MINNEAPOLIS, MN - April 12, 2015 - The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation will present a new award at the 8th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on May 3. The inaugural Stacy Robinson Leadership Award will honor its namesake’s legacy of leadership and recognize an outstanding high school senior. Garrett Gardner of St. Paul Central High School, which Robinson also attended, is the 2015 recipient of the award.

For his leadership in athletics, the classroom and the community, Garrett Gardner will receive the Stacy Robinson award in its first year. Like Robinson, he grew up playing at Jimmy Lee playground and went on to play football and basketball and ran track at Central.

The 2014 St. Paul City Conference Player of the Year, Gardner excelled as both a running back and linebacker for Central. The all-state player and two-year captain led the Minutemen to a berth in their section championship game last fall, the program’s farthest playoff run ever. Gardner rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a senior and scored 53 touchdowns the last two years. He tallied more than 250 career tackles. Gardner’s leadership helped his teammates line up correctly on the field, and drew a record number of participants to voluntary offseason workouts.

Gardner is an honor roll student who serves as a mentor to fellow students. He was selected to the School Climate Committee to help make Central’s learning environment better for students and staff. Gardner plans to major in sports medicine and play football at Wyoming.

Gardner has volunteered for years at Jimmy Lee playground with his father, Richard, and other youth coaches, giving back to the place that helped him develop his athletic skills. Gardner helps teach young football players, and sets an example with his positive, respectful and friendly attitude.

The new award’s namesake, Stacy Robinson, grew up in St. Paul, excelled at every level of athletics and served as a leader in the community. The Minutemen’s football and basketball standout and two-event state track champion went on to star in two sports at North Dakota State, where he was later inducted into the Bison’s hall of fame.

Robinson helped the football Bison make the 1982 semifinals, win the 1983 national championship and finish second in 1984. He is one the NDSU’s most prolific wide receivers, compiling 88 catches for 1,626 yards and 13 touchdowns in three seasons. He was named a third-team All-American. On the track, Robinson won six North Central Conference titles and two All-America honors.

This success continued into Robinson’s pro career (1985-1990 seasons), as he won two Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants. His greatest impact may have come after his retirement as a player. Robinson worked with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), as Director of Player Development to help players prepare for careers off the field. He also spent time working in student services at Southwest Minnesota State University and Minneapolis Community College.  Robinson passed away in 2012.  His legacy of leadership will be carried forward with the Stacy Robinson Leadership Award.

The 8th Annual Minnesota Football Honors, presented by the Minnesota Vikings, will take place Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Hilton Minneapolis. College and professional football Hall of Fame inductees are scheduled to attend the event, and WCCO-TV news personality Frank Vascellaro will return for his eighth year as Master of Ceremonies. The event is open to the public. To register or for additional information about this year’s Minnesota Football Honors, please visit www.minnesotafootballhonors.com. For sponsorship information, please email lindsay@nffmn.org.