Gov. Roy Cooper honors North Carolina Central University football team for 2022 Celebration Bowl win
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Gov. Roy Cooper is hosting an event in Raleigh to honor the North Carolina Central University football team's Celebration Bowl win.
The event was held Wednesday afternoon at the Executive Mansion on North Blount Street.
At the event, the Governor announced February 15 as a day in recognition of the 2022 NCCU Football Team.
"The NC Central Eagles showed amazing determination and passion in winning the 2022 HBCU National Championship at the Cricket Celebration Bowl and they made all North Carolinians proud," said Gov. Cooper. "Coach Oliver and his team deserve high praise for this accomplishment, and I'm glad to honor them here today."
NCCU's 2022 football team attended the event, along with Head Coach Trei Oliver, the university's Director of Athletics Louis Perkins, and NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye, who expressed how happy he was about the teams performance.
"From the first pre-season kickoff to the final Celebration Bowl whistle, they believed in each other, bought in to their coaches' program and delivered what we knew they could - a national championship. Beyond that, our student-athletes excelled in the classroom and we are so proud of them," Akinleye said.
NCCU's football team defeated Deion Sanders-coached Jackson State University, 41-34 in the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 17.
"We are appreciative of Governor Cooper and his staff for the invitation to recognize our program for winning the 2022 HBCU National Football Championship. Our student-athletes, coaches and support staff have worked extremely hard to get us here," said NCCU Football Coach Trei Oliver. "Their hard work and commitment to the process is what allowed us to make history. We are so proud to have been able to represent North Carolina Central University, the state of North Carolina, and our community."
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