The Washington Redskins announced Oct. 3 that head football coaches Daryl Tilghman of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Washington, DC and Charles Harley, Jr of Forestville Military Academy in Forestville, MD have been named Redskins High School Coaches of the Week for the weeks of September 22 and September 29, 2008, respectively.
The Redskins High School Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.
Coach Tilghman has been coaching at Roosevelt for 12 years with this season being his third as head coach.
Tilghman's commitment to the school excels off the field as he and his players are active in numerous community events including feeding the homeless, helping seniors at the DC Armory during the holidays, and participating in the annual Elderfest Ceremony. He also works with the Widening Horizon program which provides educational and career related experiences for high school students.
"All children want to be in a situation where there is order and a sense of purpose. I understand that being a coach and teacher means taking an active role in the social development of these young people" Tilghman said.
The Rough Riders are currently 3-2 and ranked 15th in the *Max Preps *poll for the District of Columbia.
Coach Harley has been coaching football at Forestville for nine years.
According to the Forestville Military Academy team parents, Charles Harley "stresses to his team that education comes first, then good sportsmanship. In teaching his players the game of football, he also teaches them self-respect and to live and strive with a purpose in mind."
He works effortlessly to ensure scholarships for his players and has had a high success rate of players receiving football scholarships to top Division I colleges and universities.
Harley has been recognized for his contributions to the community: Prince George's County Boys & Girls Man of the Year (1998), MD State Coaches Association Inaugural Man for Others (2006) and the Army All American Bowl Coaches Award (2007).
The Knights won the state championship in 1999 under Coach Harley and have reached the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons. They are currently 3-1 and ranked third in the *Prince George's County 3A/2A *standings.
Each week during the 2008 high school football season, the Redskins will select one area high school head coach as the Redskins High School Coach of the Week. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment towards promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes, his overall community involvement and overall team performance and record.
Each of the coaches chosen throughout the high school season will receive a $1,000 donation from NFL Charities to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn and NFL Director of Football Operations Gene Washington.
