IFL Awards John Pettit Person of the Year to Ryan Hopson
October 3, 2022 – Indoor Football League (IFL) – Iowa Barnstormers News Release
The Indoor Football League has awarded Ryan Hopson of the Green Bay Blizzard with the John Pettit Person of the Year Award following the 2022 season.
This award is named after the late John Pettit who was the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Iowa Barnstormers until his untimely passing in December of 2020. John Pettit was a pioneer of the industry and the list of his accomplishments, successes, and accolades is quite extensive; but you would never know it. He was humble, he was helpful, and he was honest. The Iowa Barnstormers meant the world to him and while he put countless hours into the organization at all levels; his priority was not just to see the Barnstormers succeed it was to see the entire Indoor Football League succeed. John always found extra hours to be available to help other teams or individuals because he knew that in order for one of us to be strong we all needed to be. John was a rare breed and he will always be missed.
Each season, the John Pettit Person of the Year Award will be awarded by the Indoor Football League to the individual who shows dedication and exemplary service to their team as well as their community. This award will be given to a caring individual who always has the best interest of their team, fan base, community, and the Indoor Football League in mind.
In its first year, the John Pettit Person of the Year was awarded to none other than John Pettit’s daughter Juli Pettit who stepped into her father’s shoes as General Manager of the Iowa Barnstormers ahead of the 2021 season without hesitation.
Following the 2022 season, Juli had the honor of presenting this award to its recipient – Ryan Hopson of the Green Bay Blizzard.
“I am very grateful that Commissioner Todd Tryon has given me the honor and privilege to present this award this season and moving forward,” said Pettit. “Being able to present this to Ryan Hopson was even more special. Ryan exemplifies everything this award is supposed to be. He cares about his team, his community, and the league as a whole. He keeps no secrets, he is always willing to share ideas, tips, and advice. Ryan always answers his phone and has helped me out on numerous occasions. He is incredibly deserving of this honor and I am very proud that I was able to be the one to present it to him.”
While his official title is Director of Sales for the Green Bay Blizzard, Ryan wears many hats within his organization and goes above and beyond not only for his own community, but to assist members of the IFL across the country. He is professional, kind-hearted, and humble.
“In my time in the IFL John Pettit taught me so much and was always the first to answer any question I might have,” said Hopson. “He made a huge impact in the IFL, his community ,and my career. I was and am humbled to have received the John Pettit Person of the Year Award from John’s daughter Juli whom I have so much respect for. To me personally, this award symbolizes “doing it the right way” and a lot of hard work here in Green Bay and that is what John stood for.”
The John Pettit Person of the Year honor was awarded through a league-wide vote of Ryan’s peers who agreed that he was deserving of this title not just based on the 2022 season, but his work in the IFL overall.
“I feel humbled, honored, and truthfully still shocked to have received this honor from my peers who do some incredible work in their own markets as well. I am so grateful to be part of the bigger team that is the IFL and blessed to work for the Treankler family who enable me to make an impact locally and take what we learn to the league as a whole.”
Having had many opportunities to learn from John Pettit over the years, Ryan expressed that being awarded this honor by his peers was even more special to him personally.
“To be the first non-Pettit to receive this honor makes me feel like I have a standard to set or a mantle to carry to continue to honor John’s legacy,” Hopson concluded. “It pushes me to go bigger and continue to serve the Blizzard organization, our local community, and the IFL in 2023.”
The Iowa Barnstormers would like to congratulate Ryan Hopson on being the 2022 IFL John Pettit Person of the Year. Our organization continues to be proud of the John Pettit Person of the Year Award and especially proud of the standard that has been set for future recipients. We look forward to celebrating all of those who earn this honor in the future.
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