DALLAS, April 12, 2011 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that Steve Richardson, the award-winning journalist who has written about college football for more than 35 years and is the current executive director of the Football Writers Association of America, has agreed to pen the definitive history of the NFF and its impact as a leading voice in the promotion of amateur football for more than 60 years.
"I am extremely proud to say that the NFF Board voted unanimously to undertake this important project," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "As we look to the future, the board understood that having a comprehensive history will serve as an important tool for us to engage today's top leaders in our ever expanding efforts. We have a rich history, and this book will ensure that it's properly leveraged to inspire future generations to build on the legacy that has been created during the past six decades."
Founded in 1947 by a group of Syracuse sportsmen who enlisted the early leadership and support of the nation's top leaders, including General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik, renowned journalist Grantland Rice to name a few, the NFF has remained steadfast in its mission of promoting of amateur football and its ability to develop the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic achievement in America's young people.
"The story of the NFF parallels American history," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The college gridiron provided the proving grounds for many of our country's greatest leaders, and their experiences as football players were never far from their minds, whether in war, politics, or business. Steve Richardson has a unique gift for storytelling and an unmatched passion for our sport. He is the perfect person for this job. His talents will be put to good use in writing the authoritative account of how our nation's greatest leaders helped build the NFF into a centerpiece for strengthening the young people who play our sport."
Richardson has already begun combing through the NFF's extensive historical archives, which includes thousands of artifacts and letters from the country's best known coaches, players, politicians, businessman and the seven U.S. Presidents who have been honored by the NFF. The documents and artifacts create a vast treasure trove about the meaning of college football to these individuals and their passion for building the NFF into a powerful force for ensuring the future of the sport.
"The main characters in the NFF story are fascinating and many of them had significant roles in our nation's history as well," said Richardson, "We will bring to their stories to life and highlight their lasting impact in forming this organization... The NFF has had a major role in defining the look of college football, and it has been an extremely positive force in honoring people for the past 60 years. This will be an effort to explain the role of the NFF, its connection to the Hall, all its programs, and the genesis of which it was born."
From his initial research, Richardson noted that the NFF, launched in the Northeast, has steadily moved westward in its influence, which matches the evolution of college football as well. Founded in the wake of World War II, citizenship has remained a central tenet throughout the NFF's history, and Richardson has also identified patriotism as a reoccurring theme in the NFF's annals.
"The leaders of the NFF have always been crusaders for what is right for college football," said Richardson. "From early on they had a great understanding of public relations and how to get all of the key powerbrokers involved. The evolution of the NFF is a true mosaic of college football history... There are literally so many stories to tell. There is so much stuff in the archives, it is mindboggling. And it all tells an amazing multidimensional story, which I can't wait to capture."
Steve Richardson's Bio
Steve Richardson, a Dallas-based freelance writer, has covered college and pro sports since the late 1970s. He worked at the Kansas City Star and later at the Dallas Morning News for more than 20 years combined. He has written, collaborated, or edited 13 books. His latest release in March 2011 is Dead Coach Walking: Tom Penders Surviving and Thriving in College Hoops.
His other titles are University of Texas Football Vault: A Story of the Texas Longhorns; A Century of Sports: The Centennial Book of the Missouri Valley Conference; Ricky Williams: Dreadlocks to Ditka; Kelvin Sampson: The OU Basketball Story; and Tales from the Texas Longhorns. Richardson has had three books released by Triumph Books: Then Osborne said to Rozier, Then Pinkel said to Smith, and 100 Things Oklahoma Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die. In the fall of 2010, The Cotton Bowl Classic Football Vault: The History of a Proud Texas Tradition was released in tribute to the bowl's 75th anniversary.
Richardson has served as editor for 60 Years of the Outland Trophy. He also collaborated with Rare Air Media for ABC Sports College Football All-Time All-America Team book and worked with All-Pro Cliff Harris on the former Dallas Cowboy's second book, Captain Crash and the Dallas Cowboys: From Sideline to Sideline with Cliff Harris.
He has been a correspondent for Sports Illustrated and written free-lance articles for numerous publications, including USA Today. Richardson, a 1975 graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, has collected writing awards while working in three states. He has covered 24 Final Fours, all the traditional major bowl games, professional sports and two Olympics. He was the president of the United States Basketball Writers Association in 2002-03 and has been executive director of the Football Writers Association of America since 1996.
