2025 Touchdown Club Awards Dinner

The DC Touchdown Club Awards Dinner brought together a raucous capacity crowd to celebrate two Super Bowl MVPs as well as the best and brightest in the National Capital Region’s football community this past Thursday night.

Running back John Riggins and quarterback Mark Rypien, who led the Washington Redskins to their first two Super Bowl championships, were presented the Touchdown Club’s prestigious Founder’s Award.

Their presentations brought down the house and capped a night that saw the region’s top high school, college and professional players honored for their performances. Proceeds from the event benefited Patriot Point, the Military Bowl Foundation’s 294-acre retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers.

“What an electric night!” said Steve Beck, president and executive director of the Military Bowl Foundation, which operates the Touchdown Club. “It was amazing to honor Riggo, Ryp and the high school and college award winners.”

Setting the tone for the evening, as Beck handed the microphone off to emcee Bram Weinstein -- the Voice of the Commanders – a montage of Weinstein’s game-winning calls from this past season played on televisions throughout the venue.

The program began with longtime local broadcaster Tim Brant receiving a Career Achievement Award to recognize his accomplishments. Brant, who played football at St. John’s College High School in Northwest Washington and then captained the team at the University of Maryland, was on air for more than four decades and broadcast some of the world’s most high-profile sporting events including the Olympics, World Series, college football championship game and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Additionally, Brant’s son, Kevin, played football at UCLA with Washington Commanders General Manager Adam Peters. Though unable to attend, Peters taped a message to congratulate Brant, Riggins, Rypien, Washington Pro Player of the Year Jayden Daniels and all of the other award winners.

Following dinner, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was honored as the Washington Metro College Player of the Year. Horvath capped a splendid first full season as a starter by leading the Midshipmen to a resounding victory over Army and then beating Oklahoma in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl to finish 10-3.

Then the Touchdown Club’s high school player and coach of the year awards were presented:

Washington, D.C. High School Player of the Year: Kainoa Winston, Gonzaga
Virginia High School Player of the Year: Dom Knicely, Madison
Maryland High School Player of the Year: Malik Washington, Archbishop Spalding
Washington Metro High School Coach of the Year: Steve Crounse, Patuxent

Unable to attend because of a prior commitment, Daniels sent a video thanking the Touchdown Club for the award and sharing his excitement for the upcoming season.

Longtime Yorktown High football coach Bruce Hanson, who retired after this past season in which he earned his 300th career victory, then was inducted into the Touchdown Club’s Circle of Legends.

Then it was time for Rypien and Riggins to bring down the house, which they did. Rypien, the MVP of Super Bowl XXII, took the stage first and quickly riled up the crowd by leading a hearty rendition of Hail to the Redskins! with several former teammates in attendance showing off their singing voices. Riggins, the MVP of Super Bowl XVII and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, elicited plenty of laughs as he told a few stories from his career.

The Awards Dinner was sponsored by Constellation Brands, DC News Now, Defiant Whisky, Events DC, FCN Technology Solutions Inc., Radice Enterprises, Old Virginia Tobacco Company, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, the Taishoff Family Foundation, the Curtis Family Foundation, Scoreboard Fundraising and WTOP.

Foursomes and sponsorships are available for the Touchdown Club’s next event, the DC Touchdown Club Golf Outing on Tuesday, June 10 at Whiskey Creek Golf Club in Ijamsville, Maryland.