Gerald Hodges, of Paulsboro, NJ, is a member Penn State’s senior class of football players that will be honored by the Maxwell Football Club

The Penn State football season is over – because of NCAA sanctions there will be no bowl game – and looking back at an 8-4 season that saw the team overcome several well-documented obstacles the Maxwell Football Club is honoring the Nittany Lions senior football players with the Thomas Brookshier Spirit Award.

“The senior leaders at Penn State demonstrated incredible commitment, character and effort during the past year, and what they accomplished on the field this fall is just astonishing,” said Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski in a press release. “With the difficult circumstances surrounding the program it would have been easy for many of these players to look for a different situation to finish their college careers. But they chose to stay and support their teammates, coaches and university. The spirit and courage demonstrated in their actions is worthy of recognition with the Thomas Brookshier Spirit Award. They are a very special group of young men.”

The Thomas Brookshier Spirit Award will be formally presented as part of the 76th Maxwell Football Club National Awards Gala which will be held at the Harrah’s Atlantic City Resort on March 1, 2013. Other awards presented at the event include: The Maxwell Award, The Chuck Bednarik Award, The MFC Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, The Francis “Reds” Bagnell Award, The MFC Tri-State Player of the Year Award, and the MFC Tri-State Coach of the Year Award. The Maxwell Football Club will announce the winners of its high school and professional awards in January 2013.

The event is open to the public and tickets can be purchased on the Maxwell Football Club website or by calling 215-643-3833.