DALLAS, Texas — Sid Hartman, who first joined the Football Writers Association of America in 1945, has posthumously been named the recipient of the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2020 season.

Sid Hartman

At 100 years of age, Hartman was still a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and did a weekly sports radio show until his death. He turned 100 on March 15, 2020, and passed away on October 18, 2020, still working at his craft.

The FWAA started naming a Lifetime Achievement Award winner eight years ago.  The first recipient in 2013 was Art Spander of the San Francisco Examiner, followed by Bill Little (University of Texas) in 2014, Irv Moss (Denver Post) in 2015, OK (Buddy) Davis (Ruston Daily Leader) in 2016, Mike Finn (ACC) in 2017, Dave Plati (University of Colorado) in 2018 and Wright Waters (Football Bowl Association) and Paul Hoolahan (Sugar Bowl) in 2019.

Hartman is by far the oldest person to receive the award in its relatively short history.  The award goes to an FWAA member or someone close to the organization who has contributed greatly to either college football, the writing profession or the FWAA.

“He was an ageless wonder,” said FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson. “At an age when most people were well into retirement, he still punched a time clock and performed every week. He was older by decades than most of the people he was interviewing, but one would have never known it. He was plugged into the Minnesota sports scene. It is truly a remarkable story.”

Bob Hammel, 1992 FWAA President and 1996 Bert McGrane recipient, remembers Hartman when each summer he attended the FWAA Annual Meetings around the now defunct Chicago Charities College All-Star Game (ended in 1976). Hammel recognizes Hartman as a great promoter of the FWAA during those years.

Indeed, Hartman was a legend in his own time during his 65 years of working in Minneapolis. Here is a link to an Associated Press obituary on Hartman: Longtime Minnesota sports columnist Sid Hartman dies at 100 (apnewscom).