Fighting Heart Award: 75 Years of Tradition
§ Pampa Senior Given Prestigious Award
On Thursday, January 18, Cooper Smith, a Senior at Pampa High School and football player, was given the 75th Annual Fighting Heart Award.
Presenting the award was Kenny Cooper and Kim Cooper Paine, whose father was the very first recipient of the award presented by Coach Tom Tipps in 1948 and 1949, as well as Head Football Coach Cody Robinson.
The entire banquet hall was filled with students and athletes from Pampa High School as well as past recipients of the award along with their friends and family to honor Cooper Smith on this special night.
With the help of Cara Morris, Class of 1970 and cousin of Kenny and Kim Cooper, her determination and pride for Pampa and its students and athletes inspired her to get into contact with past recipients and invite them to the ceremony, many coming from all over Texas.
In attendance was Don Babcock who was one of the earliest recipients of the Fighting Heart Award.
Past recipients of the award who have passed away were represented by their family members to honor their memory in a sentimental and touching display.
Kenny Cooper gave a heartfelt and inspiring speech regarding the history and importance of the Fighting Heart Award and it goes as follows:
“It is a thrill and a privilege for my sister Kim Cooper Paine and I to be with you tonight to honor our father, Pete Cooper, who was awarded the first Fighting Heart Award in Pampa Harvester Football history from Coach Tom Tipps following the 1948 season 75 years ago.
He was also recipient of the second Fighting Heart Award following the 1949 season making him the only two-time recipient of the award in school history.
We are also glad to be here to acknowledge and pay tribute to all of the previous Fighting Heart Award recipients.
The Fighting Heart Award is the most prestigious award a Harvester Football player can receive-a tradition that has carried on now for 75 years, a deep tradition that threads the time between the players of the past with the players and teams of today.
Coach Tom Tipps developed winning football teams and also mentored his players to be successful men following their playing days.
He identified the traits and characteristics he wanted to see in his players and used those attributes to select the recipients of the Fighting Heart Award.
The Fighting Heart Award is about a player’s spirit, his willingness to fight for his position and playing time on the field and his willingness to fight for his team and teammates during the game.
He wanted players with a high character, players who were great teammates, players who were leaders, and players who inspired their teammates to be better both in practice and during games.
This award is given to a student athlete who is the heart and soul of his team. The attitude and effort of the recipient of this award is not always measured in yards, receptions and tackles-but through the intangible impact they have on the team.
These attributes are found in this year’s recipient of the Fighting Heart Award.
He was an all-district player at three different positions during his high school career.
He had an outstanding work ethic and attitude and willingly played positions outside of his comfort zone at times for the benefit of the team.
In his senior season, he finished the regular season third in the entire Panhandle with 136 total tackles.
He was an all-district and academic all-district player.
The recipient for this year’s Fighting Heart Award is Cooper Smith.”
The Pampa News would like to congratulate Cooper Smith for displaying all of the qualities that the Fighting Heart Award represents and for making the Pampa community proud!
