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2016 C Spire Conerly Trophy to be Awarded on Nov. 29 in Clarksdale

2016-08-19

Award honoring state’s top college football player celebrates 21 years

Jackson, Mississippi (August 19, 2016) - The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and C Spire will return to Clarksdale, Mississippi, on Tuesday, Nov. 29, to present the 2016 C Spire Conerly Trophy, which annually honors the state’s best college football player. Clarksdale is the hometown of the award's namesake, Charlie Conerly.

The C Spire Conerly Trophy has been awarded since 1996, with this year marking its 21st anniversary. The award is named in honor of the late Charlie Conerly, former Ole Miss and New York Giants quarterback. Conerly, a Clarksdale native, was an All-American at Ole Miss and a Pro Bowl standout for the Giants who led New York to three NFL Championship games and one NFL Championship.

Past winners of the C Spire Conerly Trophy have included such former and current NFL standouts as Deuce McAllister, Eli Manning, Jerious Norwood, Michael Boley, Patrick Willis, Anthony Dixon, Austin Davis and Dak Prescott.

C Spire has sponsored the C Spire Outstanding Player Series since 1998. The series includes the C Spire Conerly Trophy for football, the C Spire Howell-Gillom Trophies for men’s and women’s college basketball, and the C Spire Ferriss Trophy for the top college baseball player. The Museum and C Spire do not nominate or vote for any of the finalists. All of Mississippi’s four-year schools nominate the athletes and print and electronic news media (football and basketball) representatives or Major League scouts and college coaches (baseball) select the winners.

“We’re proud to bring the Conerly Trophy back to its roots in Clarksdale for this 21st anniversary celebration,” said Hu Meena, president and CEO of C Spire. “As a young boy growing up in Clarksdale, Charlie Conerly was a hero of mine. This award was created in his honor by the Conerly family to remember him and his accomplishments and to recognize Mississippi’s top college football player of the year. It’s always exciting and an honor to see who will be named the recipient each year.”

The 21st annual C Spire Conerly Trophy presentation is scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at the Clarksdale Country Club. A 5:30 p.m. reception will be followed by the trophy presentation at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, please contact the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum at 1-800-280-FAME (3263), 601-982-8264 or generalinfo@msfame.com.

About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides premium experiences designed specifically for its customers, including wireless communications, high-speed Internet access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.