50th Anniverary Pop Warner Scholastic Banquet & National Convention

Pop Warner Awards 2010 Inspiration To Youth Award To New England Patriots Wide Receiver Julian Edelman At 50th All-American Scholar Banquet

Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc., the world’s largest youth football, cheerleading and dance organization, will present the Pop Warner Inspiration To Youth Award to New England Patriots Wide Receiver Julian Edelman at its annual All-American Scholar Banquet May 29th at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

Julian Edelman’s path to the NFL was not an easy one after starring as a Running Back/Linebacker for the Redwood (Calif.) Pop Warner program winning two Pop Warner Super Bowl Championships, Julian transitioned to Quarterback and led Woodside High School (Calif.) his senior year to a 13-0 record and Championship, Edelman played a year in junior college at the College of San Mateo before transferring to Kent State and becoming a three-year starter.

He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft and in his rookie season played in 11 games and made seven starts after transitioning from Quarterback to Wide Receiver. After teammate Wes Welker (Inspiration to Youth Award Winner in 2008) went down with an injury, Edelman made his first postseason game start and became the first Patriots rookie to score two touchdowns in a postseason game.

“A determined player since his playing days in Pop Warner, Julian Edelman had to do what helped make his team better and converted to wide receiver to play for the New England Patriots. In his rookie season, Julian emerged and played a significant role next to the Patriots Pro Bowl wide receivers. His determination and commitment to the game is an Inspiration to our participants,” said Jon Butler, Executive Director of Pop Warner.

Past recipients of the Inspiration to Youth Award include Earnest Graham (2009), Wes Welker (2008), Larry Johnson (2007), LeCharles Bentley (2006), Kurt Warner (2005), Tim Brown (2004), Priest Holmes (2002), Drew Bledsoe (2001), Terrell Davis (1999), Derrick Thomas (1997), Emmitt Smith (1996) and Junior Seau (1994) to name a few.

Among the other awards to be given out on Saturday night will be Pop Warner’s NFL Team of the Year awarded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Additional Awardees include:

Pop Warner Warner Award – Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver
Pop Warner Humanitarian Award – The Moss Foundation, Sinorice & Santana Moss
Pop Warner Female Achievement Award – Bonnie Bernstein, Sports Analyst and Radio Personality
Gold Football Award – Sean Landeta, Former Punter, New York Giants
Lifetime Achievement Award – Art McNally, Pop Warner Board Member/Former Director of NFL Officiating

The banquet honors the most academically advanced student-athletes from Pop Warner programs nationwide and recognizes several individuals and public figures for their commitment to academics, athletics, communities, and the betterment of youths across America. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the event.
Pop Warner is the only youth sports organization that requires academic guidelines for its members to participate in its programs. Each year participants with high academic standings (96% GPA) are encouraged to apply for recognition at the event. Also factored into consideration are school-oriented extracurricular activities and community service commitments from the previous year.

This year’s All-American Scholars comprise the top one percent of all Pop Warner participants nationwide. Over 8,000 scholar-athletes were named to the First Team, Second Team or Honorable Mention All-American Scholars, based on a score calculated from the student’s grade point average and addendum activities.

First Team All-American Scholar is the highest achievement a Pop Warner student-athlete can achieve, with only 35 football participants and 35 cheerleaders and dancers selected per grade level. First Team All-American Scholars in eighth grade and higher are also eligible for one of many scholarships awarded at the banquet.

About Pop Warner:
Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Langhorne, PA, Pop Warner Little Scholars is the world's largest youth football, cheerleading and dance organization and the only youth sports organization that emphasizes academics as a prerequisite for participation. Currently there are over 400,000 children in Pop Warner organizations in 43 states, Guam, Scotland, Germany, Russia, Japan and Mexico. The NFLPA estimates that 70% of all current NFL Players got their starts in Pop Warner programs. For more information on Pop Warner and its programs visit www.popwarner.com. You may follow Pop Warner on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/Pop_Warner

# # #

Media Contacts:
Jason Howarth
Conover Tuttle Pace
508-353-0063 (cell)
jhowarth@ctpboston.com