Former-NFL player, H.S. football coach
G eneral William Wallace, Commanding General of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, visited the Army’s Times Square Recruiting Station to present awards and also meet some local dignitaries.
Among them was former-NFL player and Harlem Hellfighter high school football coach Duke Fergerson.
For several years the Army’s New York City Recruiting Battalion has supported the program, largely because of some key similarities between the team and the Army. Both are values-based organizations, and both also have high standards of performance for their respective mentors.
Fergerson’s efforts in Harlem have had a profound effect on the members of his team and the Army has been proud to be able to serve as a sponsor to the group.
While meeting with General Wallace, Fergerson passed along his appreciation for the support provided by the Army. At the same time, General Wallace passed along his regards for Fergerson’s work and the results he has achieved with his program.
The New York City Recruiting Battalion seeks to broaden its support for this outstanding program and looks forward to again sponsoring the team’s post-season award for its most deserving player - the Sergeant Henry Lincoln Johnson Memorial Trophy.
Named for a highly decorated non-commissioned officer of Harlem’s own famed 369th Infantry Regiment, the original Harlem Hellfighters, the trophy is a symbol of the Army’s commitment to the current incarnation of the proud Hellfighter tradition.
