It arguably started with 6:04 left in the third quarter. The New England Patriots trailed the Atlanta Falcons, 28-3, in Super Bowl LI and faced a fourth down-and-three situation. Fail and it was almost certainly game, set, match – a disappointing blowout loss on the game’s biggest stage.

The Patriots had shown a bit of desperation, calling a rare double pass on third-and-three that fell incomplete and was well defended. So now quarterback Tom Brady and the offense faced the most important play of what would be many over the final 21 minutes.

Brady caught the snap, saw Julian Edelman double teamed in the middle of the field and hit Danny Amendola out to the left, who then broke a tackle and gained 17 yards and a first down.

“It was an option route out there to the slot against man coverage,” head coach Bill Belichick explained in an exclusive interview for The Hall’s “Anatomy of a Comeback” exhibit, which will open on Thursday, July 29. “It was a good throw, a good catch and obviously a big play for us.”

Of course, the big plays continued for New England. NFL Films caught linebacker Dont’a Hightower on the field imploring his teammates “No more mistakes. No more ‘my bads.’

Over those last 21 minutes, almost everything had to go New England’s way and nearly everything did. Well, except for a botched onside kick and a missed extra point that forced the Patriots to convert a pair of two-point conversions to draw even. But that just reinforced Julian Edelman’s halftime point that the comeback would make a “hell of a story.”

It sure did. And The Hall is now uniquely telling that story within The Super Bowl Experience exhibit, which is presented by Raytheon. The new “Anatomy of a Comeback” area features 8 monitors – two 55-inch displays and six 22-inch mosaic tile-like displays. After conducting exclusive interviews with Belichick, Julian Edelman, James White, Devin McCourty and Trey Flowers, The Hall will present the comeback differently that what has aired on the NFL Network.

“It’s the anatomy of the comeback, not just highlights and in-game audio from the players and coaches,” Hall executive director Bryan Morry said. “NFL Films does an amazing job of capturing all of that in-game action and producing shows that we all love. So we wanted to attack it differently. They provide us access to their footage, which we utilize to add color, but we wanted to provide our fans with Coach Belichick’s perspective. What adjustments were made? What was the mindset at 21-0 and 28-3? We think fans will be deeply and emotionally engaged in what we produced.”

The exhibit also features large graphics and artifact display cases that will be displayed in a non-traditional way. Artifacts including White’s uniform and the game-winning touchdown ball; Edelman’s helmet and gloves; and the ball Matt Ryan fumbled on Hightower’s strip sack will be displayed within the graphic images of those plays to create a three-dimensional effect.

None of that is possible, however, if Brady doesn’t find Amendola for that fourth-down conversion, which eventually led to the 5-yard Brady-to-White touchdown pass that started the comeback. That score came with just 2:06 left in the third quarter. The missed extra point left the Patriots down, 28-9, with 17:06 left to play.

“I told the team at halftime when it was 21-3 that I didn’t think Atlanta had enough points to win,” Belichick revealed. “I felt like we had plenty of time and that the point differential wasn’t so great that we couldn’t overcome it.”

The two first half turnovers that resulted in 14 Atlanta points was the obvious reason for the deficit. New England outgained Atlanta in the first half, 210-189, but a LeGarrette Blount fumble at the Falcons 29 snuffed out one scoring chance and led to an eventual Falcons touchdown while a Tom Brady interception that was returned for an 82-yard touchdown thwarted another.

“I felt like we had control of the game, but we didn’t have control of the score,” Belichick said. “When it went to 28-3, then you’re looking at not having enough possessions to be able to close the gap. So at that point, it was starting to feel a little bit different than it did at halftime.”

It also, in some respect, took the pressure off, according to Patriots safety Devin McCourty. “I think all the pressure went away,” he said. “For us as a defense, it was just about going and playing ball. We were just playing to fight and claw to get back in the game and make it respectable. I think it allowed us to play free and fast because we had nothing to lose at that point.”

Of course, the Patriots did come back. A field goal. A strip sack. Two touchdowns, two 2-point conversions and an overtime coin toss followed by White’s championship-winning 2-yard touchdown run crowned the Patriots Super Bowl LI champions.

“The nature of that comeback required us to do something different at The Hall,” Morry said. “We couldn’t just add a Super Bowl trophy and some highlights and be done with it. The Krafts recognized that and made a significant investment to improve the Super Bowl Experience exhibit that we just renovated two years ago. We think the fans will love it.”

