The Touchdown Club of Houston is an organization dedicated to the sharing of fellowship through football. We are a ‘non-denominational’ organization, meaning we have members who support football teams at all levels and in different geographic areas. Although we put an emphasis on having fun at banquets and luncheons, we also are a community-service organization that uses football as our catalyst.

We Contribute our profits to several Community Service Projects.

Those projects are:

• Weight Room Refurbishing Project: We have put about $225,000 worth of weights and weight equipment into 43 Greater Houston high schools.

• Scholarships:  We have awarded about $250,000 in scholarships since 1999. The scholarships go to the top senior area high school football players who are considered starters with the highest grade-point averages. Finalists are selected by the presidents of the University of Houston, Rice, Texas Southern and Houston Baptist. Winners are selected by the TD Club.

• Senior Showcase: The Club has worked with HISD and the Houston Texans to help more than 800 high school football players land about $80 million in Division II, Division III and NAIA scholarships they would not have had through the Senior Showcase since 2009.

• Texans Shoes:  The Club  has distributed excess cleats and tennis shoes from the Houston Texans, many of which were never worn, to needy area schools since 2006.

Please contact us here if you want to donate to these fine projects

In addition to the Community Service Projects, we have annual events that we run to raise money for those projects.

The Annual Events are:

• The UIL High School Awards Dinner: Since its inception in 1980, the dinner has become the nation’s most-prestigious event of its kind. It is the largest event of its kind in the country. Representatives from more than 30 colleges are among the sellout crowd of 800. The event recognizes 10 finalists for Greater Houston’s Offensive Player of the Year, 10 for the Defensive Player of the Year, and 10 for the Coach of the Year. The winner in each category is announced at the end of the program. During the program, a multimedia production displays the players stats and highlights of their games. The players are selected by a blue-ribbon committee of area high-school coaches, while the coaches are selected by a blue-ribbon committee of area high-school athletic directors. A coach is ineligible to win the award again for five years after being named Coach of the Year.

• Sportsmanship Luncheon: The annual gala rewards high schools for doing things the right way. There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd places awarded to area Class 6A teams and Class 5A teams. There are 1st and 2nd places for Class4A/Private schools. Squads are judged on their actions on the field, the actions of the support personnel in the stands, the number of personal fouls and unsportsmanlike fouls, and respect for the American flag.

• Rice-UH Bayou Bucket Luncheon: This luncheon began in 1974. Both the head football coaches and the athletic directors at each school address the gathering. The Touchdown Club created the Bayou Bucket Trophy, which is awarded on the field immediately after the contest to the game’s winner.

• TSU-PVAMU Labor Day Classic Luncheon:  The luncheon began in 2001, and was an instant hit with followers of Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University. The head football coaches and athletic directors from both schools speak. The Touchdown Club also created the Durley-Nicks Trophy, named for the top football coach at each of the two schools, and club representatives present the trophy annually on the field immediately after the TSU-PVAMU game. Billy Nicks Sr. won five mythical, black-schools national championships with the Panthers, the last in 1968. Alexander Durley the most wins football coach in TSU history, and won a mythical, black-schools national championship in 1952.

• The Touchdowner of the Year Award:  This is Houston’s longest-continuing football award presentation, given annually for extraordinary contributions and outstanding achievements reflecting honor and sportsmanship to football over a lengthy period of time. Anyone from the pro, college or high school levels as well as the media is eligible for the honor. We also name our Preseason All-Greater Houston UIL High School Team during this gala.

• The Private School Awards Dinner: Began in 2012, the event recognizes 10 finalists for Greater Houston’s Private School Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Lineman of the Year, Ironman of the Year, Specialist of the Year and Coach of the Year. During the program, a multimedia production displays the player’s stats and highlights of their best games. The winner in each category is announced at the end of the program. The players are selected by a blue-ribbon committee of area high-school coaches, while the coaches are selected by a blue-ribbon committee of area high-school athletic directors. A coach is ineligible to win the award again for three years after being named Coach of the Year.