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Steve Hatchell,
President & CEO
Media Contacts:
Phil Marwill | 917-579-4256
Alan Cox | 972-556-1000
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NFF Chalktalk - Feb. 6, 2017
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Don Coleman, a 1975 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Michigan State, passed away Jan. 30. At age 88, he was the eighth-oldest living member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
A three-year letterwinner (1949-51) under Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Biggie" Munn, Coleman helped guide MSU to a 9-0 record in 1951, winning the Spartans' first national championship on the gridiron. Coleman was MSU's first unanimous All-American and first African-American All-American as a senior in 1951. During his three seasons on varsity, he helped the Spartans to a 23-4 record, including 15 of the school-record 28 straight victories. The squad's Governor Award winner (team MVP) in 1951, he finished runner-up in the voting for the Outland Trophy.
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NFF High School Showcases Expand to Four States
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Capitalizing on the phenomenal success of the NFF High School Showcases in Los Angeles and Houston, the NFF has attracted support for two additional events this year in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., and all four events will take place between Feb. 11 and March 4. Organizers estimate that participants will collectively receive between $8 - $10 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 players 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 110 colleges covering 30 states, coupling them with more than 1,000 aspiring college players who earned millions of dollars in academic and participation scholarships.
This Week - Feb. 11:
The Fifth Annual California Showcase, launched by College Football Hall of Fame Coach Terry Donahue (UCLA, 1976-95), will kick off the season on Feb. 11 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif.
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The NFF announced that the College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience in Atlanta unveiled a special exhibit and will host a unique roundtable event in celebration of Black History Month. Additionally the Hall will donate $1 from every full-price admission sold during the week of Feb. 20 to the United Negro College Fund. The honorary chairman for the month-long celebration at the Hall is Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
The "Breaking Barriers" exhibit, located in the Specialty Exhibit delivered by UPS, chronicles game-changing individuals, stories and the moments that paved the way.
On Feb. 22, the Hall will host an intimate "Breaking Barriers" roundtable event moderated by College Football Hall of Famer Don McPherson (Syracuse) and featuring Hall of Famers Thom Gatewood (Notre Dame), Gene Washington (Michigan State) and John Wooten (Colorado).
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Several NFF Chapters staged events Feb. 1 as part of National Signing Day, where the most promising high school senior student-athletes signed national letters of intent to play football in college. The Touchdown Club of Atlanta-NFF Chapter, NFF Valley of the Sun Chapter (Ariz.) and NFF Tom Lombardo/St. Louis Chapter all hosted successful events, attracting nearly 400 high school seniors combined to make their announcements. The event in Atlanta was hosted at the College Football Hall of Fame, pictured above.
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National Football Foundation at Super Bowl LI
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The National Football Foundation congratulates NFF Board Member Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots on winning Super Bowl LI. NFF National Scholar-Athletes
Nate Solder
(Colorado - 2010) and
Jordan Richards
(Stanford - 2014) are members of the champion Patriots. Solder claims his second Super Bowl victory after winning Super Bowl XLIX with the Patriots. He also appeared in Super Bowl XLVI with New England. Richards wins his first Super Bowl in just his second year in the NFL. Campbell Trophy winner Alex Mack (California - 2008) and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Jacob Tamme (Kentucky - 2007) appeared on the roster of the Atlanta Falcons.
College Football Hall of Famers
Terry Bradshaw (Louisiana Tech) and coach
Jimmy Johnson took part in the pregame show while NFF Board Member and Hall of Famer
Troy Aikman (UCLA) called the game for FOX. President
George H.W. Bush, the 1991 NFF Gold Medal recipient, took part in the pregame coin toss. 2017 College Football Hall of Fame electee
Brian Urlacher (New Mexico) and 2013 NFF Legacy Award recipient, former Texas long snapper and Army veteran
Nate Boyer were also featured in pregame segments.
The 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class was honored on the field, including NFF Board Member and Dallas Cowboys
owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones and College Football Hall of Famers Kenny Easley (UCLA) and LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU). New York Giants quarterback and 2003 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eli Manning (Ole Miss) was also honored on the field as the co-recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award alongside Arizona Cardinals and former Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
The names of the players from h
istorically black colleges and universities in the Pro Football Hall of Fame were read before the game during a special tribute, including College Football Hall of Famers
Buck Buchanan (Grambling State),
Harry Carson (South Carolina State),
Willie Lanier (Morgan State),
Walter Payton (Jackson State),
Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State) and
Art Shell (Maryland Eastern Shore). College Football Hall of Famer Doug Williams (Grambling State) also participated.
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Ray Christensen, the Voice of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for 50 years and the 2000 recipient of the NFF Chris Schenkel Award, passed away Feb. 5. He was 92.
Christensen, who also served in the Army in World War II, was the longtime play-by-play announcer for Gopher football and basketball. He was a 1949 graduate of the University of Minnesota and then began calling football games in 1951. Christensen retired in 2001 after announcing 50 years of Gopher football and 45 years of Gopher basketball.
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February - Black History Month:
Celebrate the history of college football with a special temporary exhibit telling the story of southern African-American football players that played at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the Specialty Exhibit delivered by UPS. The exhibit will open on Feb. 1.
