IRVING, Texas (Nov. 28, 2018) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame highlighted today that its fabled 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner, which will take place Dec. 4 at the New York Hilton Midtown, promises to be one of the most memorable in history.
A star-studded College Football Hall of Fame Class headlines the event, and 13 of the game's current stars will collect $241,000 in postgraduate scholarships as members of the 2018 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The 13 student-athletes will also vie as finalists for the coveted William V. Campbell Trophy®, which will be awarded during the event for the 29th time to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.
Fans can watch a live stream of the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3. BMG Productions will produce the Dinner and surrounding events under the direction of George Sechrist.
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"Many people have come together to support this year's Annual Awards Dinner, and their efforts promise to make the event a celebration for the ages. We thank them all," said NFF President & CEO
Steve Hatchell. "As a bridge between the regular season and the bowl season, the NFF Dinner provides a unique setting where we briefly set aside intense rivalries to join together to celebrate our sport. If you're passionate about college football, there will be no better place to be on Dec. 4."
Since 1958, when U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower took a break from the election trail to accept the NFF Gold Medal at the inaugural event, the NFF Annual Awards Dinner has proven to be one of our nation's most magnetic affairs, attracting giants of industry and leaders from all walks of life to New York City. The 2018 banquet marks the 61st edition, and the event has become the one night of the year that brings together all entities of college football, even bitter rivals, to celebrate the game. This year marks the second time the event will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown.
"The National Football Foundation represents everything right about our great sport, and this night simply features the best and brightest of college football," said NFF Chairman
Archie Manning. "The accomplishments of our 2018 honorees make us all proud while providing us the ultimate vehicle for inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps."
The 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner – December 4
With more than 70 current collegiate head coaches and more than 40 returning members of the College Football Hall of Fame in attendance, the night will feature several well-known football luminaries.
ESPN3 will stream the Annual Awards Dinner live, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.
- Master of Ceremonies: Joe Tessitore, play-by-play voice of ESPN's "Monday Night Football"
- Introduction of returning members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Holly Rowe, ESPN broadcaster
- "National Anthem": Keith Miller, opera singer and former Colorado fullback
- Invocation: Dr. Jack Graham, Prestonwood Baptist Church (Texas) pastor
- Bestowal of the 2018 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards: Kathy Murphy, NFF Vice Chairwoman and President of Personal Investing at Fidelity Investments
- Awarding of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy®: Jon F. Hanson, NFF Chairman Emeritus
- Recognition of the MEAC Players of the Year and the NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipients
- NFF Legacy Award Recipients: Karl Benson, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner; Paul Hoolahan, Allstate Sugar Bowl CEO; Jonathan Taylor, Spielman, Koenigsberg & Parker Partner; and Rich Young, NFF Outside General Counsel / Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP Partner
- Introduction of the NFF Major Awards: Steve Hatchell, NFF President & CEO
- NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award Recipient: Murry Bowden, Atlanta Hall Management Chairman and 2003 Hall of Fame inductee from Dartmouth
- NFF Chris Schenkel Award Recipient: Dave South, longtime Voice of the Texas A&M Aggies
- NFF John L. Toner Award Co-Recipient: Thomas Beckett, retired Yale Athletics Director
- NFF John L. Toner Award Co-Recipient: Bob Scalise, Harvard Athletics Director
- A look at why Football Matters®: Jerry Jones, NFF Board Member, Owner, President & General Manager of the Dallas Cowboys and former Arkansas football player
- Introduction of 2018 NFF Gold Medal Recipients: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale football player
- Introduction of the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class: Archie Griffin, NFF Board Member and 1986 Hall of Fame inductee from Ohio State
- Response on behalf of the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class: Mack Brown, former Appalachian State, Tulane, North Carolina and Texas head coach
- Official College Football Hall of Fame Ring Ceremony: Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi
- "God Bless America": Daniel Rodriguez, America's Beloved Tenor
2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class
The induction of the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class serves as the highlight of the evening and provides the ultimate stage for the legends of yesteryear to take their rightful place among the immortals of the game. This year's class stands among the greatest of all-time, encompassing 10 First Team All-Americans, three coaches, one Campbell Trophy®
winner, six unanimous First Team All-Americans, seven winners of college football major awards, two coaches with the most wins in a school's history, one coach with the highest winning percentage in a school's history and coaches that combined for four national championships.
