Friedgen Honored In The Community
May 20, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen has been honored recently by a couple of organizations which have recognized him for his work in the community as well as on the playing field.
Tonight, Friedgen will be honored as the Catholic Youth Organization's Man of the Year. The Catholic Youth Organization seeks to enable youth and young adults of all races and cultures to to embrace their Catholic faith and develop their talents in the service of their family, parish and community.
Last week, Friedgen was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honors Society. With the induction - which officially took place on Sunday, May 4th - Friedgen becomes an honorary member (most inductees are University of Maryland students) and will eventually have his name engraved on the fountain on McKeldin Mall on campus. His name will be displayed among other Leadership honorees, an impressive list that includes former president Franklin D. Roosevelt and current President of the Maryland State Senate, Mike Miller. He also becomes the third football coach inducted, joining former colleague Bobby Ross and former NFL coach Jack Pardee.
All of this comes a week after the 2001 consensus National Coach of the Year had hip replacement surgery, a procedure which will not keep him from attending tonight's event or from working on upcoming football-related activities, whether that work takes place in his home office or elsewhere. He continues to maintain a stringent schedule of physical therapy to help speed his permanent return to the Gossett Team House.
The Terrapins - last year's Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl champions and ACC champs the year previous - return 17 starters from a team that went 11-3 in 2002 and will crank up the 2003 season on August 28th when they head to DeKalb, Ill., to take on Northern Illinois in a Thursday night matchup.
