(Pictured: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is officially inducted into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame during a ceremony on June 4 at the New York Hilton Midtown. During the ring presentation, from L-R: NFF Awards Committee Chairman and CBS Legal Analyst Jack Ford, NFF Board Member and Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, Christie, NFF Board Member and former Boston College Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo and NFF National Scholar-Athlete (Ole Miss) and current NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning.)
Gov. Chris Christie Inducted into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame
Known for his charisma and ability to find the middle ground, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie claimed honors June 4 as the newest inductee into the National Football Foundation (NFF) Leadership Hall of Fame. A packed house of supporters filled the Grand Ballroom of the New York Hilton Midtown to pay tribute to Governor Christie, who has served as New Jersey Governor since 2010.
Christie becomes the third member of the Leadership Hall of Fame, which was launched in 2013 as a new platform for recognizing the country’s most influential individuals who have ascended to the highest levels of success and exhibited the critical leadership qualities that transcend ordinary enterprises.
Emeritus NFF Chairman Jon F. Hanson spoke during the induction ceremony, thanking those in attendance and highlighting Governor Christie’s remarkable career. FOX Sports and NFL Network analyst Charles Davis emceed the event. NFF Awards Committee Chairman and CBS Legal Analyst Jack Ford conducted the official induction ceremony at the event. He was joined on stage for the presentation of Governor Christie’s induction ring by NFF National Scholar-Athlete (Ole Miss) and current NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning, as well as two NFF Board Members: Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and former Boston College Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo.
Other board members at the event included General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt and emeritus member and former Rutgers Athletics Director Bob Mulcahy. College Football Hall of Fame inductees who attended included Marty Lyons (Alabama) and Don McPherson (Syracuse). Leadership from the New York Athletic Club, as well as Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood and his staff were also in attendance. Herff Jones provided the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame ring, and the Business Media Group (BMG) based in Indianapolis, produced the event. Click here to learn more about the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame.
2014 Institutional Academic Membership Program is Open
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 and conferences at every level of college football, and it reached new levels of support in 2013.
Email Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com to learn about the benefits and how your school can become a 2014 Institutional Academic Member. Institutions that have signed up this week include presidential member Alma (Mich.) and executive members Coe (Iowa), Johns Hopkins (Md.), LIU-Post (N.Y.), New Mexico, South Dakota, Tufts (Mass.) and West Chester (Pa.). Click here for the 2014 members.
NFF “Football Matters” Campaign
The NFF campaign, Football Matters, continues, providing 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 encourages 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 the sport’s 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).
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.
NFF Chairman and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Manning (Ole Miss) will speak at Georgia Southern University on Sept. 17 in Hanner Fieldhouse.
NFF Board Member and former Boston College Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo and NFF and NACDA Director Emeritus Mike Cleary will be inducted as members of the 2014 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of Fame Class today. Joining them in the class are athletics directors Kathleen Brasfield (Angelo State [Texas]), Jim Livengood (UNLV) and Bob Myers (Solano Community College [Calif.]), NACDA accountant John Frain and former NACDA attorney George Durkin.
NFF Director Emeritus and former Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne, who was awarded the James J. Corbett Memorial Award by NACDA, was profiled in the June 2014 edition of Athletics Administration Magazine.
NFF Board Member and CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee Scott Blackmun will be a keynote speaker at the NACDA Convention on Wednesday at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.
NFF Board Member and NACDA Executive Director Bob Vecchione will be recognized with Missouri Western State’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
NFF Board Member and Chairman & CEO of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft served as a judge at the sixth annual “Science of Sports” fair put on by the Boys & Girls Clubs around Massachusetts.
Kraft was joined by 2013 NFF Gold Medal recipient and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the New England Patriots Moms Football Safety Clinic, one of many being staged by the NFL.
2014 College Football Hall of Fame inductee LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) is hosting the second annual LaDainian Tomlinson 5K & One Mile Kids Fun Run on Saturday at NTC Park in Point Loma, Calif. The event benefits Tomlinson’s Touching Lives Foundation.
2014 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech) will be the featured speaker at a Georgia Tech Alumni Network event on Thursday at Coach’s Corner in Savannah, Ga. Hamilton is also being featured in a series of articles by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with the first about how he chose Georgia Tech and the second about his tough freshman season.
Hamilton and fellow College Football Hall of Famer from Georgia Tech Randy Rhino visited the new College Football Hall of Fame which is currently under construction in Atlanta.
2014 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Dre Bly (North Carolina) and 1995 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Je’Rod Cherry (California) are among the former players taking part in the eighth annual NFL Boot Camp: Broadcasting at NFL Films in Mt. Laurel, N.J., from June 16-19.
