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Steve Hatchell,
President & CEO
Media Contacts:
Phil Marwill | 917-579-4256
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NFF Chalktalk - Feb. 6, 2018
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NFF High School Showcases Continue to Increase Impact in Four States
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The upcoming NFF High School Showcases in Houston, Los Angeles, North Carolina and South Florida look to increase their impact in 2018 by giving thousands of high school seniors a chance to earn scholarships. All four events will take place between Feb. 10 and March 3 with organizers estimating that participants will collectively receive more than $6 million in academic and participation scholarships for their freshman year.
The NFF High School Showcases, which are absolutely free to both participants and college recruiters, provide academically eligible high school seniors who did not sign an NCAA Division I letter of intent an opportunity to go through a series of drills in front of divisional college coaches from the NCAA Division II, III and the NAIA levels. Last year, the events attracted representatives from 126 colleges covering 30 states, coupling them with 1,327 aspiring college players who earned millions of dollars in academic and participation scholarships.
Feb. 10
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The 10th Annual Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase
will kick off the events on Saturday, Feb. 10, at The Methodist Training Bubble next door to NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The originator of the Showcase concept, the event in Houston was founded by Phil Camp, the former head football coach at Milby High School in Houston; Coby Rhoden, an academic coordinator at Houston Heights High School; Chris Vaughan, a member of the NFF Touchdown Club of Houston Chapter; and Daryl Wade, the former athletics director for the Houston Independent School District.
Feb. 17
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The Second Orange Bowl Florida High School Football Showcase
, presented by Cleveland Clinic Florida, will take place Saturday, Feb. 17, at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla. The event is led by the Orange Bowl Committee, President & Chairman Sean Pittman, CEO Eric Poms and NFF Board Member and Orange Bowl past president Bob Epling. Former Cincinnati Bengals head coach David Shula and former Miami Dolphin John Offerdahl will coordinate the on-field activities as they did for the inaugural event.
Feb. 24
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The Sixth Annual California Showcase
will take place Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. The event was launched by College Football Hall of Fame Coach Terry Donahue (UCLA, 1976 - 1995), who always brings in some of his former college coaches and players to help run the drills. Notables who have volunteered in the past include Steve Beuerlein (Notre Dame), Jim Everett (Purdue), Vince Ferragamo (Nebraska), Rick Neuheisel (UCLA), Lester Towns (Washington) and James Washington (UCLA).
March 3
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The Second Carolinas Senior Football Showcase
will conclude the series on Saturday, March 3, at the Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, N.C. The event was spearheaded by Charles Arbuckle, a college football analyst on SiriusXM who played for Donahue at UCLA. Arbuckle has collaborated with Blazing 7 on 7 Foundation (a local non-profit organization that runs offseason passing leagues) to run the event in North Carolina.
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Clyde "Smackover" Scott, a 1971 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from the University of Arkansas, passed away Jan. 30. At age 93, he was the fourth-oldest living player in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Scott was a three-time All-Southwest Conference player (1946-48) and a First Team All-American in football in 1948. During his Razorback career, Scott rushed for a then-school record 1,463 yards. In 1948, he averaged 7.0 yards a carry, earning 670 yards on 95 attempts. During the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, he competed for the United States in the 110-meter hurdles where he won the silver medal. He began his collegiate career at Navy.
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Jim Stillwagon, a 1991 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Ohio State, passed away Feb. 3. He was 68 years old.
Stillwagon was a three-year starter on College Football Hall of Fame Coach Woody Hayes' Buckeye teams from 1968-70, during which time Ohio State went 27-2 overall, won two national championships including the consensus national title in 1968, and three consecutive Big Ten Conference championships. Stillwagon was the first player to win the Lombardi Award in 1970, and he also won the Outland Trophy that same season. He was named a consensus All-American in 1969 and a unanimous All-American in 1970.
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2018 College Football Hall of Fame electee Coach Mack Brown was honored by the NFF and Texas on Saturday with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the Longhorns' men's basketball game against Oklahoma.
The head coach at Texas from 1998-2013, Brown boasts the highest winning percentage (76.7%) in school history among coaches with at least 10 years at the helm and his 158 career wins are second only to Hall of Fame coach Darrell Royal in Longhorn history. During the 2005 season, Brown guided Texas to its first national championship in 35 years after defeating Southern California at the Rose Bowl in one of the greatest games in college football history. Overall, he compiled a career coaching record of 244-122-1 (66.6 percent) in 30 seasons as a head coach, which also included stints at Appalachian State (1983), Tulane (1985-87) and North Carolina (1988-97). Click here for more on Coach Brown.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each inductee returns to his alma mater or school where they coached to accept a College Football Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. Brown will officially be inducted during the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
The NFF would like to thank Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte, Fidelity Investments Director and Retirement Planner Christine Jasek and NFF COO Matthew Sign for taking part in the presentation. Pictured, L-R, are Jasek, Sign, Brown and Del Conte surrounded by 16 of Brown's former players.
