The Swope Rodante Vanguard Award Selection Board is pleased to announce that Hillsborough county Property Appraiser and former Tampa Catholic Football Coach, Bob Henriquez, will be the keynote speaker for the fifth annual Swope Rodante Vanguard End of the Year Awards Banquet taking place on Wednesday, June 1st from 6:00pm-8:00pm at The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, located at 2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605. Local student athletes, coaches, business leaders and members of the Selection Board are expected to attend the celebration. In his keynote address, Henriquez will honor the achievements, community involvement and outstanding performances of this year’s nominated student-athletes and coaches.
University of South Florida Quarterbacks Coach and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Shaun King, will participate as the Master of Ceremonies during the celebratory evening in recognition of an exceptional year over dinner and entertainment. The event will highlight the two winners of the Coach of the Year Awards, who will each receive $1000, and the overall student athlete winner of the MVP Award, who will receive special gift.
Daniel Erickson, the 2014-15 MVP Student Athlete, will also give a special presentation during the banquet. Erickson was a graduate of the 2015 class of Jefferson High School. He now attends Boston University and participates on the school’s Cross Country team. Erickson will offer insight and advice on what student athletes need to know to make a smooth transition into college.
Throughout the 2015-16 school year, the Swope Rodante Vanguard Award has recognized student athletes each month with the Student Athlete of the Month Award. Winning students include:
- September: Kaden Miller – Bloomingdale High School
- October: Justin Moffatt – Steinbrenner High School
- November: Markese Hargrove – Plant City High School
- December: Casey Grotz – Wharton High School
- January: Jacob Cannon – Bloomingdale High School
- February: Peyton Woble – Alonso High School
- March: Tim Elko – Hillsborough High School
- April: William Proctor – Newsome High School
- May: To be Announced
Founded in 2011, the Swope Rodante Vanguard Award program is proud to honor local students and coaches who work with integrity and dedication in an effort to have a positive impact on our community. For more information, please visit www.SwopeRodante.com.
About Keynote Speaker – Bob Henriquez
Bob Henriquez has always been driven by a desire to help those around him and his community. Henriquez learned the importance of teamwork as a starting offensive lineman on the football squads while at Tampa Catholic High and later at Princeton University.
After graduating from Princeton University, Henriquez went to work for Hillsborough County’s Streets & Addresses department to help enhance its 9-1-1 program. Then he joined the county’s Planning Commission to assist in growth management.
He was elected for four terms to the Florida Legislature as a State Representative beginning in 1998 where he earned a reputation for putting aside party politics for the good of his constituents. He was then appointed to head up the Pinellas and Pasco counties division of the Department of Children and Family for three years.
Henriquez is not only recognized for his public service, but also for his tireless work molding the lives of young men as a football coach. He served as the head coach at Tampa Catholic from 1990-99 and 2005-12. Tampa Catholic reached the state championship for the first time ever in 2007 and again in 2009. In his time in Tampa Catholic, his team compiled a record of 128-71, made it to playoffs 13 times, and won seven district crowns.
After winning the election of Hillsborough County Property Appraiser in 2012, Henriquez decided to step down from coaching. Although his energies are more focused on his constitutional responsibilities his goals stay the same, to serve the public with fairness, professionalism and humility.
About Master of Ceremonies – Shaun King
Shaun King is a Bay Area native who graduated from Gibbs High School and later became one of the first true dual-threat quarterbacks in NCAA football while playing for Tulane University. King went on to play six seasons in the NFL, five of which were with the Buccaneers, and passed for 4,566 yards and 27 touchdowns with a QB rating of 73.4.
After playing for the NFL, King started his career in sports media. From 2007-10 he served as an ESPN studio analyst for NFL and NCAA football appearing on First Take, NFL Live and ESPNews.
In 2010, he worked as a game analyst for Bright House Sports Network in the Bay Area. From 2012-14 he served as an NFL analyst for NBC Sports Network and in 2014 he moved to Yahoo! Sports as an NFL analyst. He also worked as a game analyst for FOX Sports Net, Versus and NBC Sports and co-hosted the King David Radio Show on 1010 AM in Tampa.
He joined the Bulls’ coaching staff as Quarterbacks Coach in February of 2016. Prior to joining the Bulls he was the assistant head coach of Team Tampa 7-on-7, quarterbacks coach for Big County Preps and assistant head coach, offensive coach and quarterbacks coach at Gibbs High School (St. Petersburg).
Event Details
When: Wednesday, June 1st, 2016 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Where: The Columbia Restaurant, 2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Learn more about The Swope Rodante Vanguard Award.
