The 2012 Jerry Colangelo Award will be given to
Pat Williams
Pat Williams’ life is all about inspiration. As senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Williams inspires players and coaches alike with his positive attitude and expertise. He helped co-found the team with Jim Hewitt in 1987 and served as its general manager. The team reached the NBA Finals in 1995, and Williams moved into the vice president’s role the next year.
Williams has inspired sports teams and fans for decades, spending seven years with the Philadelphia Phillies – two as a minor league catcher and five years in the front office – as well as three years with the Minnesota Twins. He came to the NBA in 1968 as general manager for teams in Chicago, Atlanta and Philadelphia, including the 1983 World Champion 76ers. Williams’ career is interwoven with NBA history, having traded such legendary players as Pete Maravich, Julius Erving, and Moses Malone and drafting notables like Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Maurice Cheeks. Twenty-eight of his former players have become head coaches, 19 in the NBA ranks and 9 in college ranks.
Williams passes on his years of inspiration to others through his writing, and he has authored more than 70 books, most recently “Leadership Excellence.” Most of his volumes share secrets of success from sports leaders like legendary coach John Wooden and Bear Bryant to other historic figures like Jesus, Solomon and Walt Disney. He is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and has addressed audiences ranging from Fortune 500 companies to universities and nonprofits.
The parents of 19 children – with 14 adopted from four nations – Williams and wife Ruth have inspired many families over the years. The family has been featured in several magazines and on television shows with their touching story. The couple has penned several books together on tips for healthy marriages and parenting.
A native of Delaware, Williams earned degrees at Wake Forest – where he played catcher for the Demon Deacons and is in the school’s sports Hall of Fame – and Indiana University. He spent seven years in the U.S. Army, teaches Sunday school at First Baptist Church in Orlando and hosts three weekly radio shows. He is a marathoner and participates each winter in the Major League Baseball Fantasy Camps as a catcher.
The 2012 Bobby Jones Award will be given to
David Robinson
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While David Robinson made a great impression as a star athlete, he continues to make an impact on communities long after hanging up his size 17 Nikes. Nicknamed “The Admiral,” Robinson played basketball at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was a two-time All American and received both the Naismith and John Wooden Player of the Year awards.
Robinson was drafted in 1987 by the San Antonio Spurs, but delayed his NBA career to complete his Navy commitment. He joined the team in 1989 and played until his retirement after the 2003 NBA Championship in which Robinson won his second ring with the Spurs. During his stellar career, Robinson won Rookie of the Year honors, was a ten-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year and MVP among many others. He was a three-time Olympian, won the NBA Sportsman Award, and was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He posted career averages of 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
While his legend on the hardwood is indisputable, Robinson’s legacy of service and philanthropy are his current hallmarks. He and wife Valerie founded the David Robinson Foundation in November 1992, a Christian organization supporting programs which meet physical and spiritual needs of families. For years, he has purchased a block of 50 tickets to each Spurs home game for participants in his Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood of Achievers program.
In 2001, the Robinsons gave the funds to begin The Carver Academy in San Antonio, named for African American botanist and educator George Washington Carver. The independent school serves a diverse population of pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students from the city’s eastside, focusing on service and faith to inspire young people to leadership, integrity and discipline.
A dedicated man of faith, Robinson’s honors for service and philanthropy are many. He was inducted into the World Humanitarian Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and received the 1999 Good Guys in Pro Sports Award. He was given a Patriot Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in 2000, and in 2003, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that future winners of the league’s Community Assist Award would receive the David Robinson Plaque in honor of his high standards of community improvement.
Robinson and wife Valerie have three sons: David Maurice, Corey Matthew and Justin Michael.
