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Brady Quinn and Chinedum Ndukwe to appear together in 14th Annual KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series at The College Football Hall of Fame
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The College Football Hall of Fame announced today that former Notre Dame standouts Brady Quinn and Chinedum Ndukwe will co-headline the next KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon in the 2010 series on Monday, June 21, 2010. The event will provide football fans throughout the community a rare opportunity to hear both remarkable athletes reflect upon their collegiate experience as well as their transition into the National Football League.
“The Gridiron Legends Luncheon series consistently brings the biggest and most relevant names in college football to the community,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Lisa Klunder. “Having two speakers that share such a rich history together will be a unique addition to the series. Attendees will be inspired by their passion and enthusiasm for the game.”
The two players have a longstanding history and friendship that dates back to the seventh grade when they began playing football together for the first time. The pair went on to play together each year until 2007 when they each were selected by different teams in the NFL draft. Currently, Quinn is a quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and Ndukwe is a safety for the Cincinnati Bengals.
While at Notre Dame, Quinn started 46 games in four seasons, which ties him for the most starts in school history. He broke 36 school records including career pass attempts (1,602), completions (929), yards (11,762), yards per game (240.0), touchdown passes (95) and lowest interception percentage (2.43). He finished his career with the Irish ranked in the top ten in NCAA Division I history in career pass attempts (seventh), passing yards (tenth) and touchdown passes (ninth).
Ndukwe played four seasons at Notre Dame, seeing action in 46 games with 25 starts. He began his career at wide receiver, but switched to strong safety as a sophomore. He finished second on the team in tackles (98) as a senior, helping the Irish to land a Sugar Bowl bid. That same year, his 22 tackles against Air Force were the most in a game by any NCAA Division I player that season.
The 2010 KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series runs from March-August. Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly spoke to a sold out crowd on March 23, 2010 followed by Dallas Cowboy Quarterback Tony Romo on April 28th. This extraordinary multiple-event series features players, coaches and media personalities reflecting on their thoughts, experiences and memories of the game. Many times extremely humorous as well as poignant, this event is one of the best the Hall of Fame offers and should not be missed. Past speakers in the series have included Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Bo Jackson, Bobby Bowden, Drew Brees, Mike Ditka, Archie Griffin, Lou Holtz, Keith Jackson, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning among many others. The final speakers in the 2010 series will be announced this summer.
"We're proud to sponsor the 2010 KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series," said KeyBank President Randy Foster. "We value our relationship and affiliation with the College Football Hall of Fame, and are pleased to support this event and an organization that does so much for our community. I encourage you to bring your clients, friends and family to this lunch and the entire series. I know you will enjoy the experience."
The Hall of Fame is also proud to announce a new partnership with WNDU for the Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series. Sports Director Jeff Jeffers, a 30-year veteran sports anchor known as “the dean of local sports” will serve as the emcee for the series.
Luncheons consist of a question and answer session with the featured speaker, a video presentation and lunch. Questions will also be taken from audience members. Tickets for individual luncheons are $35 per person or $270 for a table of eight. Tickets can be purchased at the Hall of Fame ticket counter or by calling 574-235-5717. Each luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m.
The location of the four luncheons is subject to change, so please check the Hall’s Web site at www.collegefootball.org or call 574.235.5717 as each luncheon date approaches. Returning as media sponsors in 2010 are the South Bend Tribune, WSBT Radio Newstalk AM 960 and Pathfinders Advertising and Marketing. This is the 14th consecutive year KeyBank has sponsored the luncheon series. For more information on the 2010 KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series, and to print an order form, visit www.collegefootball.org.
