FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- May 14, 2004
CONTACT: Jason Mucher, Director of Athletic Communications (585) 567-9648

FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK ENCOURAGES LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

HOUGHTON, N.Y. – College and professional football star, Academic All-American, Phi Beta Kappa, television commentator. The resume of Todd Blackledge is impressive. But a group of 300 Allegany County high school students got to see that Blackledge is more concerned about their success than about any accolades he has received.

Blackledge, who played college football at Penn State and went on to a seven-year NFL career with Kansas City and Pittsburgh, presented his thoughts on “Being a Difference-Maker,” to the students at an assembly at Houghton College on Friday. Blackledge currently works as a college football analyst for CBS Sports.

He shared that a difference-maker is someone who excels at what they do and lifts others around them to a higher level of performance. He continued by offering four traits of a difference-maker: discipline, humility, accountability, and perseverance.

“If you have these character traits, you are destined to be a difference-maker at home, in school, and in the workplace,” said Blackledge, who used a variety of quotes and inspirational stories from prominent people in history to hold the attention of the students.

Following Blackledge’s presentation, the Houghton College Athletic Department and the Allegany County Athletic Association awarded the first Allegany County Champions of Character Student-Athlete Award. The college honored nominees from each school and presented the overall award to Kirk Konert from Bolivar-Richburg Central School.

The purpose of the award is to honor a junior student-athlete who has consistently demonstrated positive character traits of respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership – both on and off the field of competition – over the past year and to encourage their continued development as a leader of character on their team, in their school, and in their community during their senior year.

The nominees included: Alissa Brubaker, Whitesville Central School; Cody Burch, Friendship Central School; Rebecca Dix, Houghton Academy; David Kephart, Andover Central School; Amber Linza, Cuba-Rushford Central School; Jessica Mullen, Fillmore Central School; Chris Potter, Scio Central School; Zach Scholla, Genesee Valley Central School; Erin Taylor, Belfast Central School.

The award presentation and assembly were sponsored by the Houghton College Athletic Department as part of its effort to offer character-based educational programming to neighbor schools. As an active member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, Houghton has become heavily involved in the association’s Champions of Character Initiative, a program that aims to teach the five core character values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and sportsmanship through athletics.

Through programs like this, Houghton coaches and student-athletes are working directly with youth organizations, schools, and civic groups to educate, promote and incorporate the five core character values within the sporting or daily activities of youth or adults.

Houghton, a Christian college of 1,300 students in Western New York, is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the American Mideast Conference. Houghton has been named a Champions of Character Institution for the past three years for its active involvement in the NAIA’s Champions of Character Initiative, a program that aims to teach the character values of respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship through athletics. Houghton coaches and student-athletes are working directly with youth organizations, schools, and civic groups to educate, promote and incorporate these values within the sporting or daily activities of youth and adults.

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