Operated by the Military Bowl Foundation, the Touchdown Club has reached back to the past and rekindled the good feelings of the old Touchdown Club of Washington. Just like our predecessor, the Touchdown Club has created a diverse group that brings together supporters from every corner of the Washington-area football community.

While the Touchdown Club Awards Dinner honors the region’s current standouts, we also celebrate those who came before us and laid the foundation for what we have today.

The Touchdown Club of Washington was founded by the late Arthur “Dutch” Bergman, a former standout halfback at Notre Dame who went on to become the head coach at Catholic University and later the Washington Redskins. He was an Army flyer in World War I, a top government official, a sports writer and broadcaster and, finally, was the manager of the D.C. Armory and RFK Stadium.

For $2, Dutch bought a charter to establish the Touchdown Club of Washington in 1935 and it did not take long for the Club’s annual presentation of the Timmie Awards to players at the high school, college and professional levels to gain notice. Sports Illustrated referred to the event as “the granddaddy of all sports banquets”!

The Touchdown Club is fortunate to receive guidance from former Touchdown Club members, as well as several current coaches and others interested in seeing the game thrive on a local level. They come together to raise awareness for football and revenue for Patriot Point, the Military Bowl Foundation’s 290-acre retreat for recovering service members, their families and their caregivers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Learn more by visiting www.dctouchdownclub.com.