Dapper Dan Honors - Ditka, doctor to receive awards
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Hines Ward became the 19th player in NFL history to surpass 12,000 receiving yards in his career. -
Mike Ditka -
Dr. Freddie Fu, left
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A Super Bowl winning coach and player and a doctor who has spent his life keeping athletes safe will be honored at the 76th Dapper Dan Dinner & Sports Auction later this year.
Aliquippa native Mike Ditka, who won a Super Bowl as a player with the Dallas Cowboys and another as coach of the Chicago Bears, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the dinner March 12 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Dr. Freddie Fu, who helped found the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, will receive the Sports Leadership Award.
"It's an award for my whole team," Fu said. "I just happen to be a part of it."
- Dan Bylsma: The Penguins coach received the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Most Outstanding Coach after leading the Penguins to the playoffs without injured stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Maklin.
- Marc-Andre Fleury: The goalie was named the Penguins' MVP the same year he earned his first All-Star selection. He had a 2.32 goals-against average.
- Joel Hanrahan: The Pirates' closer did not blow a save in the first half of the season as the Pirates cruised to the best start since 1993.
- Ben Roethlisberger: He has the Steelers poised for another postseason run one year after leading the team to its third trip to the Super Bowl in the past six years.
- Rushel Shell: The Hopewell senior and Pitt recruit rushed for 2,312 yards this season and set a Pennsylvania record for most career rushing yards.
- Hines Ward: He won "Dancing with the Stars" and acted in the new Batman movie. He also eclipsed the 12,000-yard receiving mark and honed in on his 1,000th career reception.
- Brianna Delaney: A senior forward on the Robert Morris women's hockey team, Delaney is now the Colonials' all-time leading scorer, a mark she set earlier this season.
- Kristen DiCiocco: A junior goaltender for the Colonials, she is among the best in the country in goals-against average, winning percentage and save percentage.
- Alex Gensler: The Dukes' senior is averaging 15 ppg this season and led the team in scoring last year, when Duquesne earned a WNIT berth. Gensler is an Upper St. Clair alumna.
- Pittsburgh Passion: The women's professional football team featured four All-Americans and had a perfect regular season in 2011 before losing in the playoffs.
Fu has spent most of his professional life in Pittsburgh, where he is chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
First Published January 1, 2012 12:00 am