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Now Accepting 2018 NFF Hampshire Honor Society Nominations
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Oklahoma running back
Samaje Perine was a member of the 2017 NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
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The NFF is now accepting nominations for the 2018 NFF Hampshire Honor Society. Celebrating its 12th year, the Hampshire Honor Society is a great way to recognize colleges' best scholar-athletes who have shown passion on the football field and in the classroom.
Nominees must have:
- Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2017.
- Graduated players, who have remaining eligibility but will not return to collegiate play (e.g. declared for NFL Draft or retired from football), may also be nominated.
- Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale).
- Met all NCAA- or NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.
- Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2017 season.
Sports information directors have until March 2 to submit nominations.
For more information or to nominate a student-athlete, contact Hillary Jeffries at [email protected].
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Hall of Fame Salute - Specialty Exhibit Delivered by UPS
: The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience opened its latest exhibit honoring the 2017 Hall of Fame Class in the Specialty Exhibit delivered by UPS. The temporary display will be open through the spring of 2018.
The Home Depot and College Football Hall of Fame College GameDay Sweepstakes: At the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience, you have the chance to show your skills and pick your winner by recording your very own GameDay video sitting alongside Rece Davis and Hall of Famer Desmond Howard (Michigan). Share that video socially and you could score some awesome GameDay prizes. Click here for contest details.
About the College Football Hall of Fame: The Hall opened its doors Aug. 23, 2014, in the heart of Atlanta's sports, entertainment and tourism district. Adjacent to Centennial Olympic Park, the new Hall provides visitors with a highly immersive, interactive and engaging experience using a blend of historic college football artifacts and state-of-the-art, interactive multimedia exhibits. To plan your visit and purchase tickets, visit www.cfbhall.com.
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Congrats to 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and Campbell Trophy® finalist Stefen Wisniewski (Penn State) on winning Super Bowl LII as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Past Campbell Trophy® semifinalists Jake Elliott (Memphis, 2016), Nate Sudfeld (Indiana, 2015), Caleb Sturgis (Florida, 2012) and Jon Toth (Kentucky, 2016) are also members of the Eagles. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots, owned by NFF Board Member Robert Kraft and featuring NFF National Scholar-Athletes Rex Burkhead (Nebraska - 2012), Jordan Richards (Stanford - 2014) and Nate Solder (Colorado - 2010).
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses®, an NFF partner, has elected Gerald Freeny as President for the 2018-19 year. Freeny announced "The Melody of Life" as this year's Pasadena Tournament of Roses theme.
NFF Vice Chairman Jeff Immelt is joining venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates as a venture partner.
NFF Board Member and Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones has been selected to receive the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and Real Estate Professionals' 2018 Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame award.
College Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little (Syracuse)
will be
the keynote speaker at the Biletnikoff Award Banquet on Feb. 10.
College Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher (New Mexico) was selected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018. He will officially be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 4.
College Football Hall of Famer Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech) will be inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 16 as a member of the 2018 class.
2017 Campbell Trophy® winner Micah Kiser (Virginia) and 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Braxton Berrios (Miami [Fla.]) were named to the All-ACC Academic Football Team. With his selection, Kiser becomes the first player in Cavaliers history to be a three-time recipient of first-team All-ACC accolades and All-ACC Academic honors in the same season. The selection was Berrios' second.
Kiser was also named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID) All-State Division I Football team.
2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Chris Weber (Nebraska) is one of just two selected to receive the Big Ten's 2018 Wayne Duke Award, an annual scholarship recognizing one male and one female Big Ten senior pursuing a postgraduate degree for achievements in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities and leadership.
Five members of the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments, have been invited to take part in the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 27-March 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 2017 Campbell Trophy® winner Micah Kiser (Virginia) and Campbell Trophy® finalists Braxton Berrios (Miami [Fla.]), Justin Jackson (Northwestern), Chandon Sullivan (Georgia State) and Jake Wieneke (South Dakota State) will take part in drills as they look to play at the next level.
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The NFF Tom Lombardo/St. Louis Chapter will hold its third annual National Signing Day recruiting breakfast on Feb. 7 at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis. Then next week, the chapter will host a luncheon on Feb. 14 at Lombardo's Restaurant (Airport location) featuring College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Roland and other Missouri football greats, including Gus Otto and Howard Richards.
The NFF Greater Morris County (N.J.) Chapter will host its annual Sports Nut Night fundraiser on Feb. 8 at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, N.J.
The NFF Columbus (Ohio) Chapter will hold its 57th annual scholar-athlete banquet on Feb. 12 in the Archie Griffin Ballroom on the Ohio State University campus. The Ohio Gold Award will be presented to former Ohio State three-time First Team All-America safety Mike Doss.
