BERLIN- The Stephen Decatur High School varsity football “Tough Guy of the Week” awards are set to return to the sports section of The Dispatch next week.
Started 20 years ago by Atlantic Physical Therapy (ATP) patriarch Bob Hammond, the “Tough Guy of the Week” award is handed out weekly to the Decatur player who most exemplifies the spirit of Seahawk football. The award acknowledges the efforts of an individual player, or sometimes a unit on the team, that do the little things to help the team win that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.
Most of the accolades in football at any level are reserved for the glamour guys, the golden-armed quarterbacks and fleet running backs who put points on the board and thrill the crowds, but the weekly “Tough Guy” award is handed out to the Decatur player who did the most behind the scenes to help his team.
The “Tough Guy” award recognizes those players. After every Decatur game, the Hammond family presents a trophy to the tough guy of the week. At the end of the season, a “Tough Guy of the Year” award is presented to the player who best represented the qualities of the award week in and week out during the season. The Seahawks open a promising 2022 campaign on the road on Friday against Bennett in a rare 1 p.m. start time.
