Anderson Area Touchdown Club Kicks Off the Football Season
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
It’s been a long wait for football fans, but the Anderson Area Touchdown Club officially kicked off the season on Friday with overviews of local teams and updates on the season ahead.
The club began its 46th at the Anderson Institute of Technology with head coaches from the county’s football teams on hand to talk about changes from last season and expectations on the season ahead.
The club was formed to celebrate the accomplishments of all eight Anderson County high schools and to celebrate the players and coaches who give the sport its local significance by honoring players and a coach of the week during the football season.
“That’s the reason we’re here,” Selman said. “To celebrate these players and the coaches and focus on high school football and what it means to the community and the relationships it develops.”
The club’s weekly meetings will include honors, game previews, and a speaker series that reaches beyond the boundaries of local football to bring a collection of athletes, coaches, and sports figures whose résumés range across college and professional sports. Expected guests even include a few non-football players, including Saudia Roundtree, the former national college basketball player of the year who played at the University of Georgia; Landon Powell, the former University of South Carolina and Oakland Athletics catcher who is now North Greenville’s head baseball coach; and David Pollack, the former ESPN personality and football commentator.
The club also expects appearances from Danny Ford, the former Clemson head football coach; Kevin Butler, the former Georgia Bulldogs and Chicago Bears kicker; Derek Moore, the University of South Carolina’s director of player development; and Anderson University Head Football Coach Bobby Lamb.
Membership to the club is open to individuals and businesses. Corporate memberships and sponsorships are also available for those who want a more formal role in supporting the program. Information about membership, speakers, meetings, and weekly recognitions is posted through the Anderson Area Touchdown Club’s Facebook page.
Lunch is part of the attraction with Sundays, located across the street from the Institute of Technology, providing the meal each Friday.
The club’s 46th season kicked off with the usual optimism and familiar questions — who has improved, who has graduated, who might surprise the county by October. But its deeper work will remain the same, to give Anderson County football fans a recurring place to acknowledge that the games matter because the people playing them do.
