Pictured: The 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class was honored at the 56th Annual NFF Awards Dinner on Dec. 10 in New York City. First Row (L to R): Ted Brown (North Carolina State), Steve Meilinger (Kentucky), Wayne Hardin (Navy, Temple), Bill McCartney (Colorado), Don Trull (Baylor), Percy Snow (Michigan State), Vinny Testaverde (Miami, Fla.).
Second Row (L to R): Jerry Gray (Texas), Danny Wuerffel (Florida), Tommie Frazier (Nebraska), Charlotte Gordon (sister of the late Rod Shoate - Oklahoma), Tedy Bruschi (Arizona), Ron Dayne (Wisconsin), Orlando Pace (Ohio State).
NFF Concludes Historic 56th Annual Awards Dinner
The famous Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City witnessed an all-star cast of history’s greatest football players at the 56th Annual National Football Foundation (NFF) Awards Dinner Dec. 10.
A star-studded College Football Hall of Fame class headlined the event, and 16 of the game's current stars collected $300,000 in postgraduate scholarships. The festivities culminated with the announcement of Penn State’s John Urschel as the recipient of the 24th William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, as the top scholar-athlete in the nation. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell accepted the NFF Gold Medal while Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army General Ray Odierno received the Distinguished American Award. Former Colorado coach Bill McCartney spoke on behalf of the 2013 Hall of Fame Class, which featured Tedy Bruschi (Arizona), Ron Dayne (Wisconsin), Tommie Frazier (Nebraska) Orlando Pace (Ohio State) Vinny Testaverde (Miami, Fla.) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida). For more on the 56th Annual Awards Dinner, click here.
· Click here to watch an ESPN3 replay of the NFF Press Conference featuring the Major Award winners, the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class, the 2013 National Scholar-Athlete Class and the announcement of the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalists.
· Click here to watch an ESPN3 replay of the 56th Annual NFF Awards Dinner.
Penn State Guard John Urschel Claims NFF’s 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy
Pennsylvania State University offensive guard John Urschel became the 24th recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, at the 56th National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.
Urschel, a three-time Academic All-District selection who garnered back-to-back First Team Academic All-America honors in 2012 and 2013, earned a bachelor’s in mathematics in May 2012 and a master’s in mathematics a year later. He is currently working on a second master’s degree in math education – all while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. He was named the 2012-13 Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award winner as Penn State’s top male student-athlete and represented Penn State as the male recipient of the school’s 2013 Big Ten Medal of Honor. The Williamsville, N.Y., native is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
The Campbell Trophy is one of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, recognizing an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. The award comes with a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. A total of $300,000 was awarded to Urschel and the 15 other members of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments, who comprised the list of Campbell Trophy finalists. Each member of the class claimed an $18,000 scholarship for their post-graduate educations.
NYAC Named Official Home of The NFF William V. Campbell Trophy
The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) announced that the NYAC will become the exclusive home of the William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth as the nation’s premier football scholar-athlete award. The announcement took place Dec. 11 at the NYAC with several members of both organizations in attendance. The trophy will become part of the NYAC Hall of Fame, and it will be prominently displayed in an exhibit featuring the names and photographs of each of the winners.
NFF VIPs in attendance included NFF Chairman Archie Manning, President & CEO Steve Hatchell, trophy namesake and NFF Board Member Bill Campbell, NFF Vice Chairman Clayton Bennett, NFF Vice Chairman George Weiss, and NFF Board Member Jack Lengyel. NYAC officials included NYAC President S. Colin Neill, NYAC Captain Christopher Cassell, and NYAC Athletics Director Cedric Jones.
2013 NFF Campbell Trophy recipient and Penn State Offensive Guard John Urschel also made remarks at the event as the guest of honor. He was joined by Penn State Athletics Director Dave Joyner, Offensive Line Coach Mac McWhorter and Director of the Football Letterman's Club Wally Richardson. Both Joyner and Richardson hold the title of NFF National Scholar-Athletes, having been recognized at the conclusion of their playing days for the Nittany Lions in 1971 and 1996, respectively. Former Campbell Trophy winners Chris Howard (Air Force – 1990) and Thomas Burns (Virginia – 1993) also attended the event for the announcement.
Epperly and Hodges Named Ivy Football Players of the Year
Princeton junior quarterback Quinn Epperly and Harvard junior defensive lineman Zach Hodges claimed the 2013 Asa S. Bushnell Cup, which honors the Ivy League Football Players of the Year on offense and defense.