To celebrate Canada’s 150^th birthday, the BC Sports Hall of Fame created a wall of Canadian jerseys and jackets spanning nearly 80 years of Canadian national uniforms from the Hall of Fame collection.  When displayed together the different shades of red used over the years and the various ways the maple leaf was utilized made for an interesting and eye-catching uniform collage.  A highlights from the Canada 150 wall include: a 1932 Canadian Olympic team blazer, snowboarder Ross Rebagliati’s 1998 Canadian Olympic team Roots jacket, Andrea Neil’s Canadian national soccer jersey worn at the 2003 Women’s World Cup, and para-alpine skier Lauren Woolstencroft’s 2006 Canadian Paralympic team jacket.

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals’ storied history was on display again Saturday as three players representing three eras of franchise history joined the membership of the Cardinals Hall of Fame as part of the organization’s fourth induction class.

Mark McGwire and Tim McCarver received their signature red jackets after receiving the most support among the 40,000 votes cast by fans earlier this year. Pepper Martin went in as the veteran player selected by a Red Ribbon Committee. The three joined 34 former players, managers and contributors already enshrined.

McGwire, now the bench coach for the Padres, missed the first two games of San Diego’s series in Miami to be present for Saturday’s ceremony. And though McGwire turned emotional when his introductory video showed highlights of his historic 1998 season, he spent much of his speech detailing his special connection with the city of St. Louis and its baseball fans.

That included the standing ovation he received when he played his first home game at Busch Stadium II after being traded from Oakland to St. Louis midway through the ’97 season.

“I back out of the box and I’m saying, ‘This is crazy,'” McGwire recalled. “The feeling that I had is a feeling I will never, ever forget. That moment, right then, I knew this was the place that I wanted to be.”

Over the next five years, McGwire went on to hit 220 homers, including a record-breaking 70 in ’98. He slashed .270/.427/.683 and drove in 473 runs over his 545 games with the Cardinals.

“To think that in 1997, a southern California kid had no idea that he was going to spend the greatest 4 1/2 years of his life with you all,” said McGwire, who snapped a few selfies during the ceremony. “I am humbled. I am honored. And I will wear this jacket with so, so much pride.”

McCarver and McGwire shared a connection even before the ceremony, as McCarver was on the broadcast call when McGwire surpassed Roger Maris with his 62nd home run. Now a part of the Cardinals’ broadcast team, McCarver made his Major League debut with the Cardinals as a 17-year-old catcher in 1959.

He began to establish himself as a big leaguer in 1963, one year before he helped the Cardinals capture their first of two World Series championships that decade.

“You would run out of superlatives when you talk about the men who have, with integrity, intelligence and gritty determination, represented those remarkable teams,” McCarver said. “We were good. Like, really good.”

McCarver, a two-time All-Star during his 12 seasons with the Cardinals, still ranks second in hits (23), third in RBIs (11) and fifth in batting average (.311) in franchise World Series play.

Martin, who died in 1965 at the age of 61, was represented by 42 family members, most of whom traveled from Texas and Oklahoma. Speaking on behalf of her family, Jenny Weathersby, one of Martin’s three daughters, said her father “would have played baseball for nothing, just for the privilege of playing the game.”

“He played with great enthusiasm, passion and reckless abandon that caught the eye of managers, teammates, fans and sportswriters,” she said. “Probably nothing better illustrates this than his famous headfirst slide and his nickname Pepper.”

Martin played all 1,189 of his Major League games as a St. Louis Cardinal and was a member of the 1931 and ’34 World Series championship teams. A four-time All-Star, Martin led the National League in stolen bases three seasons and was known as the heart and soul of the iconic Gashouse Gang.

“Daddy was truly a free spirit,” Weathersby said. “Along with his many accomplishments on the field, he was remembered for his antics, his sense of humor and practical jokes, and his contribution to the camaraderie inside the clubhouse as a member of the infamous Gashouse Gang and organizer of the Mississippi Mudcats band.”

By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com | @LangoschMLB | August 26th, 2017

Jenifer Langosch has covered the Cardinals for MLB.com since 2012, and previously covered the Pirates from 2007-11. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

It’s a “homerun” when ISHA members partner together to create a great experience for visitors! 1220 Exhibits out of Nashville and Silver Oaks from Moline, IL were excited to team up and enhance the ballpark experience for Atlanta Braves fans just in time for opening day 2017.

When the Braves transitioned to their new home at SunTrust Park, they decided that there wouldn’t be a designated museum, but rather the park itself would be the museum, with historic video, visuals, history and memorabilia throughout the park.

