volunteer of the Year
Military – All branches
Sportsman of the Year
Troy Rafferty – Local sports philanthropy
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