Commissioner Kurz named Founder's Award recipient

Friday August 12, 2011

 TULSA – Arena Football League Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz has been named the Founder’s Award recipient for 2011, the League announced at the ArenaBowl XXIV Awards Presentation on Thursday night.
The Founder’s Award is presented annually to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the Arena Football League and its growth.

Just finishing his second season as Commissioner, Kurz has been involved with the Arena Football League for 26 years and recently signed a two-year contract extension through 2013.

“From the very beginning, Jerry played a key role in developing the League,” founder of Arena Football, Jim Foster said. “When Jerry makes a commitment to do something, he really works at it. He’s very driven and he has a great deal of passion for Arena Football.”

Foster, who first developed the concept of Arena Football on the back of a manila envelope in 1981, was selected as the very first recipient of the Founder’s Award in 1994.

This is the second time Kurz has been selected for the honor. Kurz was named a Founder's Award recipient in 1996, along with Orlando Predator Hall of Fame Head Coach Perry Moss and fellow founding member of the Arena Football League, Bill Niro.

Kurz also played an integral role in resurrecting the Arena Football League in 2009 by developing a unique economic model for the League and leading a group of investors to acquire the AFL’s assets, which allowed the League to resume play in 2010.

“Jerry again has played a big role in helping bring back the Arena Football League,” Foster said. “He’s carried a lot of weight on his shoulders and taken on some great challenges as well. I think he’s most deserving of the Founder’s Award.”

During his time in Arena Football, Kurz has served as President of the af2 and Vice President of International Development. He is a member of four football Halls of Fame, including the Arena Football Hall of Fame, an honor he earned in 1998 as a member of the League’s inaugural class. Kurz has also served as a player, coach, general manager and owner during his lifelong involvement with the game of football.

“I look at the Founder’s Award as an honor that’s given to somebody who’s really given a long-term contribution to the development and quality of the League and its continuation and Jerry certainly qualifies for that,” Foster said. “He well deserves it and I’m very happy that he’s getting it.”