DANSVILLE – A Dansville Central School sophomore is among 25 students across the country to be finalists for the U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence.
Hall of famer Thurman Thomas presented Oldfield with a plaque and jacket on Thursday at Dansville Central School during a ceremony which the Pro Football Hall of Fame live streamed, seen above. The award honors great athletic achievement, excellence in academics and community engagement.
“Aristotle once said, ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.’ Yes, excellence may be the standard of value that many individuals choose to live by. But that doesn’t automatically make it a real entity. I believe that excellence is the drive within us to pursue the path of striving to reach our whole potential. However, we will never know what embodies our full potential. Thus, we must always strive for more. Never settle. Always enhance. Want more. Find motivation in your peers, family and passion of life. Find it, and use it. Become all you can be.”
Oldfield has a 4.0 GPA and has played soccer for both of her high school years, also serving as team captain. She has been a member of winter cheer team for her high school career so far and run indoor track for one year. She has worked with Dansville Public Library for five years, organizing public reading programs for children. She has worked with the Parent Teacher Organization for four years, planning school activities..
“Thank you to all of my coaches from the multiple sports in which I’ve participated. Your unwavering confidence in me and thus the encouragement you bestow upon me of my own capabilities I have on and off the field when sometimes I may doubt myself,” said Oldfield. “Thank you for your ability to tell me I can when even I may believe I cannot.
“Thank you to everyone I have ever had as a teammate. I will forever cherish the growth, the memories, as well as the unbreakable bonds that are established when pushing each other to reaching our fullest potential.
“Thank you my family, especially my mother, for instilling in me the principles of life, dignity, integrity, respect, selflessness, dedication, persistence, commitment, and loyalty. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and pushing me to strive for greatness. I would not be the person I am today without you all.”
Thomas personally awarded Oldfield her plaque and jacket.
“The road to the Hall of Fame demands commitment hard work on and off the playing field,” said Thomas. “To reach that level of excellence, it requires a variety of skills, dedication, teamwork, adaptability, and versatility, skills distilled in every U.S. Army soldier.”
According to the U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame website, each U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence finalist will be honored in Canton during the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls in August.
“The Pro Football Hall of Fame is proud to partner with the U.S. Army to pay tribute to the fine young men and women who will shape the future of our country,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer and Executive Producer George Veras. “Congratulations to the 25 finalists in 2017 who exemplify the Hall’s core values of commitment, integrity, courage, respect and excellence.”
“These students embody the excellence and dedication that both Army Soldiers and Pro Football Hall of Famers bring to their own lives every day,” said Mark Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army. “They give their best to achieve their goals and give back to their communities. The Army is proud to be honoring this group as the 2017 Award for Excellence finalists.”
(Photo/U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame via Facebook)
Oldfield receives her plaque and jacket. (Photo/U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame via Facebook)