Foxborough, Mass. – Following back-to-back victories to complete a 2-0 start to Seekonk High School's 2016 campaign, head coach Vernon Crawford has been named this week's New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week.
The Warriors opened the season with a convincing 41-6 triumph at Greater New Bedford Vocational Tech before Crawford coached Seekonk to a 21-7 win over Fairhaven last weekend. The consecutive wins positioned the team atop the Division 4 South, South Coast Conference with an undefeated record through the first two weeks of play. Crawford has headed the Warriors football team since 2012, remaining active in the community after playing three seasons at linebacker for the Patriots from 1997-99. He is the first former Patriots player to be honored as a Patriots High School Coach of the Week.
Patriots and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett, now the team's executive director of community affairs, visited the Warriors players and coaching staff Tuesday afternoon to present Seekonk High's football program with a $1,000 donation on behalf of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, in honor of Coach Crawford. The visit and check presentation will be featured on the Patriots weekly television show, "Patriots All Access," which airs on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV in Boston and will be available immediately after on Patriots.com.
This is the 21st year in which the Patriots join the National Football League in honoring local schools and coaches in the High School of the Week program, which recognizes outstanding performances and promotes a strong foundation for youth football across New England. The 2016 season marks the sixth year Tippett will oversee the program as part of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's commitment to youth football initiatives.
"Congratulations to the Seekonk High School football program and Coach Vernon Crawford's efforts in getting the Warriors off to a fantastic start this year," Tippett said. "We are honored to recognize their early success and wish Coach Crawford and his team the best of luck through the rest of the 2016 season."
At the conclusion of the fall, one of the weekly winners will be named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Year and will receive a $2,000 contribution towards the school's football program.
For the sixth straight year, the Patriots will also be accepting nominations for High School Coach of the Week honors. Those who wish to nominate a high school football coach in New England who leads a team to an exceptional weekly performance or reaches a personal career milestone is encouraged to send submissions to nominatecoach@patriots.com.
The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation is the non-profit through which the Patriots support charitable and philanthropic organizations throughout New England. This support comes in the form of direct grants, in-kind donations and player appearances. The foundation assists a variety of charitable organizations and programs throughout New England by supporting their educational, family and health initiatives.
