Dec. 10, 2014

University of South Carolina senior quarterback Dylan Thompson was honored as the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award winner at a dinner held Wednesday night at the InterContinental Hotel in Tampa, Fla. The dinner was hosted by Premier Players, Inc.

Freddie Solomon played his college football at the University of Tampa and went on to play for the Miami Dolphins for three seasons before joining the San Francisco 49ers where he helped win two Super Bowl championships.

His career in the National Football League as a wide receiver came to a close after 11 years. Then the Sumter, SC, native known as “Fabulous Freddie”, came back to Hillsborough County to make a more lasting impact. Solomon devoted the next 21 years of his life to the youths of Tampa Bay, working with the Sheriff’s department to teach kids life lessons through football. His efforts impacted more than two decades of youths and his lessons are still carried on in the community.

The Freddie Solomon Spirit Award continues Solomon’s efforts to help make the world a better place by honoring a collegiate football player from the states of Florida or South Carolina, each year, who has impacted the lives of others through giving and community service.