This year will mark Riska's 44th year with The Heisman.

Nov. 29, 2004

For more information contact:
Tim Henning (212) 425-7000 ext100

New York, NY-- Rudy Riska, Executive Director of The Heisman Memorial Trophy and former athletic director of The Downtown Athletic Club of NYC Inc., has announced his retirement following the conclusion of the 2004 Heisman Presentation. This year will mark Riska's 44th year with The Heisman.

Riska was born across the street from The Downtown Athletic Club. Following a tour of duty with the US Army he went on to play with The New York Yankees organization for four years. Following his baseball career he began his employment for The Downtown Athletic Club within their athletic department. He eventually went on to serve as Athletic Director of The Downtown Athletic Club, the same post that had been served by John Heisman himself. Notably, Riska had the honor of being The Executive Director of the National Association of Club Athletic Directors of America.

Additionally Riska maintained a strong and constant rapport with several leading organizations within the community, athletic and educational fields, including: The Amateur Athletic Union, The National Collegiate Athletic Directors, The Football Writers of America, The College Sports Information Directors of America, The West Point Athletic Association, Notre Dame University Touchdown Club, the Boy's club of New York, the Junior Olympics, Special Olympics New York, the Women's Sports Foundation, the President's Council on Physical Fitness, The Notre Dame Leahy's Lads, the Police Athletic League, the Public Schools Athletic League, the Tablet Catholic High Schools Essay Program, the diabetes foundation, the Police and Fire Widows and Children's Fund Burn Center, the Make a Wish Foundation, the MSG Network Tri State High School Program and many more.

"The Heisman Program and The Heisman Winners have and always will be very special to me" stated Riska. "I am proud of my contributions to The Downtown Athletic Club."

Heisman Trophy winner, Steve Spurrier (1966) once stated that "Rudy is a friend to all of the former Heisman winners, and he truly does a great job of keeping the fraternity of Heisman winners together. I am proud to call him my friend." John Cappelletti, 1973 Heisman winner once said that if he had to pick one individual that has all of the characteristics you would want to see in a Heisman Trophy Winner, it would be Rudy Riska. Gary Beban, 1967 Heisman Winner once quoted, "Frank Eliscu produced it, the Downtown Athletic Club and the sportswriters award it, and fortunate collegiate participants receive it. But, the Heisman Trophy's Most Valuable Player is Rudy Riska. It is Rudy's life-long genuineness, without any favors requested in return, that separates the uniqueness of the Heisman Trophy from all the other awards."

Riska will remain Director Emeritus to The Heisman Foundation and its many charitable youth programs.