The announcement came during a special reception and press conference as part of the festivities surrounding the 56th National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Dinner. Carried live on The Ivy League® Digital Network, the presentation was made in front of a capacity crowd of Ivy League and NFF administrators, notable alumni, dignitaries, families and friends in the Vanderbilt Room of the Waldorf Astoria.
Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris unveiled the winners' names, and IMG Worldwide’s Sports and Entertainment Group President George Pyne, an NFF Board Member, a 2013 charter inductee into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame and a former All-Ivy offensive tackle at Brown, emceed the presentation for the fourth-straight year. NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell, NFF Chairman Archie Manning, NFF Board Member Jack Ford and NFF Board Member and Hall of Famer Murry Bowden (Dartmouth) also participated in the presentation.
Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award Voting Continues
The 25 finalists have been announced for the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year and fan voting at www.CoachoftheYear.com is open through Dec. 22. Two committees comprised of college football media and College Hall of Fame players and coaches also are casting ballots, with fans contributing 20% of each finalist’s score and the media and Hall of Fame contributing 25% and 55%, respectively. The award recognizes one coach in each NCAA division who best exemplifies responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and excellence on and off the field. Each winner will receive $50,000 from Liberty Mutual for their favorite charities and $20,000 in scholarship for their school’s alumni association.
The four winners will be announced by NFF Chairman and College Hall of Famer Archie Manning at a media event on Jan. 6, 2014, at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, Calif. Media interested in attending should contact Glenn Greenberg at Liberty Mutual Insurance, glenn.greenberg@libertymutual.com. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided between the Marriott Newport Beach and the Balboa Bay that morning.
Final BCS Standings Released
The NFF released the final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings of the college football season on Dec. 8. The BCS is in its 16th and final season before the College Football Playoff takes effect for the 2014 season. The NFF tabulates and releases the standings each week. Click here for an archive of the BCS Standings.
NFF “Football Matters to Me” Campaign
The NFF has unveiled a new campaign that encourages people to tell why football matters to them. The campaign, Football Matters to Me, will provide people from border-to-border and coast-to-coast a voice in highlighting the positive impact that football has had on their lives by utilizing social media platforms and #ImAFootballPlayer. The campaign will encourage participation via a series of national television spots with high-profile former players who subsequently achieved remarkable success later in life. The first video features NFF Board Member and Chairman and CEO of GE Jeff Immelt, and it can be watched by clicking here.
Individuals can get involved in the effort by simply posting their football stories and explaining how its life lessons have helped them off the field. Whether it’s a Tweet, a few sentences on a Facebook page or a video link, individuals can tell their football stories, and by using #ImAFootballPlayer, their testimonials will become part of the Twitter feed on the NFF homepage (www.footballfoundation.org).
College Football Hall of Fame Brick Program
The perfect gift for any football fan this holiday season, the new College Football Hall of Fame is running a legacy brick campaign. As part of this exclusive, limited-run opportunity, college football fans can purchase a commemorative brick with a personalized message that will forever be part of this historic attraction, slated to open in late 2014. Prices begin at $100. Individuals can learn more about the multiple purchase options with potential tax deductible benefits by visiting http://www.cfbhall.com/bricks/or calling 1.855.HOF.BRIX (463-2749).
Follow Progress on the College Football Hall of Fame Construction
Fans can check in on the progress of the new College Football Hall of Fame being built in Atlanta via a live camera at the construction site by clicking here. Fans can also watch a time lapse video of the Hall’s progress by clicking here.
1997 Campbell Trophy winner Peyton Manning (Tennessee) was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
Hall of Famer Archie Griffin (Ohio State) was announced as the Rose Bowl’s All-Century Player while Hall of Fame coach John McKay (Southern California) was named as the Rose Bowl’s All-Century Coach. The decade representatives for the Rose Bowl All-Century Class were George Halas (Great Lakes Navy), 1900’s-1910’s; Hall of Famer Ernie Nevers (Stanford), 1920’s; Hall of Famers Don Hutson (Alabama) and coach Howard Jones (Southern California), 1930’s; Hall of Famer Charley Trippi (Georgia), 1940’s; Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes (Ohio State), 1950’s; Hall of Fame coach John McKay (Southern California), 1960’s; Hall of Famer Archie Griffin (Ohio State), 1970’s; Hall of Fame coach Bo Schembechler (Michigan), 1980’s; Hall of Famer Ron Dayne (Wisconsin), 1990’s; Vince Young (Texas), 2000’s; and Montee Ball (Wisconsin), 2010’s.