1220 produced and installed custom fabricated exhibit elements and interpretive graphics along with artifact cases and object mounts to display the Braves’ collection of memorabilia. Silver Oaks produced key media focal points including video presentations honoring Hank Aaron, the greatest moments in Braves’ history, and short bio videos on Braves’ players whose numbers have been retired.

In the concourse behind home plate, the Monument Garden features a bronze statue (produced by the Braves) of Hank Aaron capturing the moment he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. Situated behind the sculpture is a large video presentation running a 7-minute biography of Aaron and a collection of 755 baseball bats. The bats are cantilever mounted so the barrel ends form the number 755, Aaron’s career home run total. Flanking the sides of the bat display are wall-mounted dimensional jersey numbers retired by the Braves organization.

As visitors explore the stadium, water features, natural plantings and strategically placed AV programming enhance their experience. Exhibits include a progression of Braves’ jerseys mounted in artifact cases, a Braves Hall of Fame display, a greatest moments case with motion-activated audio featuring calls of historic plays, and a retired numbers interactive honoring the 10 Braves players whose jerseys have been retired.

The resulting creation is a perfect balance of classic ballpark, modern amenities and southern hospitality — producing a fan experience unlike any other.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Stars converged at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame Saturday as a new class was enshrined into the prestigious Hall.

Randy Corley, a 12-time PRCA Announcer of the Year, joined five world champions to headline the 12-member 2017 induction class.

Corley, along with gold buckle winners including the late Buck Rutherford (all-around, 1954), Enoch Walker (saddle bronc riding, 1960), Tommy Puryear (steer wrestling, 1974), Mike Beers (team roping, 1984) and Cody Custer (bull riding, 1992), were enshrined with rodeo notable Bob Ragsdale, a 22-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in three events.

Also inducted into the Hall were four-time bareback horse of the year, Christensen Bros.’ Smith & Velvet, and the committee for the Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days.

For the first time in the history of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, barrel racers from the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) were amongst the class of inductees. Their inaugural class was comprised of Wanda Harper Bush, Charmayne James and a joint PRCA/WPRA equine inductee – Star Plaudit “Red.”

Corley’s résumé is ProRodeo Hall of Fame worthy. He has been selected PRCA Announcer of the Year 12 times (1984, 1990-96, 1998, 2003, 2011 and 2015). He also has been an announcer at the National Finals Rodeo 16 times (1985-86, 1992, 1994-96, 2007-2016).

“It was the worst night of sleep I had (Friday night) in 45 years,” Corley said. “I just think it was nerves. There are 259 people in the Hall and that’s not a huge number for a Hall that opened in 1979. I’m in a pretty select group and I’m so honored. My whole thing is cowboys are the stars. When they are nodding their head, you’ve already told everyone who they are.

“That’s what I strive for, and have forever, and to be a good person to everybody, inside the arena and outside the arena. Those are the deals that I think make you a better announcer because then you’re true, and true is the best way to announce.”

Puryear qualified for the NFR nine times, eight of which were consecutive, from 1971-78, and then again in 1983. The Texas bulldogger also won the gold buckle in 1974 and the NFR average title in 1976.

“This day is something that you never plan for when you’re out rodeoing. I’ve been ready for this to happen so I can stop thinking about it – it’s something you think about every day since the call that you’re in the Hall of Fame,” Puryear said. “One of the main reasons I’m here today is because of the people I had around me who supported and helped me. So many friends and family contributed to this. I never owned my own horse – I always traveled with horsemen and stayed in a positive rig. We’d go to 120 rodeos a year, and we loved every second of it.”

Puryear first joined the PRCA in 1970, and now, 47 years later, he’s recognized as one of the best steer wrestlers in PRCA history.

“Leon (Bauerle) and I rode up to Colorado Springs together – we didn’t fly, we drove up in the truck from Texas together just like we used to,” Puryear said. “It was one for the road and to relive the old times, and we still get along really well. Leon was always easy to travel with, as long as you agreed with him. But a great deal of the credit for me being here is due to Leon and his horses.”

Rutherford was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame more than half a century after he was topping the world standings across four events – bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and bull riding.

The Oklahoma cowboy was in the Top 5 of the world standings 11 times between 1949-57, and was the 1954 all-around world champion and the first cowboy to ever win more than $40,000 in a single year (approximately $362,235 in 2017 dollars, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

“It’s quite an honor, and he’s a part of history,” said Claudine Rutherford, Buck’s sister-in-law. “He could do anything.”

Becky Raetzsch, Rutherford’s daughter, also was thrilled about the honor bestowed on her father.

