NFL All-Pro Tight End Jimmy Graham Named Chairman of EAA Young Eagles
Jimmy Graham, an NFL All-Pro tight end who has found a passion for flying as great as he did for football, has been named chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program. Young Eagles has introduced more than 2.3 million young people to aviation since 1992 through free introductory flights conducted by EAA-member pilot volunteers.
The announcement was made during Tuesday evening’s program for Young Eagles volunteers at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Graham succeeds air show legend Sean D. Tucker, who served as Young Eagles chairman since 2013. As he moves into the full chairman role, Graham is the seventh person to hold that position, joining Cliff Robertson, Gen. Chuck Yeager, Harrison Ford, Sully Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles, and Tucker.
“Jimmy Graham has been dedicated to aviation and especially introducing others to flight over the past several years, including as Young Eagles co-chair,” said Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board. “We are very appreciative that Jimmy accepted our invitation to lead Young Eagles and bring his inspiring story to young people as an example of focus and achievement.”
Graham overcame childhood difficulties to become a standout athlete at the University of Miami, then during a 13-year career with four NFL teams. In 197 regular-season games, he caught 719 passes for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns – which is fourth all-time among NFL tight ends. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Graham was also named first-team All-Pro in 2013 while with the New Orleans Saints.
“There is so much in aviation that can serve as inspiration and motivation for everyone, and especially young people,” said Graham, who flies a variety of airplanes and his own Huey helicopter. “I’ve seen it in the faces of kids I’ve flown, as they understand perhaps for the first time that these dreams are possible for them. Young Eagles is a superb platform to bring that message to even more young people, and I’m eager to continue.”
Tucker will be honored during EAA’s The Gathering fundraiser on July 25 in Oshkosh, as he brought inspiration to countless Young Eagles, including at many air show sites where he flew kids during his legendary career. He and Graham have often worked together over the past several years to encourage young people to explore aviation, and the two have worked in recent months on this transition of the chairmanship.
“While my passion for bringing people into aviation will continue, Jimmy is the perfect person to advance the legacy established by 30 years of Young Eagles chairmen,” Tucker said. “He has discovered, as I did, the absolute magic in taking a young person up for a flight and seeing that sense of discovery.”