Hall of Famers Lloyd Carr (Michigan), Orlando Pace (Ohio State) and NFF Board Member Lynn Swann (Southern California) will be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
Hall of Famer and NFF Board Member Roger Staubach (Navy) celebrated the 50th anniversary of winning his Heisman Trophy while Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State) celebrated the 25th anniversary of winning his Heisman.
Hall of Famers Doug English (Texas), Charlie Krueger (Texas A&M), Thurman Thomas (Oklahoma State) and Don Trull (Baylor) were announced as members of the 2014 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class. Former Texas A&M LB Dat Nguyen was also elected.
Hall of Fame coach John Gagliardi (St. John’s) received the National College Football Awards Association’s Contributions to College Football Award during the Home Depot College Football Awards show.
Hall of Fame coach Ted Kessinger (Bethany [Kan.]) has been elected to the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Joining him are former head coach and current athletics director of Northwest Missouri State Mel Tjeerdsma and former players Herb Bartling (South Dakota State), Arnold Johnson (South Dakota State) and Dick Callahan (Nebraska).
Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome (Alabama) will speak Jan. 21 to Gulf Coast Athletic Club in Gulf Shores, Ala.
NFF Board Member and General Electric (GE) CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt has been chosen as the 2014 recipient of the AFCA’s highest honor, the Tuss McLaughry Award.
2013 National Scholar-Athlete Updates
Trevor Adams was selected as the winner of the Academic All-America® of the Year award for Division II football. He completed 18-of-21 passes for 212 yards as Northwest Missouri State defeated St. Cloud State (Minn.) 59-21 in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs, and he threw for 284 yards & 2 touchdowns to help ?the Bearcats beat Grand Valley State (Mich.) 27-13 in the ?semifinals. Northwest Missouri State will play Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) in the Division II Championship Game in Florence, Ala. on Saturday at Noon ET on ESPN2.
John Arena (Johns Hopkins [Md.]) was selected as the winner of the Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year award for Division III football.
Max Bullough was named to the Division I Academic All-America First Team. He was also named a Third Team AP All-American. He led Michigan State to a win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Spartans will play Stanford in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Derek Carr (Fresno State) was named the 2013 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. He finished his career with new Mountain West records for passing yards (4,866) and touchdown passes (48). He was also named to the Division I Academic All-America Second Team. He led the Bulldogs to a win in the Mountain West Championship Game, and he will now play in the 2013 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl against Southern California on Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Gabe Ikard (Oklahoma) was selected as the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year for Division I football and received the 2013 Lee Roy Selmon Spirit Award. He was named First Team All-Big 12. He was also the winner of the 2013 Wuerffel Trophy, and he was named a Walter Camp First-Team All-American. He was named to the AFCA FBS All-America Team and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, presented to the most outstanding center in college football. Ikard was named a Second Team AP All-American and a CBSSports.com First Team All-American and has accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game. The Sooners will take on Alabama in the BCS Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Spencer Long (Nebraska) was named to the Division I Academic All-America First Team. The Cornhuskers will play Georgia in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. on Jan. 1 at Noon ET on ESPN2.
Niccolo Mastromatteo scored two touchdowns to help Coastal Carolina upset Montana in the second round of the FCS playoffs before falling to defending champion North Dakota State in the quarterfinals.
Jeff Mathews (Cornell) accepted an invitation to participate in the 89th East-West Shrine Game on Saturday, Jan. 1, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game will be televised on the NFL Network.
James Morris (Iowa) was named to the Division I Academic All-America First Team. The Hawkeyes will take on LSU in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. on Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Aaron Murray (Georgia) was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the Division I Academic All-America First Team. The Bulldogs will play Nebraska in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. on Jan. 1 at Noon ET on ESPN2.
Perry Simmons (Duke) was named the recipient of the 2013 Jim Tatum Award as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top senior football scholar-athlete, and he was named to the Division I Academic All-America First Team. He was also named Third Team All-ACC. The Blue Devils will play Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Eric Soza (Texas at San Antonio) was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team. He was also Honorable Mention All-Conference USA at quarterback.