College Football Hall of Famer and 1970 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Dave Elmendorf (Texas A&M), College Football Hall of Famers Ty Detmer (BYU), James Saxton (Texas) and Wilson Whitley (Houston) and 1971 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Jack Mildren (Oklahoma) are among the candidates for the 2015 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Class. Also up for the honor are TCU head coach Gary Patterson, longtime Dallas Cowboys scout Gil Brandt and former football players Fred Akers (Texas), Bobby Cavazos (Texas Tech), Ken Gray (Howard Payne [Texas]), Jacob Green (Texas A&M), Cliff Harris (Ouachita Baptist [Ark.]), King Hill (Rice), Michael Strahan (Texas Southern) and Everson Walls (Grambling State).
College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Broyles, who will officially retire after 56 years in various roles at Arkansas, was honored at a banquet over the weekend. Among those paying tribute were former Razorback, NFF Board Member and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz and Hall of Fame player Johnny Majors (Tennessee).
Opelika-Auburn News profiled College Football Hall of Fame coach Shug Jordan (Auburn) and his service in World War II. Jordan was among those storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.
College Football Hall of Famer Milt Morin (Massachusetts) was profiled by the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise (Mass.) as one of the top 25 local athletes in history.
College Football Hall of Famer John Green and former football player Al Paulekas were elected to the Army Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014.
College Football Hall of Famer Bob Lilly (TCU) will host the 17th Annual Texas Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, Texas Friday and Saturday. Celebrity golfers include Gil Brandt, College Football Hall of Famers Donny Anderson (Texas Tech), Larry Elkins (Baylor), Roosevelt Leaks (Texas), Dave Parks (Texas Tech), Mel Renfro (Oregon), Jim Ray Smith (Baylor) and Don Trull (Baylor) and 2002 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Bradie James (LSU).
In honor of the College World Series, Bleacher Report counted down the “Top 10 College Football Players Who Went on to Have Distinguished MLB Careers,” which includes 1997 NFF Gold Medal recipient Jackie Robinson and College Football Hall of Famers Bo Jackson (Auburn) and Deion Sanders (Florida State).
College Football Hall of Famer Jay Novacek (Wyoming) will deliver the address for the Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo’s scholarship recognition banquet on June 26.
2000 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Josh Whitman (Illinois) was named Director of Athletics at Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.).
Former NFF National Scholar-Athletes Tiki Barber (Virginia, 1996) and Derrick Brooks (Florida State, 1994) were inducted into the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame at CoSIDA's annual convention in Orlando, Fla. yesterday at the organization's fifth annual Capital One Hall of Fame Ceremony. Former Southern California football player Dick Nunis is also among the inductees.
2009 NFF John L. Toner Award recipient and former Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver is the winner of the eighth annual Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award from the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
2006 NFF John L. Toner Award recipient and former Kansas State and Texas Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds was elected to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
NFF Program Updates
Since 1959, the National Football Foundation has annually recognized the best and the brightest college players, presenting them with prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The NFF Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association adds to this collective voice, providing a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF’s present efforts. For a list of the members of the 2013 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, click here. Solicitation for 2014-15 membership will be sent to all former National Scholar-Athletes in July. For more information on the program or to enroll early, please email Hillary Jeffries at hjeffries@footballfoundation.com.
David Nixon, a founder of the NFF Joe Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter, was honored with the Granite State Legacy Award, which is given to New Hampshire residents who have made significant contributions over an extended period to their profession, community and state.
The NFF Howard Vandersea Maine Chapter is sponsoring the first-ever Maine Youth Football Coaches Clinic, a free clinic that will be held at five sites around the state on Thursday from 5 to 8:30 p.m ET.
The NFF Joe Tiller/Northwest Indiana Chapter will host its Honors Dinner “Celebrating Our Legends X” on June 25 at the Purdue Memorial Union Ballrooms, honoring 22 high school scholar-athletes. At the event, College Football Hall of Famer Leroy Keyes (Purdue), former Boilermaker Mike Alstott and longtime high school coaching great Tim Roth of Winamac will be inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Other awards that will be presented include the Drew Brees Mental Toughness Award, named for the 2000 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from Purdue, and the Citizenship Award to 2013 NFF National Scholar-Athlete semifinalist Rob Henry.
The NFF Bill Dooley/Triangle (N.C.) Chapter will hold its Pigskin Preview on July 24 at the Embassy Suites in Cary, N.C.