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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| Check out FootballMatters.org, the NFF's home for storytelling that promotes the power of amateur football. Recent headlines on the site include: |
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NFF Board Member and Apple CEO Tim Cook will receive an honorary doctorate of science from the University of Glasgow in Scotland on Feb. 8. He will also host a "fireside chat" open to students, staff and alumni of the university. Cook was also named the recipient of the Newseum 2017 Free Expression Award.
College Football Hall of Famer
Johnnie Johnson
(Texas)
announced
a 250-city tour beginning Feb. 8 to promote his Moving Families Initiative, a program aligning certified real estate agents and service providers to safeguard families on the move.
College Football Hall of Famer Marty Lyons (Alabama) has assembled a team of 50 cyclists with the goal of raising $200,000 during the New York City TD 5 Borough Bike Ride on May 7 for his eponymous foundation, which fulfills the wishes of children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses.
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ollege Football Hall of Famer and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Tim Green (Syracuse), a noted author, has co-authored a novel with New York Yankees great Derek Jeter titled, Baseball Genius.
College Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) has been named the honorary starter for the 59th Daytona 500 on Feb. 26.
Current New York Giants quarterback and 2003 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eli Manning (Ole Miss) was named a co-recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Manning has made a lasting legacy with his charity work.
2004 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Jim Leonhard was named the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Wisconsin.
2009 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Reed Williams (West Virginia) was named the linebackers coach and academic coordinator at West Virginia State.
2007 NFF Distinguished American Rocky Bleier, a former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh Steelers running back who received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Vietnam, will receive the Dapper Dan Lifetime Achievement Award on Feb. 15.
2011 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award recipient Verne Lundquist will speak as part of the 2017 PwC SMU Athletic Forum on April 13 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.
NFF-partner VICIS has added Lisa Ertz, the mother of current Philadelphia Eagles and former Stanford tight end Zach Ertz, to its coalition of advisors.
Through a new partnership, NFF-partner VICIS and the University of Alabama at Birmingham - which have each made major strides in developing next generation football helmets in recent years - are combining expertise and intellectual property to bring more effective helmets to the market.
NFF-partner Under Armour is selling its first U.S.-made collection of apparel.
NFF Program Updates
The NFF Scholar-Athlete of the Day, presented by Fidelity Investments, is a daily segment honoring the semifinalists for the 2016
William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments. Today's honoree is Dayton linebacker and 2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete
Chris Beaschler, who graduated in December 2016 with a
3.72 GPA in mechanical engineering.
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The
NFF Greater Morris County (N.J.) Chapter
will host its annual Sports Nut Night Feb. 9 at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, N.J.
The
NFF Tampa Chapter's Scholar-Athlete Banquet is scheduled for Feb. 9 at the DoubleTree Cypress Airport in Tampa, Fla.
The
NFF Columbus (Ohio) Chapter will host its Scholar-Athlete Banquet Feb. 13 at Ohio Union on the Ohio State University campus. Former Ohio State offensive tackle and current Buckeyes football radio broadcaster
Jim Lachey will be presented with the chapter's highest honor, the Ohio Gold Award. College Football Hall of Famer Tom Cousineau (Ohio State) will also be honored.
The NFF State of Michigan Chapter will hold its Scholar-Athlete Banquet Feb. 15 at the Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, Mich.
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Scheduling
Starting in 2018, Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas will host the annual meeting between Texas Southern and Southern...
Obituaries
Former SMU football player
John Rumley passed away Jan. 13... Former Texas football player
Jack Evans passed away Jan. 18. He was 79...
Ted Covington, a former Florida football radio broadcaster, passed away Jan. 25. He was 96...
Former McNeese State athletics director
Sonny Watkins
passed away
Jan. 27...
Muskingum (Ohio) football player
Tyler Lancaster died Feb. 1. He was 23... Former Richmond football player John Hilton passed away Feb. 2. He was 74...
Former Chattanooga football player
Tom Drake passed away Feb. 2. He was 86... Former Chico State (Calif.) football player George Maderos passed away Feb. 2. He was 83...
Former Alabama defensive back
Benny Perrin died Feb. 3. He was 57...
Former Florida wide receiver and
Gainesville, Fla., mayor
Perry McGriff Jr. passed away. He was 79... Former Oklahoma State fullback Cecil Wilson passed away. He was 49... Former Texas A&M-Commerce football player John Logan passed away...
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Join the NFF
Support amateur football in your area by joining the NFF today.
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Donate to the NFF
Tax deductible gifts help fulfill mission of
Building Leaders Through Football.
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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 2016 NFF Institutional Academic Members.
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Since 1959, the National Football Foundation 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 Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association provides a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF's present efforts.
Click here to see all of the members of the 2016 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association.
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Dec. 4, 2017
- Presentation of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup to the Ivy League Football Players of the Year at the New York Hilton Midtown at an event presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses - New York City
Dec. 5, 2017
- NFF Annual Awards Press Conference at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 5, 2017
- NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City
Dec. 5, 2017
- 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown - New York City, including the induction of the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the 28th presentation of The William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and prominently displayed at the New York Athletic Club.
Jan. 1, 2018 - The 13th Annual NFF National Hall of Fame Salute during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Atlanta, Ga.
Jan. 8, 2018 - College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, Ga.
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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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