John Urschel (Penn State) was named the 24th recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy and was named to the Division I Academic All-America First Team. He was also named a Third Team AP All-American.
Dustin Vaughan (West Texas A&M) was named to the Division II Academic All-America Second Team and is a member of the AFCA Division II All-America Team. He was also named one of three finalists for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy.
Tony Washington (Appalachian State) was named an Academic All-Southern Conference Honoree.
Erik Westerberg (Augustana [Ill.]) was named to the Division III Academic All-America First Team.
NFF Program Updates
The NFF Scholar-Athlete of the Day, presented by Fidelity Investments, is a daily segment honoring the 2013 National Scholar-Athlete candidates. Today’s honoree is 2013 NFF Legacy Award recipient Nate Boyer, the long snapper at Texas, who boasts a 3.83 GPA in physical culture and sports.
“This Week in College Football History,” a weekly NFF series, is posted each Friday on the NFF website. Click here to check out the games for Dec. 16–22.
Each Thursday, the NFF produces a comprehensive television schedule for all Division I games complete with date, time, teams and on-air talent listings. Email jkemp@footballfoundation.com to receive the listing via email or visit www.footballfoundation.org.
Former NFF National Scholar-Athletes Eddie Eviston (Georgetown [Ky.] – 2001) and Rich Diana (Yale – 1981) have joined the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association (NSAAA). For more information on the 2013 NSAAA, click here.
Each year, the NFF invites universities, colleges and conferences from across the country to provide support for the NFF programs through its Institutional Academic Membership Program. The Institutional Academic Membership 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. The program is open to all football-playing institutions at every level of college football, and it has reached new levels of support in 2013. Email Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com to learn how your school can get involved. Click here for the 2013 members.
The 2013 NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, was held on Dec. 10 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. FOX college football analyst Charles Davis emceed the event, which honored the 2013 NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes and the NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipients. Walker Jones from Under Armour presented the Chapter Leadership Awards and Amy Yakola, Associate Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, presented the National High-School Scholar-Athlete Awards. The NFF also presented an Inspiration Award to Zack Golditch for his courage and resiliency in returning to the football field after being among those wounded during the July 20, 2012 Aurora theater shooting outside Denver, Colo. Sixteen other chapter presidents were in attendance.
The 2013 NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes included Adam Greene from Broadneck High School in Annapolis, Md., and the Greater Baltimore Chapter in the East Region (currently attending Maryland); Nick Peabody from Barnstable High School in Hyannis, Mass., and the Jack Grinold/Eastern Mass Chapter in the Northeast Region (currently attending Princeton); Johnny Pena from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Ariz., and the Southern Arizona Chapter in the West Region (currently attending Brown); Weston Steelhammer from Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, La., and the S.M. McNaughton Chapter in the South Region (currently attending Air Force); and Zachary Strittmatter from Batavia High School in Batavia, Ill., and the Chicago Metro Chapter in the Midwest Region (currently attending Washington University in St. Louis [Mo.].)
The 2013 Chapter Leadership Award recipients were Ron Anello from the Essex County (N.J.) Chapter, representing the East Region; Geoff Bradley from the Central Indiana (Indianapolis) Chapter, representing the Midwest Region; Ernie Hoidal from the Southern Idaho (Boise) Chapter, representing the West Region; Linda LaBerge from the Vermont Chapter, representing the Northeast Region; and David McWilliams from the Greater Austin Chapter, representing the South Region.
The Emo DiNitto/Rhode Island Chapter launched its new website with information on events and award winners: www.emodinittoriff.org/index.html.
The NFF Michigan Chapter held its awards banquet Dec. 12, presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to 2013 Hall of Fame inductee Coach Bill McCartney (Colorado) and also a special award to Keith Orr, a special needs student at Olivet Middle School in Olivet, Michigan.
Ed Ferrante, president of the Central New York chapter, worked the 114th Army-Navy Game Saturday in Philadelphia as Instant Replay Communicator for the American Athletic Conference.
New Football Schools
"It's Our Time: The Building of Kennesaw State Football," a four-part documentary that will provide a behind the scenes look at the development of Kennesaw State's football program, will debut its first episode on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET on Comcast Sports Southeast... Kennesaw State, which will begin its inaugural football season in 2015, also announced that it has reached 2,000 season ticket deposits, nearly 60 percent of available tickets…
Scheduling
Utah State announced its 2014 schedule… Colorado State adds Boston College to 2014 football schedule… Georgia State announced a home-and-home series against UAB set to begin in 2015… Kansas State will play UTEP in 2014...
