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The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced today 1991 Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl XXXI MVP Desmond Howard has been named Grand Marshal of the 23rd Annual Boxing Hall of Fame Parade of Champions scheduled for Sunday, June 10th at 1 p.m.

“Desmond Howard was one of the most electrifying football players ever,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy. “He grew up watching boxing with his father and has been a life-long fight fan. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him to Canastota to lead this year’s Parade of Champions.”

Howard was an All-American at the University of Michigan. At Ann Arbor he amassed 134 receptions for 2,146 yards and 32 touchdowns. He was twice named All-Big Ten first team and won the 1991 Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player in the United States. The former Wolverine was selected by the Washington Redskins as the fourth overall pick in the 1992 NFL draft and spent 11 seasons in the pro ranks. Howard led the Green Bay Packers to victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI and became the first special teams player to be named MVP. He set Super Bowl records for punt return yards (90), total return yards (244) and kick-off return (99 yards). In 2000, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Howard joined ESPN as a college football analyst and a member of the popular College Game Day crew in 2005 and was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

“It’s a huge and great honor for me to be grand marshal for a sport that I’ve loved and respected since I was a child growing up in Cleveland, OH,” said Howard.

The Parade of Champions, set for Sunday, June 10th at 1:00 p.m., will pass through the streets of Canastota and lead to the grounds of the Hall of Fame Museum prior to the start of the Official Induction Ceremony honoring the new class of inductees. Living inductees to be honored at the Official Induction Ceremony are multi-division champion Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, two-division champion Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble” ring announcer Michael Buffer, trainer Freddie Roach, broadcaster Al Bernstein and journalist Michael Katz. Posthumous inductees will also be honored.

Over 40 boxing stars will be highlighted in the Parade of Champions.

“With the lineup of marching bands, boxing celebrities, community organizations and now Desmond Howard this should be our biggest parade ever and an unforgettable day for all,” said parade chairperson Charlene Barres.

The 2012 Parade of Champions is sponsored by Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes.

The June 7-10th Hall of Fame Induction Weekend will feature many exciting events including a banquet, boxing autograph card show, cocktail party and the Official Induction Ceremony honoring the Class of 2012.

For more information on the Hall of Fame’s 23rd Annual Induction Weekend and the announcement of the parade grand marshal, please call (315) 697-7095, visit online at www.ibhof.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InternationalBoxingHallofFame and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BoxingHall.

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