CTE 2007 Photo Gallery by Sac D at pbase.com

CTE 2007

Commitment to Excellence Award Dinner 2007 - Honoring Nnamdi Asomugha
















			Kirk Morrison

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Sac D		12-Mar-2007 00:37
This past Friday night, the Steering Committee for the Oakland Raiders and the Raider Nation came together to honor Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha who is the recipient of the 2006 Commitment to Excellence Award. The breakout defensive player received the award for his exemplification of Pride and Poise and for showing the spirit of The Oakland Raiders both on and off the field. The gala event consisted of fans, current and former players, coaches and Raiders staff members, who were all there for a sole purpose, to show their support for Asomugha and the Silver and Black. Each year the Steering Committee comes together and hosts the award dinner to honor a player who demonstrates Pride and Poise for the Oakland Raiders. During the season, teammates vote for the player they think exemplifies these qualities and dedication, and that player is then honored on the field at the last home game of the season. The Commitment to Excellence Award has existed for over 20 years, and was known in the past as the Gorman Award. In 1995, when the Raiders moved back to Oakland from Los Angeles, they changed the name to The Commitment to Excellence Award. Since then, The Oakland Raiders have strived to make this award and ceremony more prestigious than previous years. This does not happen without the help of all 50 Booster Clubs worldwide that are recognized by the Raiders, 22 of which are Steering Committee Clubs. As the night began, guests attended a cocktail reception featuring hors d'oeouvres and an opportunity to capture the night with their very own professional photo session. They also had the chance to participate in a silent auction which consisted of autographed memorabilia, game tickets, gift certificates and more. Later, guests had the opportunity to take part in the live auction as well as dance the night away. All of the proceeds of the event benefit the charity Nnamdi's mother founded, Orphans and Widows in Need. The Master of Ceremonies for the night, Raiders Report host and Fox Sports radio personality J.T. "The Brick" kicked off the dinner by congratulating Asomugha and introducing Raiders Chief Executive Amy Trask. She welcomed all in attendance and confirmed that the Raiders have the most supportive fans in the NFL. She also passed on a little piece of advice, "Walk safely and bring a aafety." This quote led her to introduce Raiders FS Stuart Schweigert. Good friend and teammate Schweigert started off by saying that Asomugha is a well deserved recipient of this award. He stated, "It's nice to see Nnamdi get awarded for all of his hard work. He works harder than anyone else on the team. For example, during our off-season Asomugha has been getting up at 6:30 a.m. every morning and hits the weight room where he works out for two hours." Schweigert also had the honor in introducing all former and current Raiders players as well as coaches present for the evening. Teammates included last year's award recipient and fellow Pro Bowler DE Derrick Burgess, RB Adimchinobe Echemandu, LB Kirk Morrison, and LB Isaiah Ekejiuba. Former Raider teammate and close friend Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was also present, surprising Asomugha at the event. Current assistant coaches Don Martindale and Raiders Hall of Famer Willie Brown, were also in attendance. Chairperson of the Booster Club's Steering Committee, Dave Laughlin, had the next opportunity speak at the podium. He started off by thanking everyone for attending and went on the say how excited honored he was to present the award to Asomugha, "Nnamdi is a perfect example of what this award means. He is dedicated and hard working and we are honored to have him as our Commitment to Excellence Award recipient." Willie Brown spoke about Asomugha's dedication, determination, and hard work, he said, "He's grown as a player and he is well on his way to greatness." Gbaja-Biamila spoke about how great Asomugha is as an athlete and as a person, "Nnamdi is a grounded individual and when I got signed to the Raiders he was able to open his door to me and allow me to live with him." Asomugha was presented the award by Laughlin on behalf of the Booster Club's Steering Committee. After a long standing ovation, he thanked everyone for attending and said, "I was not expecting something this big. It shows that people are watching and appreciating what you do, this means a whole lot to me. Normally I have a lot of jokes to tell but tonight I am overcome by emotion. I want to thank my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for showing up. And to the Raider fans, thank you for supporting me and our team." This season was truly Asomugha's breakout year. He played a vital role for the defense and even earned a late invitation to the Pro Bowl. He recorded a total of eight interceptions, one quarterback sack, and 11 passes defensed. Teammate LB Kirk Morrison couldn't have said it any better, "Nnamdi is a great person and teammate. They couldn't have picked a better person to receive this award." After Asomugha accepted his award, the rest of the evening consisted of dinner, a live auction, and dancing.

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