FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Clare Graff, NFL

NFL 2/1/13 212/450-2435/clare.graff@nfl.com

ST. XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL HEAD FOOTBALL COACH STEVE SPECHT NAMED DON SHULA NFL HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE YEAR

Twenty-One Year Coaching Veteran from Cincinnati, OH Honored By Coach Shula

St. Xavier High School Head Football Coach STEVE SPECHT was named the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year, it was announced today. As the national Shula Award winner, Specht will receive $25,000, $15,000 of which will go to his high school’s football program. He also is a guest of the NFL during Super Bowl Week. Shula congratulated Specht and presented him with the award at a press conference today in New Orleans. Nominated by GREG SCRUGGS of the Seattle Seahawks, Specht, of Cincinnati, OH, was one of three high school football coaches from across the country named as a finalist for the award, which was created to honor exemplary high school football coaches who demonstrate a commitment to player health & safety, and the integrity, achievement, and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula. Scruggs surprised Specht at today’s ceremony. The other finalists were Woodland Hills High School Head Football Coach GEORGE NOVAK from Pittsburgh, PA and James Logan High School Head Football Coach GEORGE ZUBER from Union City, CA. Each finalist receives a $2,500 cash award and a $5,000 grant for their high school football programs. A full list of all nominees for this year’s award is below. All nominated coaches are active or retired high school football coaches and were nominated by NFL teams and players for their character and integrity, inspirational leadership, commitment to the community and on-field success. In his nomination essay, Scruggs wrote, “Coach Specht is an honorable, respectable man of integrity who has made an impact in my life and every player he has touched.” As part of his nomination, Specht wrote of his responsibility as a coach. “I think any great organization is composed of people that love one another, focus on the daily pursuit of excellence and understand that no one is able to succeed alone,” he said “I firmly believe that our responsibility as coaches and teachers is to equip these young men with tools that will motivate them for life, not just for a game.” Specht has coached five players who have gone on to play in the NFL. Specht also works closely with USA Football and is training to be a Master Trainer in their Heads Up Tackling program. The Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award selection panel is comprised of Coach Shula; former Dallas Cowboys Personnel Director and NFL.com contributor GIL BRANDT; former Indianapolis Colts Coach and current NBC analyst TONY DUNGY; veteran sportswriter JACK FLEISCHER; Executive Director of USA Football SCOTT HALLENBECK; Former Raiders Coach and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame JOHN MADDEN; General RAYMOND ODIERNO, Army Chief of Staff; Former Secretary of State, Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution and faculty member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business CONDOLEEZA RICE; Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association GRANT TEAFF; and AARON THOMAS, Athletic Director at Aplington-Parkersburg High School and son of the school’s late football coach Ed Thomas.

2012 DON SHULA NFL HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

COACH SCHOOL CITY NOMINATED BY

Shaun Aguano Chandler High School Chandler, AZ Cameron Jordan New Orleans Saints

Earl Bauman St. Michael-Albertville High School Saint Michael, MN Matt Spaeth Chicago Bears

Harrison Chisum Fort Morgan High School Fort Morgan, CO Joel Dreessen Denver Broncos

Dominick Ciao Berkeley High School Tampa, FL Garrison Sanborn Buffalo Bills

Graham Clark Dobyns-Bennett High School Kingsport, TN Daniel Kilgore San Francisco 49ers

Ron Cohen George Washington High School Philadelphia, PA Jameel McClain Baltimore Ravens

Steve Coury Lake Oswego High School Lake Oswego, OR Gabe Miller Chicago Bears

Mark Crabtree Dublin Coffman High School Dublin, OH Mike Adams Pittsburgh Steelers

Tom Crawford Bishop Diego High School Santa Barbara, CA Scott Winnewisser New Orleans Saints

J.T. Curtis John Curtis High School New Orleans, LA New Orleans Saints

Rodney Decipeda John Hay High School Cleveland, OH Cleveland Browns

Brian Fletcher William Horlick High School Racine, WI Chris Maragos Seattle Seahawks

John Griffin Fort Vancouver High School Vancouver, WA Rian Lindell Buffalo Bills

Brandon Harris Pittman High School Turlock, CA Colin Kaepernick San Francisco 49ers

Dan Higgins Piscataway High School Piscataway, NJ Kyle Wilson New York Jets

Matt Irvin Kirkwood High School Saint Louis, MO Kyle Eversgerd St. Louis Rams

John King Longview High School Longview, TX Chris Ivory New Orleans Saints

Ty Layton Diamond Ranch High School Pomona, CA Charles Brown New Orleans Saints

Gary Lee Hamady High School Flint, MI Mark Ingram New Orleans Saints

Tony Lindsay South High School Denver, CO Denver Broncos

Dwight Lundeen Becker High School Becker, MN Minnesota Vikings

Tom Maderia Burlington Township High School Burlington, NJ Rod Streater Oakland Raiders

Steve Marlowe Skyline High School Salt Lake City, UT Tony Bergstrom Oakland Raiders

Curtis McCauley McClymonds High School Oakland, CA Oakland Raiders

Myron Miller Tustin High School Tustin, CA Frostee Rucker Cleveland Browns

Bill Mondt Eaton High School Eaton, CO Mitch Unrein Denver Broncos

Doug Morris San Lorenzo Valley High School Felton, CA Andy Levitre Buffalo Bills

George Novak Woodland Hills High School Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh Steelers

Jim Oddo Charlotte Catholic High School Charlotte, NC Carolina Panthers

Gerard Pannoni South County High School Lorton, VA Washington Redskins

Brian Paschal Conley High School Greenville, NC Terrance Copper Kansas City Chiefs

Ed Pilscher Bainbridge High School Bainbridge, GA Atlanta Falcons

Randy Robinson Daniel High School Central, SC Jarvis Jenkins Washington Redskins

Ricky Rodriguez Largo High School Largo, FL Dexter McCluster Kansas City Chiefs

Jay Roth Archbishop Rummel High School Metairie, LA New Orleans Saints

Jay Roth Archbishop Rummel High School Metairie, LA Craig Steltz Chicago Bears

Bob Sexton Beatrice High School Beatrice, NE Mike Higgins New Orleans Saints

Jeff Smith King George High School King George, VA Jermon Bushrod New Orleans Saints

Steve Specht St.Xavier High School Cincinnati, OH Greg Scruggs Seattle Seahawks

Jeff Traylor Gilmer High School Gilmer, TX David Snow Buffalo Bills

Chris Wade Americus High School Americus, GA Leonard Pope Pittsburgh Steelers

Jeff Weachter Bishop McDevitt High School Harrisburg, PA Aaron Berry New York Jets

Darrell Williams San Jose High School San Jose, CA San Francisco 49ers

Todd Wofford Central Gwinnett High School Lawrenceville, GA Kendrick Lewis Kansas City Chiefs

George Zuber James Logan High School Union City, CA DeJon Gomes Washington Redskins

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