Westbury Christian Football Coach Charlie Ward to honor Houston sports leaders, Carroll Dawson and Rick Smith
In the midst of one of the greatest sports weekends of the year, the NBA All Star Basketball Game, Charlie Ward and Westbury Christian School will honor two of the greatest influences in Houston sports history: Carroll Dawson, retired Houston Rockets GM, and Rick Smith, current GM of the Houston Texans. The event will take place on the afternoon of February 16, 2013, at The Downtown Club at the Met on West Dallas in Downtown Houston.
The Charlie Ward Tribute to Excellence, named after Heisman trophy winner and head coach of the Westbury Christian School Varsity Football Team, Charlie Ward, recognizes individuals of distinction, commitment and faith. All proceeds from the event will be used to secure new Westbury Christian School athletic facilities to match the excellent athletic programs that already exist but are conducted on other leased fields. At the two previous Charlie Ward Tribute to Excellence events, Retired NFL Coach Tony Dungy and legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden were honored.
A native Texas originally hailing from Alba, Texas, Carroll Dawson retired from 27 seasons with the Houston Rockets organization in 2007. Dawson has either coached or arranged the deals that brought in nearly every star that has worn a Rockets jersey and is the only person to have served on the coaching staff of all four Rockets teams that advanced to the NBA Finals (1981, 1986, 1994, 1995). Carroll Dawson is technically retired but continues on as a consultant for the Rockets.
Dawson has been honored with induction into the Paris Junior College Hall of Fame in 1991, the Baylor University Hall of Fame in 1998, the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. He was also named Mr. Sportsman 2005 by Interfaith Charities in Houston.
One of the top golfers in the NBA, Dawson resides in Houston with his wife, Sharon. Sharon has a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, Michael.
Rick Smith is in his seventh season as Texans general manager and second as executive vice president, overseeing all aspects of football operations. Previously having served in coaching and personnel roles at his alma mater Purdue and with the Denver Broncos, Smith inherited a two-win team when he was named General Manager of the Texans on June 5, 2006, and has since worked closely with the coaching and scouting staffs to build the Texans into a playoff team by identifying and signing elite players who have helped produce an exciting brand of football. Smith has steadily strengthened Houston’s roster through the draft, free agency and trades. The fruits of Smith and his staff’s labor were never more plentiful and apparent than the successes of the 2011 season with the franchise’s first playoff berth and AFC South division title.
Smith and his wife, Tiffany, live in Houston with sons, Robert LaMar and Christian LaMar, and daughter, Avery Jordan.
For more information about the event, or to learn more about Westbury Christian School, please visit www.westburychristian.org/excellence, or call 713.551.8100.
Westbury Christian School is a private, college preparatory, fully accredited, culturally diverse school, offering unique, educational opportunities for pre-k, elementary, middle and high school students. The school is located in Houston, TX, at 10420 Hillcroft, at Willowbend.