“It’s exciting, and it gives us a chance to learn more about the history of him,” she said. “It really is quite an honor. I have his grandchildren here, all of his great-grandchildren are here, so it’s really exciting for all of them.”

Although he never won an individual event championship, he placed second in the bareback riding standings the same year he won the all-around title.

Rutherford twice finished third in the bull riding world standings (1951 and 1954).

His rodeo earnings fell flat after a bad spill slipped a disk in his back in November 1958. He then retired from rodeo and resumed ranching in his hometown until his death at 58 years old on April 28, 1988.

Walker, who won both the 1960 saddle bronc riding world championship and NFR average title, took to the skies in his ascent to ProRodeo fame – qualifying for 10 NFRs during his 20-year tenure with the Rodeo Cowboys Association.

“It’s a pretty cool deal and pretty humbling to be around the guys who are world champs. I knew a lot of them like Cody Custer and Mike Beers, and you look up to a lot of those guys. My father would have been humbled to be with them,” said Jack Walker, one of Enoch’s sons.

In 1960, the 28-year-old Walker had been knocking on the door of a gold buckle for years, placing third in 1957, second in 1958 and third again in 1959.

Walker entered the 1960 season with a plan for earning the gold buckle that literally took flight. He teamed up with Paul Templeton, who flew him from one rodeo to the next when his rodeo road trips got too hectic.

Walker arrived at the NFR in Dallas, Texas, leading the pack with $20,832 earned that season by placing 126 times at 56 rodeos and winning 21 rodeos throughout 1960, including Salinas, Calif., and Fort Worth, Texas.

He rode all 10 horses at the NFR in Dallas, placing on five of them – winning the NFR and the world title.

“I think it would have been great if he could have been here,” Jack Walker said. “It would have meant everything to him because of the caliber of people in the (ProRodeo) Hall of Fame; he would have thought it was really cool. These guys were all top of the world in their day, and I was on the bottom looking up, so it’s humbling for me to be here, but it would have been special for him to have seen it.”

Beers, a heeler, won his world championship while roping with header Dee Pickett, who was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2003. Beers qualified for the NFR 23 times in team roping (1980-95, 1997-98, 2000-03, 2007). He also qualified for the NFR in tie-down roping in 1981, 1983 and 1985 and for the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping in 1992.

“I’m going into rodeo immortality and 50 years from now, they are still going to remember my name,” Beers said. “That’s something you never think about when you’re a kid growing up rodeoing. You want to win a championship or make the Finals, but it is never a thought of being in the Hall of Fame. There’s three things I guess in my career I really remember. One was winning the world championship with Dee Pickett, the second one was making the Finals with my son, Brandon, in 2007, and now being inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. This is the icing on the cake.”

Custer’s eight trips to the NFR and 1992 bull riding world championship win landed him in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

“I found out that my permanent position will be next to John Quintana, and that’s a big deal because he was my hero as a kid,” Custer said. “It’s one of those deals where I’ve looked at the stuff here (at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame) and to see it next to a guy like that and then Ronnie Rossen and Charlie Sampson, it’s a cool deal. I took a picture of it, and I’ll send it to his (Quintana’s) son. I never met John as an adult, but I knew him as a kid and he made me feel like I belonged. I remember how he made me feel as a kid, and I try do that for kids now.”

Custer first joined the PRCA in 1985 and went on to qualify for the NFR from 1987-92, and again in 1998-99. He remained an active competitor through 2002.

“The people that have come here to be with me – everyone has a piece of this and it’s not just mine,” Custer said. “Corey Navarre is here too, I rodeoed with him and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have gone to the NFR in 1999 because I had wanted to go home.

“I told everyone here with me that this is theirs too – everyone from my mom and dad to the guys I rodeoed with, it’s an awesome thing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, everything I accomplished in the arena was because of my hard work and some talent. Being inducted is just a gift in my book.”

Ragsdale, for most of his adult life, has served the sport of rodeo as a competitor and as an ambassador. On Saturday, the cowboy they call “Rags” added “Hall of Famer” to his one-of-a-kind résumé.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Ragsdale said. “It’s just been a great experience. Kind of the last of the big events probably, for me. I’m not rodeoing anymore, so I’m reminiscing like we used to in the old days.”

Ragsdale, a 22-time NFR qualifier in steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping, recognized he will forever be cemented into history among the legends of the sport he holds so dear.

