Sugar Bowl

While there are many different categories of awards presented by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, some years the Committee finds that there are people deserving of recognition who do not necessarily fit into one specific category. For that reason, the Committee presents the Jimmy Collins Awards to outstanding individuals and organizations.
 

Collins was a longtime supporter of New Orleans sports who is credited with creating the New Orleans Sports Awards and forming the awards committee in 1958.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl's 2008 Jimmy Collins Award honorees were the UNO Baseball Team and the Delgado Community College Baseball Team, each who overcame adversities following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina to post successful baseball. Both teams’ fields were severely damaged after the storm, but Coach Tom Walter’s Privateers and Joe Scheuermann’s Dolphins posted highly successful seasons. UNO advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where it beat eventual regional champion Wichita State, while the Delgado squad advanced to the Junior College World Series for the first time in 22 years.