On May 13, Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Director of Athletics Daryl Gross, Head Football Coach Greg Robinson and SU Trustee and former Orange standout Donovan McNabb held a groundbreaking ceremony for the multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art football
strength and conditioning training facility
at the Iocolano-Petty Football Wing.
"This facility is part of our SU Athletics
Tomorrow plan, which is designed to
put Syracuse Athletics on the forefront of
student-athlete facilities for the nation,"
says Gross. "We have to provide the best
for our student-athletes to assist all of our
programs in the effort to compete on the
national level. We are thrilled that Donovan
remains involved with the Orange football
program and that he has stepped forward with a major gift for this project."
"When we all sat down and talked
about something in which we could take
another step forward and the weight
room came up, I jumped right on it," says
McNabb. "This is something we all need to
be excited about. Not just because this is a
weight room, but this is a building block to
where we want to go."
Says Robinson, "A state-of-the-art
weight room will be a great asset for our
football team and a great start in the overall
development of our athletics facilities."
The 11,200 square-foot strength
and conditioning training facility will be
constructed as an addition to the Iocolano-
Petty complex, built off the existing football
training room. The lower level of the complex
will be dedicated to free weights and
weight machines. The balcony level will be used for aerobic equipment.
The gift from McNabb is the second
he has given to the SU football program. In
2000, McNabb made a contribution for the
new football locker room.
During his time at SU, McNabb led the
Orange to three BIG EAST Championships,
four post-season bowl games and a
record of 36-14 on the Field. Off the Field,
McNabb and his classmates gained recognition
for the University, earning the 2000
AFCA Academic Achievement Award for
having 100 percent of the class leave SU
with a degree.
McNabb established Orange records
the most career touchdown passes, total
offense in a career and in a season, and total
offensive yards per game. The three-time
BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of
the Year is the only person in the history of
the league to earn all-conference honors for
four years. During his rookie season he won
the 1996 Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player
Award after leading the Orange to a 41-0
victory against Clemson.
McNabb earned his degree in speech
communications from the College of Visual
and Performing Arts.
