NFF Gold Medal Recipients
Biography
Vincent dePaul Draddy attended Manhattan College on a scholarship, becoming the quarterback and captain of the school's 1929 football team. An innovator in the sports apparel industry, he developed the Izod and Lacoste brands as the chairman of David Crystal, Inc., and the brands still thrive today. For years he was chairman of Manhattan College's Board of Trustees, and he made the principal gift that triggered the construction of the schools' 90,000 square-foot Draddy Gymnasium.
Recruited by NFF Chairman Chester J. LaRoche to help promote the inaugural NFF Annual Awards Dinner in 1958, Draddy served on the NFF Board for 33 years, including 19 years as chairman. He passed away in 1990. A man with a deep belief in the lasting value of the lessons learned on the gridiron, Draddy took great pride in the NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards program. Recognizing his commitment to the program and the organization, the NFF established the Vincent dePaul Draddy Scholar-Athlete Award in 2009.
