Chris Cannon posted on November 23, 2010 16:38
Rome, GA (November 23, 2010) - Character matters. That's a lesson that is taught throughout the season at NAIA institutions, and it's a lesson that will receive special focus as the top two football teams in the NAIA gather for the festivities leading up to the Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship.
On Thursday, Dec. 16, the teams and coaches vying for the championship will join with community leaders, sponsors, and members of the public for the FCA Champions of Character Breakfast, which will begin at 8 a.m. in The Forum in downtown Rome. The featured speaker is a familiar face in Georgia athletics and the Rome community: Todd Wheeler, who was a multi-sport standout at Pepperell High before playing football at the University of Georgia and for the New Orleans Saints.
Tickets for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Champions of Character Breakfast are $25 for an individual ticket or $300 for a sponsor's table of 10. They can be purchased through the Forum at forumevents.org. The breakfast is sponsored by Chick-fil-A.
"I am honored to speak at the NAIA Champions of Character Breakfast," Wheeler said. "Building character is a very important step in a young person's life. I have always felt that character is one of those tools that help a person get through the tough times in life. Without character, I do not know if I could have gotten through some of the trials of my own life."
Wheeler, who now serves as offensive coordinator for the Rome High Wolves and is also a cancer survivor, will share with students about the importance of character on the playing field and in life.
"There is no more respected individual than Todd Wheeler, and we are fortunate to have someone in our midst with such a great story to tell," said Rome attorney Bob Berry, who serves as co-chair of the NAIA host committee. Wheeler follows in the tradition of other outstanding featured speakers that have included Fisher DeBerry and Phil Jones.
At Pepperell High, Wheeler earned honors as an All-State Offensive Lineman, was a member of the Atlanta Journal Georgia Super 11 Football Offense, and was selected to play in the North-South All-Star Football Game and the Georgia-Florida All-Star Football Game.
He received a full athletic grant to the University of Georgia, where he was Freshman of the Year, was the All-SEC 1st Team Center as selected by the AP/UPI and the Southeastern Conference Coaches, was an ESPN All-American, and was named to the College and Pro Weekly Magazine All-American Team. In 1988 he played in both the Hula Bowl All-Star Game and the Senior Bowl All-Star Game. He was Coach Vince Dooley's last team captain voted on by his teammates and was selected as a member of the University of Georgia's All-Decade Team of the 1980s.
Wheeler spent two seasons with the New Orleans Saints before returning to Rome, where he has taught and coached in the high school ranks for more than 20 years.
Tickets for the FCA Champions of Character Breakfast are available for purchase from The Forum by calling (706) 291-5281, (800) 858-7601, or visiting www.forumevents.org <http://www.forumevents.org> . Also available are tickets to the Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship Game, which will be played Saturday, Dec. 18, at 4:30 p.m. Game tickets are $25 each, but can be purchased at an early-bird discount of $15 each now through Dec. 1.
The NAIA Banquet of Champions will be held Friday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Forum. Tickets for this event are $25 for an individual ticket or $300 for a sponsor's table of 10.
For more information on the 2010 championship game, visit www.NAIANationalChampionship.com.