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DALLAS, May 15, 2012 - The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today that ESPN Executive Chairman George Bodenheimer will be honored with the organization's 2012 NFF Distinguished American Award. One of the most prestigious honors presented by the NFF, the award honors an outstanding person who has maintained a lifetime of interest in the game and who, over a long period of time, has exhibited enviable leadership qualities and made a significant contribution to the betterment of amateur football in the United States.

First bestowed in 1966, the NFF Distinguished American Award is presented on special occasions when a truly deserving candidate emerges. Bodenheimer will become the 41st recipient of the award, joining an impressive list of previous honorees that includes Tom Brokaw, Bob Hope, Vince Lombardi, Alan Page, T. Boone Pickens, Pete Rozelle, Jimmy Stewart and Pat Tillman.

"College football has greatly benefited from the hard work and leadership of George Bodenheimer," said NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell. "Fans from across the nation owe a debt of gratitude to his innovations in vastly expanding the number of college football games delivered to their living rooms every fall. We have all learned a great deal from George and his superior business acumen, creativity and relentless focus on innovation."

"George Bodenheimer is an outstanding choice for the 2012 NFF Distinguished American Award," said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany, who serves on the NFF Board of Directors. "He has been instrumental in expanding the Big Ten's television exposure in football and basketball during his time at ESPN. He has also been at the forefront of emerging technologies making a tremendous impact in the world of college football as a whole. I congratulate George on this prestigious honor."

"George Bodenheimer is an outstanding choice for the National Football Foundation's Distinguished American Award," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, who serves on the NFF Board of Directors. "His commitment to ESPN and college football has helped build the sport to unprecedented levels. Fans from all over the world now enjoy college football because of his vision and innovation. George's soft-spoken and thoughtful demeanor compliments his creativity, passion, talent and successful leadership style."

A 1980 graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, Bodenheimer aimed to launch a career in the sports industry, applying to numerous entities until landing at ESPN as a driver in the mailroom just 16 months after the network launched. He often credits the driver position for greatly aiding his rise within the company, allowing him to meet employees from every department and observe how the network operated.

Bodenheimer continued his climb up the corporate ladder in 1982 as a marketing representative based in Dallas. Stops in Chicago, Denver and Bristol, Conn., over the next decade led him to New York where he became the executive vice president of sales & marketing in 1996. He was named president of ESPN's domestic operations on Nov. 19, 1998 and was given reigns over the network's global operations four months later. Bodenheimer added president of ABC Sports to his list of responsibilities on March 3, 2003, and was named co-chairman of Disney Media Networks on April 20, 2004. He began his latest duties, executive chairman of ESPN, Inc., on Jan. 1, 2012.

Under Bodenheimer's leadership, ESPN acquired significant multi-platform rights agreements across college football, signing landmark contracts with the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC, locking in each league for a decade or longer. The network also acquired rights to the Bowl Championship Series beginning with the 2010 season. The 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship and the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship have attracted the top two audiences in the history of cable television.

The network experienced enormous growth behind Bodenheimer's guidance, growing from four to eight domestic networks and from 20 international markets to 48. Under his watch, the organization has launched 12 HD services and ESPN3D, and his leadership has helped drive ESPN and ESPN2 into nearly 100 million homes while the number of employees has expanded from 1,900 employees to approximately 7,000.

Bodenheimer also championed ESPN's philanthropic efforts, helping The V Foundation raise more than $100 million for cancer research since 1993 and spearheading efforts of employees to contribute 30,000 hours of community service in celebration of the company's 30th anniversary.

The NFF Major Award winners, along with the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame inductees and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete class, will be honored at the NFF 55th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. For ticket information, please contact NFF director of external relations Will Rudd at 800.486.1865 or wrudd@footballfoundation.com.

Past recipients of the NFF Distinguished American Award include:
1966 - William Carpenter
1967 - No honoree
1968 - No honoree
1969 - Archibald MacLeish
1970 - Vince Lombardi
1971 - Dr. Frank Boyden
1972 - Dr. Jerome H. Holland
1973 - No honoree
1974 - Bob Hope
1975 - Rev. Theodore Hesburgh
1976 - James A. Van Fleet
1977 - Rev. Edmund P. Joyce
1978 - No honoree
1979 - John W. Galbreath
1980 - Fred Russell
1981 - David Sonny Werblin
1982 - Silver Anniversary - all honored
1983 - Leon Hess and Jimmy Stewart
1984 - David Nelson
1985 - Bill Flynn
1986 - John L. Toner
1987 - Ike Sewell
1988 - Joe Rodgers
1989 - Edward "Moose" Krause
1990 - Pete Rozelle
1991 - Joe Paterno
1992 - Wellington Mara
1993 - Dick Kazmaier
1994 - Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
1995 - Tom Osborne
1996 - J. Donald Monan, S.J
1997 - No honoree
1998 - Roy Kramer
1999 - No honoree
2000 - Arthur J. Decio
2001 - Dr. James Frank
2002 - George B. Young
2003 - Dr. Robert C. Khayat
2004 - Robert F. Casciola
2005 - Hon. Alan Page
2006 - Pat Tillman
2007 - Rocky Bleier
2008 - T. Boone Pickens
2009 - Billy Payne
2010 - Tom Brokaw
2011 - Dr. Archie Roberts