Media
The CBS Sports broadcast of the 114th Army-Navy game on Saturday tied for the highest rating for the game since 1999, up 2 percent from last year... The 2013 Big Ten Championship Game between Michigan State and Ohio State delivered a 7.9/14 national household rating/share with 13.9 million viewers and is the highest-rated, most-watched ever for the event… The Southland Conference has partnered with SIDEARM Sports and Volar Video to launch the league’s enhanced digital network, including its official website – Southland.org…
Championships and Bowl Games
No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Auburn will play in the VIZIO BCS National Championship in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN… No. 7 Ohio State and No. 12 Clemson will play in the Discover Orange Bowl in Miami on Jan. 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN… No. 3 Alabama and No. 11 Oklahoma will play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN… No. 6 Baylor and No. 15 Central Florida will play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. on Jan. 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN… No. 4 Michigan State and No. 5 Stanford will play in the Rose Bowl Game presented by VIZIO in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN… The rest of the 2013-14 bowl lineup can be found here…
The semifinals of the FCS playoffs are this weekend, with North Dakota State hosting New Hampshire on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and Eastern Washington hosting Towson on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU...
Northwest Missouri State and Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) will play in the Division II Championship Game in Florence, Ala., on Saturday at Noon ET on ESPN2… Mount Union (Ohio) and Wisconsin-Whitewater will play in the Division III Championship Game in Salem, Va., on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU… The University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) and Grand View (Iowa) will play in the NAIA National Championship in Rome, Ga., on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3…
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., was selected to host the 2016 College Football National Championship Game and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. will host the 2017 National Championship Game…
People
Chris Petersen named Washington head coach… Dave Clawson named Wake Forest head coach… Bryan Harsin has been hired as head coach at Boise State… Craig Bohl hired as Wyoming head football coach… Bob Diaco named Connecticut head coach… Florida Atlantic has named Charlie Partridge as its head football coach... Weber State has named Jay Hill its new head football coach... Elon named Rich Skrosky as head coach… North Dakota State named Chris Klieman head football coach... Fordham coach Joe Moorhead signed a contract extension through 2021… UCLA head coach Jim Mora agreed to a six-year contract extension through the 2019 season…
Awards
Florida State's Jameis Winston was chosen as the winner of the 2013 Heisman Trophy… Winston was also announced as the winner of the 2013 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award,® and he was also selected as the 2013 Walter Camp Player of the Year… AJ McCarron (Alabama) was selected as the winner of the Maxwell Award, and he was also the winner of the 2013 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award… Wide receiver Brandin Cooks (Oregon State) was announced as the winner of the 2013 Biletnikoff Award… Running back Andre Williams (Boston College) has been named the winner of the 2013 Doak Walker Award… Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh) was selected as the winner of the 2013 Chuck Bednarik Award, the 2013 Rotary Lombardi Award, the 2013 Outland Trophy and the 2013 Bronko Nagurski Trophy… Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU) was named the winner of the 2013 Paul Hornung Award…
Defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat (Texas) was named the winner of the 2013 Ted Hendricks Award… Cornerback Darqueze Dennard (Michigan State) was named the winner of the 2013 Jim Thorpe Award… Linebacker Anthony Barr (UCLA) was named the winner of the 2013 Lott IMPACT Trophy… Center Bryan Stork (Florida State) was announced as the winner of the 2013 Rimington Trophy… Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Washington) was named the recipient of the 2013 John Mackey Award… Kicker Roberto Aguayo (Florida State) was the recipient of the 2013 Lou Groza Award… Punter Tom Hornsey (Memphis) was named the 2013 winner of the Ray Guy Award… Baylor offensive lineman Cyril Richardson received the 2013 Jim Parker Award… Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis was awarded the 2013 Burlsworth Trophy…
The 2013 Walter Camp Foundation All-America Teams were announced… The Associated Press released its 2013 All-America Teams... USA Today announced its 2013 All-America Teams… AFCA announced its FBS, Division II and Division III All-America Teams... Ohio State's Braxton Miller won the Silver Football trophy as the Big Ten's most valuable player… The SEC announced its 2013 football individual awards… The Big 12 announced its all-conference teams… The ACC announced its all-conference teams… The Mountain West announced its 2013 all-conference teams and players of the year… The American Athletic Conference announced its 2013 postseason honors… The Sun Belt released its all-conference teams… Conference USA announced its players of the year and its all-conference teams… Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), Mike Evans (Texas A&M), Bryce Petty (Baylor), Jace Amaro (Texas Tech) and James Franklin (Missouri) are the five finalists for the first Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given to the top offensive player in Division I football with a Texas connection…
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn was named the 2013 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year… Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn was named the Home Depot Coach of the Year… Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn were named Sporting News Co-National Coaches of the Year… Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was named the 2013 Walter Camp Coach of the Year… Miami, Fla., head coach Al Golden was presented with the 2013 Lombardi Award for excellence in coaching… Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State Defensive Coordinator, is the recipient of the 2013 Broyles Award… AFCA announced the 2013 Regional Coach of the Year winners… Brad Daly, a Montana State defensive end, claimed the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the outstanding defensive player in the FCS… Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was awarded the 2013 Walter Payton Award...
