Sam Mills, recently retired National Football League great and current linebacker coach for the Carolina Panthers, will serve as the keynote speaker at the 32nd Annual Vince Lombardi Awards dinner. The event will be held March 5 at the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, Eatontown.
The awards dinner is coordinated annually by the Rotary Clubs of Monmouth County, with the proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society, The Haiti Project and United Way of Monmouth County.
The Vince Lombardi Award honors Monmouth County’s outstanding high school linemen. The players selected best exemplify the traditions and ideals of the legendary Vince Lombardi, longtime coach of the Green Bay Packers. Although the award was originally founded on the college level, the Rotary Club of Monmouth County received special permission to present the award on a high school level. Currently, the Monmouth County dinner is the only one of its kind held in New Jersey.
Mills began his football career at Long Branch High School, where he, too, was a recipient of the Vince Lombardi Award. Mills continued playing at Montclair State College, a Division III school, where he was a standout. He was named captain in his junior year and was named Kodak All-American as a senior. While at Montclair, he set numerous school records, including 501 career tackles. His 142 tackles as a sophomore set the school single-season mark and his 22-tackle performance as a junior established a single-game record. The N.J. Collegiate Football Writers Association named him three times as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Mills began his professional career with the U.S. Football League and helped the Stars win titles in 1983 and ‘84. Overall, he played 12 seasons in the NFL, the first nine with the New Orleans Saints and the final three with the Carolina Panthers. During those years, he recorded 1,319 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 11 interceptions and four touchdowns, while starting 173 of 181 games. This dedication and hard work earned him five Pro Bowl selections, including one while with the Panthers in 1996.
Mills, who has been called one of the best linebackers to ever put on a uniform in the NFL, is now imparting his knowledge and wealth of experience as the Panthers’ linebacker coach. He is an integral part in shaping the Carolina defense, overcoming many obstacles and helping to guide the team to this past year’s visit to the Super Bowl.
Mills will be joined at the podium by retired NFL punter Dave Jennings and Monmouth University head football coach Kevin Callahan.
Among those receiving the Lombardi award this year are: Joseph Miscia, Long Branch; James Showanes, Monmouth Regional; Paul McLernan, Ocean Township; Daniel Modlin, Red Bank Catholic; Mark Biafore, Red Bank Regional; Austin Atwell, Rumson-Fair Haven; Chris Matthews, Shore Regional; and Phil Penta, St. John Vianney.
Other awards to be presented include the Team of the Year, won by Middletown South; and Coach of the Year, to Red Bank Regional’s Harry Chebookjian. Neptune’s Clifton Hocutt will also receive the John Tuggle Award, which is presented to an athlete who has overcome adversity, met overwhelming challenges and succeeded.
Meridian Health, comprised of Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center and Riverview Medical Center, is the corporate sponsor for this year’s dinner. For further information or to make a reservation, call Laura Schembri at United Way of Monmouth County, (732) 938-5988. Tickets for the event are $50 per person, and the deadline for reservations is March 27.