For nearly four decades, the Bart Starr Award has been the NFL’s most distinctive recognition of character, presented to the player selected by his peers as the greatest example of character and leadership on the field, in the home, and in the community. Sagamore partner Steve Riach has helped shape that moment since the award’s inception in 1988.

The award’s defining feature is its voters. Unlike the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which is selected by members of the media, the Bart Starr Award is chosen exclusively by NFL players, with each of the league’s 32 teams nominating a player at the beginning of the season. 

The award was created by Athletes in Action (AIA), an organization with a sixty-year history of working in professional and collegiate sports, with staff having long served as NFL team chaplains. Believing there was merit in recognizing character beyond the playing field, AIA approached Bart Starr, Hall of Famer, MVP of the first two Super Bowls, and one of the most respected figures of his era, about lending his name to the honor.

That is where Steve Riach’s work comes in. Athletes in Action turned to Riach in 1988 to produce and direct the inaugural event, and he has served in that role ever since, writing the script, shaping the program, and directing the show live on site. What began as a modest gathering in San Diego now draws between 1,500 and 3,000 people in the Super Bowl city on the Saturday morning before the game.