WINNIPEG, MB., December 19, 2016 – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are pleased to announce the unveiling of the Jack Jacobs Scholarship, beginning in 2017. The $500 scholarship will be awarded to an Indigenous high-school student who fosters a passion for football and has plans to pursue a post-secondary education.
“The Winnipeg Football Club believes in supporting young athletes’ educations,” said Bombers President & CEO Wade Miller. “These athletes are the future of the game and Jack Jacobs was a role model for hard work and determination.”
Eligible applicants of the Jack Jacobs Scholarship must be an Indigenous high school student graduating Grade 12 and enrolled in a full-time university or a post-secondary institution for the 2017-2018 academic year. Applicants must have a passion for football and dedication to sport.
The scholarship is named after Jack Jacobs, the star quarterback of the Blue Bombers from 1950-1954. Jacobs, a Muscogee (Creek) Indigenous person, is a member of both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1963) and the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame (1984).
Jacobs’ passing talents brought in so many fans to Osborne Stadium it led to the construction of Winnipeg Stadium in 1953 – known as ‘The House that Jack Built’ ̶ to accommodate the higher attendances.
As part of the Year of Reconciliation, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action on sports and reconciliation, the Blue Bombers are committed to providing opportunities to young Indigenous athletes and recognizing its own. The Bombers are also proud to be the first CFL team to implement an acknowledgement statement before every game, recognizing that Investors Group Field is located on traditional Treaty One territory.
Eligible applicants for the Jack Jacobs Scholarship are encouraged to apply before April 28, 2017 at http://www.bluebombers.com/jack-jacobs-scholarship/.
