DALLAS, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Professional football's all-time leading rusher and America's championship dancer will finally have a chance to ride. Comerica Bank today announced that Dallas Cowboys legend and "Dancing with the Stars" champion Emmitt Smith will serve as grand marshal of the Comerica Bank New Year's Parade on Monday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2007, in Downtown Dallas.
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"I'm honored to serve as Grand Marshal for an event that celebrates Downtown Dallas, welcomes thousands of visitors to the Metroplex, and benefits young people and education," said Emmitt Smith. "The Comerica Bank New Year's Parade will be a great way to help families ring in 2008."
"We're pleased to have the National Football League's all-time leading rusher and member of three Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboys teams as the grand marshal of the Comerica Bank New Year's Parade," said Ralph Babb, chairman and CEO, Comerica Bank. "We look forward to Emmitt's participation in this family friendly event and invite the community to join us in greeting him along the parade route through downtown Dallas."
During his 14-year NFL career, Smith rushed for 18,355 yards -- 1,500 more than anyone else in league history. He led the NFL in rushing four times, won three Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys, League MVP honors in 1993, the Super Bowl MVP Award, and was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times. He was added to the Cowboys Ring of Honor in September 2005.
Smith is currently an analyst for ESPN on the network's NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown shows. He and his dance partner, Cheryl Burke, were crowned champions of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in November of 2006.
The Comerica Bank New Year's Parade will feature some 3,500 participants, including the University of Arkansas Razorback Marching Band and Spirit Squad, "Marching Mizzou" and the University of Missouri Spirit Squad, the world-famous Kilgore College Rangerettes, high school drill teams, 16 high school bands from across the country, equestrian units, floats, and specialty entries celebrating North Texas organizations and attractions. The 1.5-mile parade route will start at the Comerica Bank Tower at Ervay and Elm and will continue down Main, Lamar, and Houston Streets before ending at the American Airlines Center.
The parade benefits the Field Scovell Scholarship Foundation, which provides thousands of dollars in college scholarships annually for North Texas high school graduates with leadership abilities, strong moral character, financial need, and a connection to sports.
For more information on the Comerica Bank New Year's Parade, including sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, go to comericabankparade.com.
COMERICA BANK NEW YEAR'S PARADE -- Theme: Celebrate Downtown! -- When: Monday afternoon, Dec. 31, 2007, 2 p.m. -- Where: Downtown Dallas (Comerica Bank Tower at Ervay and Elm, to Main, Lamar and Houston Streets, to the American Airlines Center) -- Why: The Comerica Bank New Year's Parade provides a family-friendly New Year's event in the Metroplex, celebrates the revitalization of Downtown Dallas, and helps to welcome thousands of visitors in town for the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. For More Information: http://www.comericabankparade.com/ About Comerica Bank
Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, a financial services company headquartered in Dallas and strategically aligned into three major business segments: the Business Bank, the Retail Bank, and Wealth & Institutional Management. Comerica focuses on relationships and helping businesses and people to be successful. In addition to Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Michigan, California, Florida and Arizona, with select businesses operating in several other states, and Canada and Mexico. Comerica Incorporated reported total assets of $60 billion at September 30, 2007. To receive e-mail alerts of breaking Comerica news, go to http://www.comerica.com/newsalerts.
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