The NFF Chicago Metro Chapter will host its annual awards ceremony on Feb. 19 at Halas Hall, the Chicago Bears' headquarters in Lake Forest, Ill. Dan Hampton, a former Arkansas defensive lineman and Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Chicago Bears, will be the featured speaker.
College Football Hall of Famer Bob Crable (Notre Dame) will be the guest speaker at the NFF Greater Cincinnati Chapter's scholar-athlete banquet on Feb. 22 at Manor House in Mason, Ohio. The chapter's Distinguished American Award will be presented to Cincinnati Bengals owner, Mike Brown.
The NFF Oregon Chapter will hold its 57th annual scholar-athlete banquet Feb. 25 at the Red Lion Inn in Jantzen Beach, Ore. Ben Malcolmson, the Special Assistant to Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and a former USC football player, will be the guest speaker.
The
NFF King County/Seattle Chapter's scholar-athlete banquet is scheduled for Feb. 25 at Century Link Field in Seattle.
The mission of the National Football Foundation and our members, simply stated, is to ensure and promote the future of amateur football. If you are not already a member, or if you have been a member in the past, we hope you will join in our effort to see this mission through. Click here for more information and to join.
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New Football Schools
NCAA Division II's Barton College in Wilson, N.C., announced it will be adding a football team. The college said the addition of football will intentionally focus on campus vibrancy, institutional growth and vitality, and balance in the current gender ratio of 70/30 women to men. The inaugural season has not yet been announced...
Obituaries
Former
Prairie View A&M Al-American running back John Payton, who became the first African-American coach at Lamar, passed away Jan. 27... Longtime BYU assistant football coach
Roger French passed away Feb. 3. He was 86... Former Southern Miss All-America football player
Hugh Pepper passed away Feb. 4. He was 88... Former Georgia Southern linebacker Edwin Jackson died in a car accident Feb. 4. He was 26...
More News of Interest
The LEAD1 Association will host its 2018 LEAD1 Institute July 16-18 on the campus of TCU... NCAA Division II's Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has entered into an agreement with NFF-partner Under Armour. As part of the deal, all CIAA member institutions will have access to Under Armour gear... FWAA members may begin submitting entries for its annual Best Writing Contest...
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The NFF's exciting new book, Lessons from Legends: 12 Hall of Fame Coaches on Leadership, Life, and Leaving a Legacy, is available now. The book makes a great gift for any fan of the game and can be purchased by clicking here.
Lessons from Legends may be the greatest collection of college football knowledge ever assembled. The book features Q&As with 12 College Football Hall of Fame coaches as they discuss their careers, the lessons they learned and specific features or topics that marked their time on the sidelines. The Hall of Fame coaches involved are Barry Alvarez, Mike Bellotti, Marino Casem, Fisher DeBerry, Terry Donahue, Vince Dooley, Phillip Fulmer, Frank Girardi, Tom Osborne, R.C. Slocum, Steve Spurrier and Barry Switzer.
With a foreword by former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and quotes from College Football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning and Danny Wuerffel, and from Washington head coach Chris Petersen, this book has an unmatched combination of football talent.
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Each year, the NFF invites universities, colleges, conferences and bowl games from across the country to provide support for NFF programs through its Institutional Academic Membership Program. The program allows the NFF to greatly enhance the power of football's collective voice while actively building a stronger national platform for the game with community leaders, educators and the media.
Click here to see all of the 2017 NFF Institutional Academic Members.
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Since 1959, the NFF has annually recognized the best and brightest college players, presenting them with prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments. The $18,000 postgraduate scholarships are presented at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.
Launched in 2008, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association provides a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF's present efforts.
Click here for more information and to see all of the members of the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association.
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Join the NFF
Support amateur football in your area by joining the NFF today.
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Dec. 3, 2018
- Ivy League's Asa S. Bushnell Cup Announcement, presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 4, 2018
- NFF Annual Awards Press Conference at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 4, 2018
- NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 4, 2018
- 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City, including the induction of the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the 29th presentation of The William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments and prominently displayed at the New York Athletic Club.
Dec. 5, 2018
- Campbell Trophy® Luncheon at the New York Athletic Club - New York City
Jan. 7, 2019
- Announcement of the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class prior to College Football Playoff National Championship - Santa Clara, Calif.
Jan. 7, 2019
- College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi's® Stadium - Santa Clara, Calif.
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Advertising in NFF publications will put your organization in front of key decision makers in football including key administrators, coaches, players, former players, as well as other key sports business executives throughout the year.
To inquire about the print advertising opportunities available, please contact
Clerrinda Queen at 704-987-4089 or
[email protected].
The NFF would like to thank NFF correspondent Bo Carter for his contributions to this report.
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