“Going through the Hall, that’s what’s amazing,” he said. “I know so many of them, and I can remember stories, and when I see someone, a story will pop up in my head or some event that happened. It’s neat. Even though they’re gone, I relive that in my mind.”

Ragsdale became the first and only left-handed roper to qualify for the NFR for 15 consecutive years from 1961-75. He also served as both the Vice President and President of the Rodeo Cowboys Association in the early ’70s, and is credited as the one to propose the association include “Professional” to the organization’s formal title.

Smith & Velvet was the definition of a late bloomer.

The horse, which was honored as the PRCA’s top bareback horse four times (1977, as Mr. Smith, and then 1979-80 and 1982, as Smith & Velvet), didn’t become an award-winning bucker until he was into his 20s.

This is Bobby Christensen’s third horse to be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. Christensen also has saddle bronc horses Miss Klamath (1998) and War Paint (2011) in the Hall, but Smith & Velvet is his first bareback horse to be enshrined.

“Early on, I never would’ve believed that he’d be in the Hall of Fame, but after he won horse of the year a few times I was thinking it would happen. It’s been 34 years since the horse died – I think the best way to describe this is late in coming, but well-deserved.

“When Smith & Velvet was in his prime, everybody wanted to see him and everybody wanted him at their rodeo. I could go to a committee and say, ‘Hey, I have the bareback horse of the year if you want to hire me to bring stock to your rodeo.’ That worked a lot of places.

“Smith & Velvet knew what he was doing, and liked what he was doing. He was even-tempered, and I rode him in his early years. But I wouldn’t have wanted to ride him in his later years, that’s for sure.”

Smith & Velvet died in 1983 in a tragic car accident that killed many of Christensen’s prized NFR horses. He says the horse was the pride and joy of his rodeo company.

The Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days celebrated its 83rd year of existence July 20-24.

The event has come a long way since its inception in 1934, when Ogden City Mayor Harman W. Peery organized a Western festival to boost the spirits of the locals and entice tourists to visit the city.

“We just got done with this year’s rodeo, and it really settled in with the community and the rodeo and the committee,” said Dave Halverson, the rodeo’s director. “We have had honors and people have shed tears of joy. People have been outstanding, and we are humbly honored to be recognized.”

The Ogden Pioneer Days is more than just a rodeo, it’s an event. It includes concerts, parades, farmer’s markets, and, of course, the rodeo at historic Ogden Pioneer Stadium.

“When you look at the community of Ogden – this is one of the biggest awards this city will receive, and so on behalf of the committee and the city, we’re honored and delighted to be so recognized,” said Alan Hall, chairman of the Ogden Pioneer Foundation. “We appreciate the (ProRodeo) Hall of Fame and the committee for the selection and all those who make this organization world class.”

Bush was multi-talented, becoming the most decorated cowgirl in the history of the WPRA (formerly the Girls Rodeo Association).

When the GRA first formed in 1948, Bush was one of the first to sign-up. All totaled, she won 32 world titles – nine all-around (1952, 1957-58, 1962-65, 1968-69), two barrel racing (1952-53), two cutting (1966, 1969), one flag race (1969), 11 calf roping (1951-56, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966-67) and seven ribbon roping titles (1951, 1953-54, 1956-59). She finished as reserve world champion in barrel racing three separate times.

While Bush’s barrel racing world titles came before the NFR began, she qualified seven times (1959-60, 1962-65, and 1974) for the NFR during her career.

“I’m honored to accept this honor for my mom, a famous legend, an icon, and my very best friend,” said Shanna Bush, Wanda’s daughter, who qualified for the NFR in 1984. “For my dear uncle, A.C. Harper, who said my mom was a world champion sister. How deserving to be the first woman inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. History is made today, and she did it by being just Wanda.”

Bush was inducted posthumously, having passed away Dec. 29, 2015.

“She was one to shy away from publicity, interviews and pictures,” Shanna said. “Material things just didn’t mean much to mom. She taught many movie stars, singers, governors, vice presidents and their kids to ride, or they bought horses from us. But no one ever knew when they came or went from our ranch, that’s just how our family was. She was a really appreciative person always content with just what she had.”

James may have had to wait 22 years to join her legendary horse, Scamper, in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, but was ecstatic to be a part of this historic class.

“I finally get to join him (Scamper), and that’s emotional,” said James, who now makes her home in Boerne, Texas. “Today is really a big deal, not only for me, my family, but I think for all the barrel racers of the WPRA. I couldn’t be more proud and humbled to be one of the first inductees as one of the barrel racers.”

