The Orange Bowl Committee installed as president a former college and NFL linebacker who played in its annual college game.
Henri W. Crockett, who grew up in Pompano Beach, assumed leadership of the Miami Lakes-based organization on Feb. 7.
“It is an incredible honor to become the 87th president of the Orange Bowl Committee, an organization that has shaped my life both as a player and as a member of the South Florida community,” Crockett said in a media release. “The opportunity to serve in this leadership capacity is an extension of my lifelong commitment to uplifting others, especially our youth, through sports, education, and mentorship,” he said.
Crockett will serve for a year as president and chair. At Florida State, he played in the 1994 Orange Bowl won by the Seminoles, 18-16 over Nebraska.
During seven years in the NFL, he played for Atlanta and Minnesota.
In 1999, Crockett started for the Falcons in Super Bowl 33 in what is now called Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, which is where the Orange Bowl is also held.
The Crockett Foundation, which he co-founded with his brother Zack Crockett, also a FSU alumnus and NFL veteran, provides STEM courses and other programs during the summer months and after school for middle school students in Broward County.
Crockett leads other entities including South Florida Development & Investment Company, Guaranteed Enterprise Trucking Services and Vanity Salon, the Orange Bowl Committee said.