Dan Reeves, Grant Teaff, ESPN Personalities Highlight Touchdown Club's Lineup

Former Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves will kick off the Little Rock Touchdown Club's fifth season when he addresses the luncheon on Monday, Aug. 25. Meanwhile, an assortment of speakers are lined up in a timely fashion before or after games involving the Arkansas Razorbacks, including the father of 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow as well as former Arkansas assistant Gus Malzahn, who's now at Tulsa.

Reeves, former Baylor coach Grant Teaff, ESPN's NFL expert Chris Mortensen and ESPN.com columnists Ivan Maisel and Pat Forde highlight a lineup of 12 speakers announced by club president David Bazzel on Tuesday in the Metropolitan National Bank lobby in downtown Little Rock. Three dates haven't been filled, but the club has speakers already in place for its first four meetings, all held for the fourth year in a row at the Embassy Suites off Financial Centre Parkway in west Little Rock.

"It's exciting that in just five years, we have a Touchdown Club with 600 members and can announce a lineup like this," Bazzel told a large gathering in the bank lobby, including many bank employees who were enjoying a tailgate-style lunch. Metropolitan Bank, led by Lunsford Bridges, has been the club's chief sponsor for the past four years.

"To think this club started with 17 members and has grown to more than 600 makes it probably the fastest growing touchdown club in the United States," Bridges said. "This lineup of speakers is the best one ever."

Pat Dye, the former Auburn coach, will reprise his well-received 2006 Touchdown Club appearance, and UCA coach Clint Conque, who is usually on the season lineup, will be back as well. Bazzel said the club was still working on a date for Arkansas State football coach Steve Roberts, and an as-yet-to-be-named Arkansas coach from Bobby Petrino's staff will appear on Nov. 10.

Bazzel couldn't help noting the "drama" that the schedule offers in late October/early November: Ole Miss radio analyst and Memphis talk-show host Pete Cordelli, a former Arkansas football assistant, is scheduled to speak on Oct. 20, the Monday before Houston Nutt's return to Fayetteville as the first-year Rebels coach. On the following Monday, Maisel, who followed the Nutt coaching saga at Fayetteville and the Mitch Mustain controversy for ESPN, is scheduled to attend. To complete what promises to be a trifecta of "what will he say?" Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is the scheduled speaker on Nov. 3, two days after the Golden Hurricane play the Razorbacks in Fayetteville. Malzahn was an assistant for one season under Nutt, in 2006, leaving under controversial circumstances and coached Mustain at Springdale High School, and he also was a Touchdown Club speaker in 2005.

Later Wednesday, Bazzel confirmed than Bob Tebow, father of 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida, will address the club on Sept. 29, the Monday before Tim Tebow and the Gators meet Arkansas in Fayetteville.