James, who grew up in Clayton, N.M., the home of the very first barrel racing National Finals Rodeo in 1959, won the first of 10 consecutive world titles at the youthful age of 14 in 1984.

James was the first WPRA member to wear the coveted No. 1 back number in 1987, and became the first barrel racer to cross the $1 million mark in career earnings. In addition to the 10 consecutive world titles (1984-1993), James and Scamper won the NFR average title six times (1984, 1986-87, 1989-90 and 1993). In 1996, Scamper became the first and only barrel horse (until 2017) to be inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.

James would add a cherry on top of her illustrious career, returning to the top of the sport aboard Cruiser (Cruisin on Six) in 2002, winning her 11th world title and seventh NFR average title.

“My mom traveled a million miles with me and my whole family sacrificed, so this induction is not just about me, but also your family and friends,” James said. “The horses along the way, I couldn’t have been here without the great horses. Obviously, Scamper was a godsend. This is just like icing on the cake getting up here today and accepting this honor.”

Star Plaudit “Red” holds a very unique record in the world of professional rodeo, one that is not likely to ever be duplicated. The bay gelding won two world championships in the sport in a single year and contributed to a third, at the age of 12.

In 1962, Red, as he was affectionately known, carried his owner Sherry (Combs) Johnson to the GRA world title in the barrel racing. The horse also helped close family friend Tom Nesmith to the RCA world title in the steer wrestling, as well as the RCA all-around championship.

Johnson credits the steer wrestling with teaching Red how to run hard through the pattern.

“He (Red) was such a special, special horse,” Johnson said. “He was a really good bulldogging horse. We went to Denver, his first rodeo, and we won the go and I found out that day what run meant. He always ran his hardest. He was the best horse. I never had a horse like him, and he had heart. I believe that a barrel racer better know her barrel horse better than her husband, and I think we do.”

Red passed away at the age of 22.

With the 2017 class, the ProRodeo Hall of Fame now has enshrined 259 people, 33 animals and 28 rodeo committees.

49ERS AWARDED SPORTS HUMANITARIAN TEAM OF THE YEAR

BY ESPN FOR EDUCATION EFFORTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Three-time finalists, the franchise’s comprehensive community efforts recognized at Third Annual Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards presented by ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. –The San Francisco 49ers today received the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award, presented by ESPN and sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Recognized for its comprehensive education efforts in the community, the 49ers organization received the honor during the third annual Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards on Tuesday, July 11, at L.A. Live’s The Novo. The other finalists for this year’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award were the Chicago White Sox (MLB), Memphis Grizzlies (NBA), and the New York City Football Club (MLS). This year marked the third consecutive in which the 49ers were recognized as a finalist for the award.

ESPN’s Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award represents a sports team that demonstrates how teamwork between athletes and their team’s community relations efforts or foundations can create a significant impact on a community or cause. As winner of the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award, the 49ers will receive a $100,000 grant from ESPN to be directed towards a charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.

“Every Sunday, the 49ers take the field to win. The other 349 days of the year, we want to be the best football team and the best community citizens,” said 49ers Co-Chairman Dr. John York. “Through the 49ers Foundation’s efforts to keep kids ‘Safe, On Track, and In School,’ we inspire Bay Area children to succeed in life using sports as a pathway. We are honored that ESPN recognizes the 49ers educational efforts in the community.”

In addition to the San Francisco 49ers collectively donating over 1,200 hours of volunteer time to 75 community events and committing $4 million to local non-profits in 2016 alone, the team is also at the forefront of two innovative and highly impactful programs that use football to make lasting changes in the Bay Area.

First, the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute is a six-year curriculum that begins in 7th grade, continues through high school, and seeks to prepare students with high academic potential in STEM. During the 2016-2017 school year, over 40,000 hours of education have been provided, including integrated and open lab hours, tutoring, and enrichment events. Of the 60 students in the 2020 class, 50% have 4.0 GPAs and the average GPA is 3.81.

Second, the 49ers STEAM Education Program – which opened in 2014, provides informal learning experiences for K-8 students through its program that teaches standards-aligned (Common Core and Next Generation Science) lessons using the STEAM principles of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Housed within the Denise DeBartolo York Education Center at Levi’s Stadium, the program has reached over 150,000 participants since inception – free of charge – with over 50 percent of students coming from Title I designated schools.

The team’s youth efforts additionally translate on the field, where the team promotes football-focused physical activity for boys and girls through the 49ers Youth Football Program. The program, experienced by more than 31,000 participants as part of 138 events held in partnership with the NFL’s “Play 60” initiative in 2016, encourages children to get outside and play for 60 minutes each day.

