Addison Marshall of Fulshear, TX Named Top 12 Inspireum Football Awards Finalist

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New York, NY and Bend, OR -- Since 1963, PARADE has celebrated Americans’ passion for football by naming its annual All-America High School Football Team, honoring the best high school players in the country.  This year, for the first time, PARADE is partnering with Inspireum, an Oregon-based company that develops youth programs, to honor the nation’s most inspiring football players with The Inspireum Football Awards.

Addison Marshall of Fulshear, Texas, has been named one of 12 finalists to be announced in this Sunday’s issue of PARADE. According to his nomination: After Hurricane Katrina forced the Marshall family to move from Louisiana to Texas, they soon realized they’d have more drastic hurdles to overcome. Having been diagnosed with Acute Lymphobastic Leukemia in 2009, Addison Marshall dropped football in exchange for an I.V. pole. A positive attitude kept this athlete fighting his illness. That is, until April 2010, when Addison’s Leukemia relapsed into his central nervous system. In spite of all of the hardship, Addison continued to work out while in and out of the hospital and supports his team on the sidelines whenever it is possible.. His determination to never give up is what truly inspires anyone who hears his story.

The longest-running prep honor in history, the PARADE All-America franchise has recognized the top talent in high school sports since 1957, spawning numerous similar programs. In 2010, PARADE broadened its franchise to honor young people who contribute to their communities through service.  “The Inspireum Football Awards now provide us an opportunity to add an important inspirational and emotional element to the program,” says PARADE Editorial Director Maggie Murphy.

A total of $25,000 in academic scholarships, provided by the Trusted Sports Foundation, will be awarded to those players who bring the most heart to the game, as opposed to the highest stats.  The Inspireum Football Awards winner will receive a $7,500 college academic scholarship, $2,500 to 4 runners-up, $1,500 to the fan favorite, and $1,000 to each of six remaining finalists. They will all be featured in the January 15, 2012 issue of PARADE alongside the 2012 PARADE All-America High School Football Team.

The Inspireum Football Awards finalists were chosen from 50 semifinalists, 40 selected by Trusted Sports Foundation and 10 by a fan vote. A second round of voting determined the current top 12 finalists. The winner and runners up will be chosen by an esteemed Selection Committee, which includes former NFL greats Troy Aikman, Drew Bledsoe and Shaun Alexander.  The fan favorite is determined by online voting.

The first-ever recipient of the Inspireum Football Awards is Calob Leindecker of Baton Rouge, LA, who lost his leg in a car accident caused by a mudslide when he was 16.  After undergoing nine surgeries, including the amputation of his leg, he said at the time, "You can take my leg, but you can't take my heart".  Two years of recovery, rejection by his skin of the prosthetic and rehabilitation never dampened his spirit or resolve to play football with his team, the Park View Eagles. When he dressed for the first time since the accident and led his team onto the field, there wasn’t a dry eye in the stands.

Addison Marshall (Fulshear, Texas)

Video: http://www2.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/2011/11/from-relapse-to-rudy-award.html

News Article: http://www2.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/2011/11/from-relapse-to-rudy-award.html

Nominee Page: http://www.highschoolrudyawards.com/Football/nominee/331/Addison-Marshall.aspx

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina tore through much of the southern United States, destroying much in her wake. Among the destruction was the home of Addison Marshall, forcing the Marshall family to move to Richmond, Texas. Little did the Marshalls know that it would not be the only destructive force in their lives. In 2009, Addison was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Though his team was his new family in Texas, he was forced to put football on hold in order to undergo treatment. Chemotherapy began right away and the prognosis looked good, though the cancer was never completely gone. In April of 2010, it was discovered that Addison had relapsed, and that the cancer had spread to his central nervous system.

Over the years, Addison has accumulated 140 doses of chemo, 22 blood transfusions, 26 spinal taps, and 16 hits of brain radiation. Throughout all of the treatments, Addison continued to work out while in and out of the hospital and to support his team on the sidelines whenever it was possible. “Looking at this young man, you would not imagine cancer treatment consumes so much of his time,” said mom, Val Marshall.

While in the hospital receiving treatments and recovering, Addison can often be found visiting the rooms of other young cancer patients, providing support and inspiration to each of them. Additionally, Addison spends time helping with cancer research fundraising efforts, as well as joining a rowing team that works specifically to raise awareness of pediatric cancers and research. Addison ended the final football game of his life on a high note recently, as he stood not on the sidelines, but played on the field with his team. “My life was a pretty average teenage life before cancer. I would go to school and sports, and I just saw it as normal. But after I was diagnosed, I realized what a privilege it was to be able to do the simple things.”

About PARADE 

PARADE, the most widely read magazine in America, is distributed in more than 600 of the nation’s finest newspapers. The magazine, which launched in 1941, now has a circulation of 32.4 million and a readership of 67 million. Each Sunday in PARADE and every day at Parade.com, our mission is to connect emotionally with Americans about the issues they care most about and move them to action.  

About Inspireum           
Inspireum utilizes the power of social media, technology and community-based marketing to share inspirational youth achievement in sports and community service.  We discover, amplify, and celebrate young people who inspire their schools, teammates, friends, family, and community.  The Inspireum Football Awards celebrate inspirational young athletes who embody the values of character, courage, contribution and commitment through the sport of football. Recognizing and rewarding these outstanding players inspires other youth to pursue sports as a positive, action-oriented path to self-discipline, leadership, strong academic performance and a healthy lifestyle.