Voice of Auburn Rod Bramblett has been named Sports Illustrated’s “Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year.” Bramblett will mirror Gene Deckerhoff, the 2013 NFF Chris Schenkel recipient and the Voice of the Florida State Seminoles, in calling the BCS National Championship Game between Auburn and FSU on Jan. 6 in Pasadena. Both announcers are part of IMG Audio, the nation’s largest independent sports radio network…
Former college players Red Cochran (Wake Forest), Bill Cody (Auburn), Walter Jones (Florida State) and Major Ogilvie (Alabama) were announced as members of the 2014 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Class… Former Texas offensive lineman Blake Brockermeyer was named the 2013 Legend of the Sun Bowl… Purdue wide receiver Gary Bush will receive the fourth annual Pop Warner National College Football Award… Oval Jaynes, who recently served as the Director of Athletics at Jacksonville State University, will be the 2013 recipient of the AFCA Executive Director’s “Spirit of Giving” Award…
Community Service
San Diego State has teamed up with the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to donate tickets to Boise-area military and youth groups for its game against Buffalo on Dec. 21 in Boise, Idaho… Michigan Athletics will sponsor charity road race at the Big House… For the ninth-consecutive year, the ACC donated runner-up’s football championship gear to those in need in developing countries… Louisville and Miami, Fla., will team up for Russell Athletic Bowl service project benefiting survivors of Typhoon Haiyan…
Facilities
Colorado’s Board of Regents approved a $143 million comprehensive athletics facilities re-design and upgrade… Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) announced plans for a “100-Yard Campaign” to raise funds to construct Cliff Harris Stadium… Toledo unveiled plans for the renovation of Larimer Athletic Complex...
Milestones
Navy’s Keenan Reynolds set the NCAA single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with his 29th…
Miscellaneous
The coin that President John F. Kennedy would have tossed in 1963 Army-Navy game was finally used 50 years later…
Obituaries
John Didion, a former Oregon State all-American center, died Dec. 10. He was 66… Former Tennessee and Clemson assistant coach Tom Bass passed away Dec. 14. He was 78… Former Tennessee starting guard and team captain Joe Black Hayes died on Dec. 9. He was 98… Former Michigan running back Don Lund passed away Dec. 10. He was 90… Tim Marcum, former McMurry (Texas) quarterback and former assistant coach at Rice and Florida, died on Dec. 5. He was 69…
The National Football Foundation relies, in part, on the support of individuals to fulfill our mission of "Building Leaders Through Football." The NFF accepts gifts in a variety of forms. In addition to one-time cash gifts, which can be put to use immediately, pledges also allow donors to make more substantial commitments over a longer period of time in support of our programs. Stock and other property which can be easily liquidated are also options when considering a gift. By making a gift of appreciated stock or property, one may reduce or avoid capital gains. Gifts to the National Football Foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Join us! For more information about how you can support the NFF, call 800-486-1865 or click here.
Jan. 2, 2014 – National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl – New Orleans
Jan. 6, 2014 – Announcement of the four winners of the 2013 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year – Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, Calif.
Jan. 7, 2014 – MacArthur Bowl Presentation to the BCS National Champion – Newport Beach, Calif.
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 to your organization, please contact Clem McDavid with IMG College at 336.464.0197 or clem.mcdavid@imgworld.com.
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Notes
The NFF would like to thank NFF correspondent Bo Carter for his contributions to this report.
NFF Chalktalk items are welcome, and should be submitted to news@footballfoundation.com.