A highlight reel of the San Francisco 49ers community and education efforts is available here: https://49ers.egnyte.com/dl/lPMeFCvMxc

A photo gallery of the San Francisco 49ers community and education efforts is available here:

http://www.49ers.com/photos/photo-gallery/2016-2017-Community-Highlights/d5ee9ff8-a51d-4033-8ac9-83180fe1c8a0

 About the San Francisco 49ers Foundation

The San Francisco 49ers Foundation is the non-profit community funding extension of the San Francisco 49ers. Now in its 26th year, the 49ers Foundation supports development programs for underserved youth to keep them “Safe, On Track, and In School.” Since 1991, the Foundation has donated $40 million to non-profits, committing $4 million in 2016 and supporting 75 community outreach events representing over 1,200 hours of service from 49ers players, alumni, ownership, coaches, executives and staff.  In recognition of their unparalleled commitment to charitable giving, the 49ers were the winners of the Beyond Sport 2015 Sport Team of the Year Award and one of four finalists for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award. For more information on the 49ers Foundation, please visit http://www.49ersfoundation.com.

About ESPN Corporate Citizenship

ESPN believes that, at its very best, sports uplifts the human spirit. Its corporate citizenship programs use power of sport to positively address society’s needs through strategic community investments, cause marketing programs, collaboration with sports organizations and employee volunteerism, while also utilizing its diverse media assets. For more information go to www.espn.com/citizenship.

On Friday, November 10, the 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Night will take place at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax.

Five athletes, one team and two builders will be honoured for their outstanding contributions to Nova Scotia sport, with an expected audience of up to 1,000 people in attendance to share in the celebration of these inductees’ achievements.

These inductees are Canadian champions, Olympians and Paralympians, and Pan American medalists. They have hoisted the Stanley Cup, officiated at the highest level and built championship teams from the ground up.

The evening will be hosted by Hall of Fame Executive Director and CBC broadcaster Bruce Rainnie. As master of ceremonies for the 19^th consecutive year, Rainnie will bring the inductees’ stories to life with his usual blend of humour and heartwarming interview style.

Tickets for the 2017 Induction Awards Night are on sale now at the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Call 902-404-3343 to place your order.

Here is a closer look at the Nova Scotia sport heroes who we will be honoured as the newest class of Hall of Famers on November 10:

Sarah Baker (Athlete Category), of Seabright, is a multi-Paralympic medalist in swimming, javelin and wheelchair basketball, winning gold in javelin and discus and bronze in swimming at the 1980 Games. Baker also holds multiple Para Pan Am medals (after competing in all three events in a single Games), a world record in javelin and a reputation as one of the greatest wheelchair multi-sport athletes of all time. Faced with health setbacks at a young age, Baker not only overcame the challenges but thrived as a triple threat in Paralympic sport, even as the only female player on the Nova Scotia Flying Wheels wheelchair basketball team. With Para Pan Am gold in basketball and backstroke, three National Games gold medals and her Paralympic success, Baker has been honoured as a Para Pan Am torch bearer and a dinner guest of the Prime Minister and Queen.

Amy Cotton (Athlete Category), of Judique, represented Canada in judo at two Olympics (2004 and 2012), while competing on the national judo team for 18 years. She has amassed 11 senior national medals and placed seventh at the World Championships in both 2005 and 2009. Cotton has made it to the podium a multitude of times, including eight Pan American Championships medals, bronze at the 2003 Pan American Games and 13 World Cup medals. As a World Team member for seven years, she has competed at a long list of other World Cup events and international open tournaments. Cotton has also claimed three gold and one silver at US Open events and was selected as an alternate for Canada’s Olympic team in 2008.

Todd King (Athlete Category), of Grand Lake, was named MVP and top hitter at the 1994 Canadian Senior Men’s Softball Championships, before playing on the Canadian Men’s National Fast Pitch Team from 1995 to 2000. With numerous All-Canadian honours to his name, King has led teams to silver and gold at the Senior Men’s National Championships and won two Pan-Am gold medals, from the 1995 and 1999 Games. A versatile player who has excelled at multiple positions at the international level, he has ranked as one of the province’s best third basemen of all time and has been named to three All-Star teams at Canadian Championships. King is also the ISC World Championships 1994 Top Hitter, an ISF World Championship silver medalist and an inductee in the Canadian Softball Hall of Fame.

