2008 NFF Major Awards Announced

The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame announced its 2008 Major Award Winners last week. The Gold Medal, the NFF’s highest honor, will be presented to former U.S. Senator-astronaut John Glenn (Muskingum, Ohio); the Distinguished American Award will be given to philanthropist T. Boone Pickens (Oklahoma State); Outstanding Contribution to American Football is ceded to Bill Battle (Alabama and former Tennessee head coach) – founder of Collegiate Licensing Company; and Gene Smith of Ohio State was selected as the John L. Toner Award for an outstanding director of athletics.

Eli Manning Kicks Off Launch of NFF’s Gridiron Club of New York

The New York Giants’ Eli Manning, son of NFF Chairman Archie Manning, attracted close to 100 of New York’s elite to Manhattan’s 21 Club last week, announcing the official launch of the NFF’s Gridiron Club of New York, which will work to promote college football in the New York City greater metropolitan area.

Distinct from a traditional chapter, the NFF’s Gridiron Club will utilize national resources to establish a power center for the organization in the heavily-populated region. In addition to New York, power centers are also being planned for Dallas and Los Angeles.

Among those in attendance at last week’s launch were former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani; CBS The Early Show Anchor Harry Smith; Rutgers Head Football Coach Greg Schiano; NFL leadership including Joe Browne and Gene Washington; Arena Football League Commissioner Dave Baker; executives from ESPN and CBS; 1992 College Football Hall of Famer and former NFF Chairman Ron Johnson; 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Syracuse Don McPherson; athletics directors Bob Mulcahy of Rutgers, Dr. Dianne Murphy of Columbia and Francis McLaughlin of Fordham; NFF board members; and a who’s who of Manhattan business leaders.

NFF News

The Northeastern Ohio Chapter celebrated is 20th year by recognizing 21 high school student-athletes and 11 college student-athletes. The featured speaker at the event was Cleveland Browns Senior Vice President Phil Savage. Ohio State University Head Football Coach, Jim Tressel, was on hand to award Greg Debeljak, head football coach at Case Western Reserve University, the Lee Tressel Ohio College Coach-of-the-Year Award. The award is named in honor of Tressel’s father, Hall of Fame coach at Baldwin-Wallace College.

Chapter President, Tim Gleason, commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference, announced that he would be stepping down from his post with the chapter. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) will oversee the chapter starting this August.

Two-Minute Drill

Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano helped raise $50,000 for the two charities – the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Athletes in Action. Coach Schiano, his staff and area football student-athletes also assisted in opening ceremonies and competition for New Jersey Special Olympics Games in Trenton last weekend… 2008 Hall of Fame inductee Coach Lou Holtz entertained the Florida Atlantic Athletics Director's Club during a reception sponsored by Phil Roy Financial Services in Boca Raton, Fla… The Amon G. Carter Foundation has pledged $15 million to help renovate TCU's 78-year-old Amon G. Carter Stadium… The State College Quarterback Club is donating $50,000 to Penn State athletics, establishing an endowment to assist the academic pursuits of football players. The Nittany Lions will also host their annual Penn State Fantasy Football Camp this Wednesday, June 11… Brad Meester (Northern Iowa) of the Jacksonville Jaguars is one of four Parkersburg, Iowa, professional football standouts helping in the relief efforts for recent tornado victims in the devastated town. Meester and former high school teammates are selling commemorative caps and taking donations for the relief effort... New Duke AD Dr. Kevin White and his wife Jane were named Honorary Alumni of Notre Dame for their solid years of service to the university… NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel has been named partner of TaleGator Distributors, LLC, manufacturers of innovative tailgate seating.

Dallas Cowboys Owner & President Jerry Jones will serve as the keynote speaker at the 43rd Annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Convention on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The NACDA Convention will run from Monday-Thursday, June 9-12, in conjunction with the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA), the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) and the International Collegiate Licensing Association (ICLA). The event, which will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, will also honor athletics directors around the country, including the 2008 NACDA Hall of Fame inductees. NACDA also recently announced its 29 Astroturf AD of the Year Award Winners.

