Griese Honored With Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Former University of Michigan quarterback Brian Griese has been honored with the Big Ten's Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, it was announced Tuesday (Nov. 25). The award recognizes Big Ten football players that have achieved success in humanitarianism after their college careers have ended.
Griese guided the Wolverines to an undefeated season in 1997 that led to Michigan's 11th national championship. He was named MVP of the Rose Bowl after the Wolverines' victory over Washington State capped the perfect season, and was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2012. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, his 11-year NFL career included two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.
In 2002, Griese founded Judi's House, named in honor of his mother who succumbed to breast cancer when he was 12 years old. The organization seeks to help grieving children and their caregivers in the Denver area. In 2011, Griese was honored for his work with Judi's House when he was given the Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, which celebrates and promotes the selfless service of people within the world of sports.
He also helped establish what would become the Griese, Hutchinson and Woodson Champions for Children's Hearts golf weekend in May of 2007. The event benefited the capital campaign for construction of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital as well as the Michigan Congenital Heart Center (MCHC) which resides within Mott. He also remains involved with the From the Heart Organization, a relationship that dates back to his playing days in Ann Arbor when he would visit Mott every week.
Griese has served as a college football analyst for ESPN since 2009 and will be in the booth Saturday for the Wolverines' regular-season finale at Ohio State that airs on ABC at noon.
The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award is part of the Big Ten's annual awards program and is named for Minnesota's Tony Dungy and Indiana's Anthony Thompson.
Media Contact: Derek Satterfield (734) 647-1192