Lucy Smith (Athlete Category), of Bedford, has dominated distance running across the country and around the world, with 19 Canadian Championship titles in running, duathlon and triathlon. She also captured five Canadian Open Cross Country Championship wins and two silver medals in duathlon at the World Championships during her long and successful professional career. Smith had a memorable first CIAU win in 1988, when she beat everyone to the finish line in 100 km/h winds. She continued to impress, with personal bests that very few Nova Scotian runners, even male track athletes, have been able to match. Smith never slowed down, capturing one of her World duathlon medals at the age of 38.

Colin White (Athlete Category), of New Glasgow, made a mark during his 13-year NHL career as a tough and physical defenseman for the New Jersey Devils. White was drafted 49^th overall in 1996 and helped the Devils win two Stanley Cups (one in 2000 and one in 2003). His two Stanley Cup wins are achievements that he adds to his Memorial Cup 1997 win with the Hull Olympiques. In 2012 he became one of only five players to have their jerseys retired by the QMJHL Olympiques. White finished his NHL career with one season with the San Jose Sharks, after having made a lasting impression with the Devils as a defenseman capable of putting up 20 points in a season.

The 1977 Cheema Canoe Team (Team Category) Forty years ago this team put Nova Scotia on the national stage for paddling and set the bar for the many canoe successes that came out of the province afterwards. This team, led by Coach Frank Garner, was the first Atlantic Canadian Canoe team to win a national championship. The national championships began in 1900, and no Nova Scotia team had managed to claim the title until the 1977 Cheema team from Waverley. Since Cheema created a turning point for Nova Scotia paddling, the province has dominated the national canoe sprint scene ever since, with Cheema earning seven of the 12 national championship victories. The 1977 team cleaned up with gold in junior ladies’ and men’s, silver in juvenile men’s and bronze in senior men’s. Ten of the club’s athletes and two coaches also went on to paddle for Team Canada at the 1977 North American Championships, winning 11 gold medals. Five of the athletes helped win four gold and five silver at the Canada Summer Games.

This team of outstanding paddlers included: Don Brien, Debbie Carr, Richard Clarke, Ian Crowley, Alan Dewtie, Elizabeth Drew, Jane Drew, Nancy Drew, Nelson Drysdale, Allyson Fehr, Leslie Fenerty, Brian Keevill, Joanne Lobban, Scott Logan, Allan MacDonald, Dave McNaughton, Allan McNaughton, Randy McDonald, Colleen McDonald, Loretta Mullen, Vincent Mullen, Anne Murray, Dave Murray, Brian O’Leary, Mike O’Leary, Dave Pelham, Tom Pelham, Ian Ramsey, Don Robertson, Sue Viczko, Dan Viney, Greg Walker, Nancy Walker, Cynthia Weir, Coral Wickstrom, Steve Wickstrom, Joy Williams, Gail Wood, Sherry Wyse, Frank Garner (head coach), C.L. “Bud” Dodge (team manager), Ron Orton (coach), Bill Lobban (coach), Llyod Burley (coach), and Rick Wood (coach).

Brad Barton (Builder Category), of Jordantown, has supported the development of volleyball as a coach, official and administrator at all levels. The Canadian Volleyball Association Referee in Chief from 1978 to 1985, Barton has officiated two Olympic and one Pan Am Games, a World Championships and three World Student Games. He has held several positions within Volleyball Nova Scotia, including Referee-in-Chief, and he has used his international officiating badge to serve as Co-Head Instructor of the 1983 International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) clinic and as International Referee Liaison at the 2015 FIVB World League in Halifax. Barton has received numerous awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Award and the Order of Canada, and he is also an active member of his community, having volunteered his time on the boards of many community organizations.

Mike Kelly (Builder Category), originally from Saint John, New Brunswick, dedicated many years to developing premier hockey teams, starting with the Twin Cities Hockey League in 1963. Kelly followed this success with his involvement in two Nova Scotian hockey dynasties, co-founding and directing the Halifax Junior Canadiens, and serving as VP of Operations for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs between 1971 and 1983. His Voyageurs were the first AHL team in the Atlantic Provinces, and their Calder Cup successes packed the stands at both the Halifax Forum and the Halifax Metro Centre. Kelly was also responsible for founding the Dartmouth Lakers Junior Hockey Team, founding the Valley Hockey School and leading the Halifax Moosehead Junior A Hockey Team as Vice President of Operations. He directed multiple hockey organizations, as well, and served as Vice President of the Maritime Amateur Hockey Association. Mike Kelly is being inducted posthumously.
For more information contact Shane Mailman at 902-404-3339 / [email protected]