McKissick wins national award

The legend keeps growing -- and going.

Summerville High School football coach John McKissick on Friday was presented the prestigious Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award during a news conference at the NFL Motorola Super Bowl Media Center in Indianapolis.

The 85-year-old McKissick, the winningest football coach at any level with 594 career victories, was presented the award by the 83-year-old Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history with 347 victories.

It was the latest in a long string of awards and honors for McKissick, who has won state and national coaching honors, was inducted into the S.C. Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982 and the

National High School Sports Hall of Fame in Kansas City in 1990.

And his success and honors haven't been limited to the football field. McKissick was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Gov. Carroll Campbell in 1986, the highest award given to civilians by the state of South Carolina.

He also was named to the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2005.

"It's the latest, so it has to be the best one," McKissick said by phone shortly after winning the award. "Like I've said before, awards and honors are a result of having good people around you working for a common cause. I have been blessed to work with some great people, and I have been blessed to work for Summerville High School."

Created in 2010, the Shula Award honors exemplary high school football coaches who display the integrity, achievement and leadership demonstrated by Shula.

McKissick just completed his 60th season at Summerville, and his tenure has lasted under 12 U.S. presidents. Four of them -- Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush -- sent letters of congratulations or commendation to McKissick during their presidencies.

McKissick beat out two other finalists for the award, John Herrington of Farmington Hills, Mich., and Hal Lamb of Calhoun, Ga. McKissick received a $10,000 cash award and a $15,000 grant for the Green Wave football program.

The ceremony was part of the Super Bowl Extravaganza in Indianapolis, where Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants will be played.

"There are a lot of celebrities here," McKissick said. "I got to sit across the table from Walter Payton's family. There are so many celebrities here I can't name them all. Indianapolis is going all out. This place is rocking."

No one at Indianapolis has been more successful on a football field than McKissick, who uses football to prepare young students for life. His message has been, "Life is tough. Life is football without a helmet."

McKissick's accomplishments earned him plenty of attention Friday.

"They sort of got wide-eyed and ask me how I do it. I tell them if you live long enough and surround yourself with good people, you can do just about everything." McKissick said.

On Sunday, McKissick will attend his first Super Bowl.

"It ought to be something," McKissick said. "It should be memorable."