The award’s namesake, Hastings native Tom Osborne, served as Husker head football coach and athletic director, as well as a U.S. congressman. Osborne along with his wife Nancy also founded the successful Teammates mentoring program. Past winners of the award include Tom Osborne, Dan Whitney (“Larry the Cable Guy”), astronaut Clay Anderson, Jack Hoffman and “Team Jack”, Olympic gold medalist bobsledder Curt Tomsevicz, and former Husker and College Football Hall of Famer Dave Rimington.