New Football Schools
College of Idaho, who returns to the gridiron this fall after 37 years, unveiled its new football field…
Scheduling
The MAC announced its updated 2014 schedule, with the majority of kickoff times and television selected for the first three weeks… Texas A&M finalized its 2015 non-conference schedule… Buffalo announced home-and-home series with both Nevada and Florida Atlantic beginning in 2015… Ball State has added Texas A&M to its 2015 non-conference schedule, as well as a home-and-home series with Western Kentucky in 2017 and 2018… BYU and UCLA have agreed to a home-and-home series in 2015 and 2016… Alabama and Western Kentucky have agreed to play a non-conference game in 2016… Arizona and Mississippi State have agreed to a home-and-home series in 2022 and 2023…
Bowl Games and Championships
The Big Ten Football Championship Game will remain at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through the 2021 season…
High School All-Star Games
The 77th Oil Bowl Classic, the longest running high school football all-star game in the country, will be held Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas…
People
Alabama’s Board of Trustees approved the contract extension of head coach Nick Saban through January 2022… Gary Walters, the Ford Family Director of Athletics at Princeton University, has been conferred the title of Emeritus Director of Athletics…
Awards and Honors
The John McLendon Minority Foundation will induct seven new members into its Hall of Fame during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon at the 49th Annual NACDA Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla. on Wednesday, including Maryland Athletics Director Kevin Anderson, Arizona State Director of Athletics Ray Anderson and NCAA Chief Legal Officer Donald Remy…
Former football player Brad Cornelsen was elected to the Missouri Southern Athletics Hall of Fame… Former football player Jason Babin was elected to the Western Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame… 2013 NFF National Scholar-Athlete semifinalist Austin Pucylowski (Southern Illinois) and defensive lineman Brett Biestek (Fordham) were chosen as the recipients of the 13th Division I Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Each will receive a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship… Kansas State’s fan experience and sales department was named the recipient of the NACMA Marketing Team of the Year Award at the annual NACDA convention in Orlando, Fla…
Media
Volar Video, LiveU, and SIDEARM Sports announced the formation of the “Collegiate Digital Alliance,” a strategic coalition that provides college athletics with an end-to-end live video streaming solution for producing and delivering HD video to fans online… Air Force’s game at Wyoming on Sept. 6 will be nationally televised by ESPNU… Utah State’s game at BYU on Oct. 3 will be televised nationally on ESPN… NCAA Division II and CBS Sports Network have announced their regular-season television schedule for the 2014 football season…
Milestones
Mississippi State has set a school record for football season ticket sales following the $75 million renovation and expansion of Davis Wade Stadium… Shelby Osborne from Jeffersonville High School in Indiana signed with NAIA school Campbellsville (Ky.) and is said to be the first female defensive back to play college football… For the second consecutive season, all available Kansas State football season tickets have been sold…
Recruiting
New Penn State head coach James Franklin and his entire staff will work as guest coaches for Trent Miles Football Camp at Georgia State today…
Uniforms and Marketing
North Carolina State unveiled its alternative helmet for the 2014 season… Purdue students who buy a VIP card by June 10 will have their photo be part of a collage on the team’s helmet for the Boilermakers’ Sept. 27 game against Iowa…
Facilities
The Big Ten Experience, an interactive digital museum located at the conference’s headquarters in Rosemont, Ill., will open to the public on June 7… Northwestern announced significant upgrades to the in-stadium video display capabilities in Ryan Field… Washington State unveiled its new Cougar Football Complex…
Community Service
The Duck Commander Independence Bowl will be hosting a free youth football clinic on Saturday at Shreveport’s Independence Stadium… During the “Wooden Oar” Spring Game, Western Michigan football held a school supply drive… The 2014 Ohio State Four-Miler at Ohio Stadium will be held Sept. 21. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer and the Urban and Shelley Meyer Fund For Cancer Research…
Miscellaneous
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced the creation of The NACDA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Leadership Summit presented by Learfield Sports, which will take place Jan. 11-12, 2015 in Dallas, Texas...
Obituaries
Former Colorado College athletics director and football coach Jerry Carle passed away April 12. He was 90… Former Arizona football player Bob Beal passed away last week at the age of 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 972-556-1000 or click here.
Sept. 25, 2014 – Announcement of the 2014 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy – Irving, Texas
Oct. 30, 2014 – Announcement of the 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments – Irving, Texas
Dec. 9, 2014 – NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel – New York City
Dec. 9, 2014 – 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel – New York City
Dec. 9, 2014 – 25th presentation of the William V. Campbell Trophy, hosted by the NYAC, to the nation's top scholar-athlete at the Waldorf Astoria – New York City
Jan. 3, 2015 – FCS National Championship Game at Toyota Stadium – Frisco, Texas
Jan. 9, 2015 – Announcement of the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Class – Dallas, Texas
Jan. 12, 2015 – Inaugural College Football Playoff Championship at AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
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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.
