Oren Lyons Jr. (left) and Roy Simmons Jr. were honored with the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award for preserving the Native origins of their sport, educating current and future generations of players about the proud connection between lacrosse and Indigenous communities.
Oren Lyons Jr. ’58, H’93 and Roy Simmons Jr. ’59, H’14 formed a lifelong friendship that stems from their days starring for the Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team from 1955-58.
Recently, Lyons and Simmons were honored with the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award, which intends to “keep the legacy of the Onondaga stick maker alive, to promote the game’s sacred Indigenous roots and to honor members of the larger community who share Alfie’s love of lacrosse and his commitment to its growth,” according to a press release issued by the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award board.
The dynamic duo captured multiple All-American honors playing for the Orange and have remained friends through their shared experiences with the lacrosse program.
Roy Simmons (left) and Oren Lyons
Interwoven with their passion for Syracuse lacrosse, Lyons and Simmons have advocated to preserve the Native origins of their sport, educating current and future generations of players about the proud connection between lacrosse and Indigenous communities.
Both players excelled under head coach Roy Simmons Sr. during their Syracuse careers, with Lyons twice earning All-American honors as a goalie and Simmons Jr. twice claiming All-American honors at attack as a potent goal scorer. They helped the Orange go undefeated during the 1957 season, the program’s first unbeaten season since 1924.
Lyons is one of the first Native Americans to have attended Syracuse University, earning a degree in fine arts from the College of Arts and Sciences. He remains one of the most talented lacrosse players in program history and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1992 and received the prestigious Spirit of Tewaaraton Award in 2015. As a Faithkeeper—one of the spiritual leaders of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation—Lyons advocates for environmental protections and the rights of Indigenous people. In 1983, Lyons co-founded the Iroquois Nationals, a team that represents the Haudenosaunee in international field lacrosse competitions.
Oren Lyons Jr.
Simmons was a lifelong friend of Jacques who often invited the stick maker to speak to his Syracuse teams—which featured many standout Iroquois players—about the history and Native connections to lacrosse. Simmons was the first coach in the NCAA Division I history to win five national championships and ranks sixth all-time with his six national titles. His teams posted a record of 290-96 during his 28-year coaching career. Simmons was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991, received the Spirit of Tewaaraton Award in 2009 and was inducted into the Syracuse University Athletics Ring of Honor on Feb. 20, 2022.
“[Their] lives and legacies stand as profound representations of what the game of lacrosse is about. Both Lyons and Simmons have walked alongside Alfie Jacques for decades, as advocates and storytellers. They have lived lives that reflect the deep spiritual and communal roots of the game,” the release said about their ties to Jacques, a master lacrosse stick maker and member of the Onondaga Nation’s Turtle Clan.
Lyons and Simmons will receive their awards during the 2025 Wooden Stick Festival in Syracuse, to be held Sept. 12-14.
For more information about the Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award and past recipients, visit alfieaward.com.
