DALLAS (FWAA) – Statement from Steve Richardson, FWAA Executive Director, on the passing of Eddie Robinson, the namesake of the FWAA/Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Coach of the Year Award.

"College football has lost a great friend and coach. Eddie Robinson is an American icon. His ability to coach and lead young men will be forever remembered. Coach Robinson had a remarkable record – all at one school. His longevity and his ability to keep the coaching fires burning for six decades will only be one of his legacies. His love for this country and for the youth of America will always be characteristics to be admired. Winning was important to Eddie Robinson, but he always did it with class and dignity."

The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 900 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America team.

For more information, contact FWAA executive director Steve Richardson (972-713-6198 or tiger@fwaa.com).

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Others on the passing of Eddie Robinson:

National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame President Steve Hatchell: "Eddie Robinson embodied everything great about our game. Inspired at an early age by a coach to be a coach, he understood the impact a coach could have on his players, and he dedicated his life to ensuring that the young men who played for him took advantage of as many opportunities as possible, especially when it came to their educations. Coach Robinson's legacy will endure through the ages, and the National Football Foundation takes great pride in its role in promoting his story as a College Football Hall of Fame inductee for future generations to emulate."

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, winner of the 2006 Eddie Robinson Award: "We lost a great man in Coach Eddie Robinson. He has a profound impact on some many lives both in the game of football and in the real world. It is an honor to have my name associated with the Eddie Robinson/Football Writers Association of America Award. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the entire Grambling State University family."

Eddie Robinson Award
• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award | All-time winners