“There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he does not mind who gets the credit.” Harry S. Truman said that, and Arizonan Bill Shover has lived it. Shover, a U.S. Army veteran, loving husband, adoring father, little league baseball coach, and community influencer, will receive the National Quarterback Club’s 2019 Legacy Recognition Award™ on January 17 at the NQBC Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
After joining the military at 18-years-old in 1946, Bill was called to a career in journalism, which offered him the platform and support he felt could be used to help people. In 1962, larger-than-life publisher, Eugene C. Pulliam, asked Bill to move to Phoenix with a mandate to use the newspaper in any manner necessary to better the community as it began to grow and define itself. Bill quickly became known around town as the man to get things done.
Although the list is great when it comes to the achievements of Shover and how he has positively impacted the community, there are notable mentions throughout his career:
· Creating The 100 Club to aid the families of public servants killed in the line of duty.
· Chairing the 1976 celebration of the Phoenix American Bicentennial Commission
· Winning two public referendum ballot initiatives to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday an official holiday in Arizona.
· Bringing the first Super Bowl to the Valley, chairing the Super Bowl XXX Committee in 1996.
· Founding the auction to raise money for the Combined Metropolitan Phoenix Arts and Sciences (COMPAS).
· Coordinating the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II to Arizona in a multifaceted celebration bringing representatives of all religions together as one body.
· Chairing the 125th anniversary celebration of The Salvation Army’s service to the Valley.
The Legacy Recognition Award™ will be presented to Bill during the 2019 National Quarterback Club Awards Dinner and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at The Scottsdale Resort McCormick Ranch. In addition, the ceremony will include honors for the National Quarterback of the Year in high school, college and professional ranks, and the inductions of Drew Bledsoe and Rich Gannon into the National Quarterback Hall of Fame.
“I love football. It gathers diverse people for a single purpose and that is very patriotic. It’s a rally. It’s my team against your team but we’re all Americans,” Bill said.