Missy Conboy has been tabbed as interim director of athletics at Notre Dame. The Irish also hired 2007 College Football Hall of Fame inductee and former ND nose tackle Chris Zorich as manager of student welfare and development… Big East Conference Commissioner Mike Tranghese will retire on June 30, 2009… The AutoZone Liberty Bowl has selected Army graduate Mike Longo as 2008 Liberty Bowl Festival Association president.

2007 NFF National Scholar-Athlete J Leman of Illinois leads a group of 22 Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award recipients for 2007-08 among a field of 275 nominees from the conference’s 11 members. Fellow 2007 NFF National Scholar-Athlete QB Alex Brink of Washington State has received the Pacific-10 Conference Commissioner’s Medal presented annually to each Pac-10 school’s outstanding senior male and female student-athlete… Air Force named standout WR Chad Hall “Most Valuable Male Athlete” for 2007-08… 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Arnold Tucker of Army has been named to the Army Sports Hall of Fame… Former NFF National Scholar-Athlete and Auburn standout Gregg Carr, Tennessee great Condredge Holloway and Alabama star DB Don McNeal highlight the 2008 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Class… Former Washington standouts Mark Stewart and Blair Bush have been included in the 2008 class of Husky Hall of Fame inductees... The University of Houston has added All-America QB David Klingler, former UH linebacker and current Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and TE Riley Odoms to its Athletics Hall of Fame… Columbia’s second annual Athletics Hall of Fame class includes football standouts Gene Rossides, Marty Domres and former NFF Board Member Dr. Russell Warren... The All-American Football Foundation held its 94th Banquet of Champions last Saturday in Dallas. LSU Head Coach Les Miles received the Frank Leahy Coach of the Year Award while fellow Tiger Glenn Dorsey took home the Colonel Earl (Red) Blaik Leadership Scholarship Award. Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News was named the Fred Russell Outstanding Sports Writer Award, and Bob Sign, father of NFF Chief Operating Officer Matthew Sign, was posthumously honored as the Bill Wade-Eagle Day Unsung Hero Award winner.

FSN Southwest will launch the “SWC Legends” television series in conjunction with the Texas Sports Hall of Fame to promote the museum’s new Southwest Conference wing in 2009. The regional sports network will air a series of 30-minute SWC season features with the likes of NFF College Hall of Famers James Saxton of Texas, Jerry LeVias of SMU, TCU’s Bob Lilly, and Texas Tech’s Donny Anderson… DIRECTV will launch the MountainWest Sports Network, the Mtn., on Aug. 27 in conjunction with the Mountain West Conference’s 10th anniversary season. The Mtn. will be carried on DIRECTV Choice Channel 616 and will be available throughout the areas where MWC universities are located.

Jim McKay, 86, died last week in Maryland. He worked for over 60 years for ABC and NBC… Former Texas A&M-Commerce DE Dwight White, 58, passed away on June 5 in Pittsburgh, Pa… Oaka Williams, 77, an end and placekicker on Tennessee’s 1951 national championship squad, died last Wednesday in Bluefield, Va… Former Texas Tech DE Stoney Garland died last Wednesday. He was 33… Former Notre Dame player Dewitt Patrick “Pat” Buell Jr. , 76, died Thursday in Dallas.

Key NFF Dates

July 18-19: College Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival - South Bend, Ind.
July 23-27: NFF Play It Smart National Conference - Arlington, Texas
Dec. 9: NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria – New York, N.Y.
Jan. 5, 2009: National Hall of Fame Salute at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Ariz.
Jan. 9, 2009: Presentation of MacArthur Trophy to BCS champion – Miami, Fla.


2009 BCS Schedule

Jan. 1: Rose Bowl presented by Citi – Pasadena, Calif., ABC
Jan. 1: FedEx Orange Bowl – Miami, Fla., Fox
Jan. 2: Allstate Sugar Bowl – New Orleans, La., Fox
Jan. 5: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – Glendale, Ariz., Fox
Jan. 8: FedEx BCS National Championship Game – Miami, Fla., Fox



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