Former Lower Richland stars Seymour, Shiver present school with Golden Football

For the second time in a week and the third time this year, Lower Richland received the honor of an alumnus presenting an NFL Golden Football to the school.

Former Diamond players Richard Seymour and Sanders Shiver did the honor Friday night at halftime of the boys basketball game against A.C. Flora. Those two join David Patten and Jonathan Goodwin as former Lower Richland players being honored as part of Super Bowl 50 celebration nationwide.

The Super Bowl High School Honor Roll program was put in place to acknowledge schools and communities that have directly influenced Super Bowl history and impacted the game for the better.

The NFL sent out a release that stated it was for “high schools across the nation, and around the world, will receive a commemorative Wilson Golden Football for every player or head coach who graduated from their school and was on an active Super Bowl roster. Nearly 3,000 players and head coaches, and more than 2,000 high schools, will be recognized.”

“Anytime you have success, you have to think about the people that laid the foundation for you,” Seymour said. “This is really just a small token for my appreciation for my family, friends, teachers and everybody that led me in the right direct.”

Seymour, a defensive tackle who now lives in Northern Atlanta, was the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft out of Georgia in 2001. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time Super Bowl champion. He played for the New England Patriots (2001-2008) and Oakland Raiders (2009-2012).

Shiver was a fifth round pick out of Carson-Newman in 1976. The former linebacker played 10 years in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins, and made the Pro Bowl in 1984.

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 11:17 PM with the headline "Former Lower Richland stars Seymour, Shiver present school with Golden Football."