BALTIMORE, Md. (August 8, 2018) –The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award® announces a new partnership with A. O. Smith (www.hotwater.com), a leader in the water heating and treatment industry, to present the 2018 Golden Arm Award. The award is presented annually to the top senior or fourth-year junior quarterback set to graduate with their class by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, which encapsulates all that is positive in college sports.

“We are proud and honored to have A. O. Smith presenting our award,” commented John Unitas Jr., President of the Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation. “We look forward to welcoming their entire organization, including their customers to be part of a foundation that is so near to my heart. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to work with several long-term partners and A. O. Smith is really a perfect fit for what we’re trying to achieve collectively. The A. O. Smith partnership will enable us to take the Golden Arm Award to new heights, offer greater opportunities for our scholarship winners and help ensure that the Johnny U legacy carries on.”

The partnership with the Golden Arm Award offers A. O. Smith the platform to promote the importance of their core values, such as innovation, leadership, teamwork, integrity and character.

“A. O. Smith has a legacy of innovation and performance in the water heating and water treatment industries, much like Johnny Unitas did on the football field. Both of these iconic names have been around for decades and share many of each other’s values,” said Jeff Storie, A. O. Smith’s director of marketing. “For A. O. Smith, partnering with the Johnny Unitas Foundation and the Golden Arm Award makes perfect sense. We’re excited to tie our own efforts to further education in our trade with the Foundation’s efforts to help further the education of youths interested in football around the country.”

Sharing a tradition of innovation with Unitas, who invented football’s two minute drill, A. O. Smith has been an innovator in its industry for more than a century. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional competitive advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and field supports one of the world’s broadest lines of residential and commercial water heaters, water treatment products as well as commercial boilers. This single-source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by decades of research and innovation.

Giving life to the commitment to always give something back, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and A. O. Smith will continue to promote football on all levels by providing financial aid to deserving young scholar athletes.

As part of the partnership, the award will be rebranded as the Golden Arm Award presented by A. O. Smith. A. O. Smith is committed to creating innovative solutions that set new standards for the plumbing industry, just like Unitas did in football.

The hashtag #InnovationLeaders will be visible on all Foundation and Golden Arm award advertising, marketing, social media, website, and public relations materials and represents both organizations commitment to always being leaders through innovation. Branded content and advertising will promote the award along with A. O. Smith’s products and services.

Other sponsors of the Golden Arm Award Presented by A. O. Smith Corporation include:
MedStar Sports Medicine, The Babe Ruth Museum, Cannonball Moments, Century Engineering, Comcast, Dunbar Armored, Dunbar Security Solutions, Dunbar Protective Services, The Embassy Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor & The Grand, Haddock Investments, Harvey Agency, TTI, HMS Insurance Associates, Inc., PSAV, Panini, TRAY, The Scott Garceau Show, SILKS, Wilson Sporting Goods, and ZBest Executive & Global Transportation Services.
To learn more about the Golden Arm Award, please visit: Golden Arm Foundation or Golden Arm Award. Additionally, please follow the conversation throughout the season on Twitter: @GoldenArmAward and use the hashtags #GoldenArmAward and #InnovationLeaders.

About A. O. Smith
A. O. Smith Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of residential and commercial water heaters as well as water treatment products. A. O. Smith offers its customers an additional competitive advantage in that the company designs, builds, distributes and supports the world’s broadest and deepest line of residential and commercial water heaters, commercial boilers, and water treatment products. This single source concept simplifies ordering, installation and service and is backed by 80 years of research and innovation. For the most up-to-date A. O. Smith news, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and visit http://www.hotwater.com/.