The 2018 College Football Hall of Fame class includes:
- Trevor Cobb, RB – Rice (1989-92)
- Kerry Collins, QB – Penn State (1991-94)
- Dave Dickenson, QB – Montana (1992-95)
- Dana Howard, LB – Illinois (1991-94)
- Calvin Johnson, WR – Georgia Tech (2004-06)
- Paul Palmer, RB – Temple (1983-86)
- Ed Reed, DB – Miami [Fla.] (1998-2001)
- Matt Stinchcomb, OT – Georgia (1995-98)
- Aaron Taylor, C/OG – Nebraska (1994-97)
- Charles Woodson, DB – Michigan (1995-97)
- Frank Beamer, Coach – Murray State (1981-86), Virginia Tech (1987-2015)
- Mack Brown, Coach – Appalachian State (1983), Tulane (1985-87), North Carolina (1988-97), Texas (1998-2013)
- Mel Tjeerdsma, Coach – Austin College [Texas] (1984-93), Northwest Missouri State (1994-2010)
2018 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class/William V. Campbell Trophy® Finalists
The 13 members of the 2018 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class begin their sojourn with a trip to a New York steakhouse the night before the Annual Awards Dinner, hosted by College Football Hall of Famer
Don McPherson (Syracuse). The 13 honorees, who will each vie as a finalist for The William V. Campbell Trophy® as the nation's top football scholar-athlete, boast an astounding 3.70 average GPA. Other class accolades (based on 2017 accomplishments) include eight players who have already graduated, five Academic All-Americans, 11 academic all-conference selections, seven All-Americans, 11 all-conference players and four members of national championship teams.
Each Scholar-Athlete receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship with the Campbell Trophy® recipient claiming a grand total of $25,000. Fidelity Investments is a proud partner of the Campbell Trophy® and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
The 2018 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class/Campbell Trophy® finalists include:
- Kenneth Brinson, LB – Army West Point
- Taryn Christion, QB – South Dakota State
- De'Arius Christmas, LB – Grambling State
- D'Cota Dixon, S – Wisconsin
- Ryan Finley, QB – North Carolina State
- Piercen Harnish, LB – Saint Francis (Ind.)
- Trace McSorley, QB – Penn State
- Dalton Risner, OL – Kansas State
- Max Scharping, OL – Northern Illinois
- Eric Stevenson, LB – Wheaton (Ill.)
- Easton Stick, QB – North Dakota State
- Drue Tranquill, LB – Notre Dame
- Christian Wilkins, DL – Clemson
2018 NFF Chapter Leadership Award Recipients
The NFF will recognize the recipients of the 2018 NFF Chapter Leadership Awards during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner. The awards annually recognize five individuals, one from each region of the country, for their commitment, generosity and leadership at the local level.
Amos Alonzo Stagg Social
The NFF will host the inaugural Amos Alonzo Stagg Social, a private event honoring the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame Class. The event is named for the legendary
Amos Alonzo Stagg, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 as both a player and coach.
- Master of Ceremonies: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale football player
- Introduction of 2018 Hall of Fame Class: Don McPherson, noted speaker and 2008 Hall of Fame inductee from Syracuse
MEAC Players of the Year
For the third year, the NFF will partner with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to reveal the league's offensive and defensive players of the year as part of the events surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner. The announcement will be made the morning of Dec. 4, and the two recipients will be recognized during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner that night.
- Announcement of the MEAC Players of the Year: Dr. Dennis E. Thomas, MEAC Commissioner
- MEAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year
Ivy League Asa S. Bushnell Cup Announcement, presented by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses – December 3
On the day before the event, the NFF will partner with the Ivy League for the ninth consecutive year to co-host the presentation of the Asa S. Bushnell Cup, which honors the Ivy League Football Players of the Year. The event will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown as part of the festivities leading up to the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, and it will be carried live on ESPN+. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses returns for a fifth consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of the event.
- Master of Ceremonies: George Pyne, NFF Board Member, former All-Ivy League offensive tackle at Brown and a charter inductee into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame
- NFF Welcome: Steve Hatchell, NFF President & CEO
- Welcome Address: Lance Tibbet, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Past President
- Comments on the Ivy League football season and announcement of the 2018 Bushnell Cup winners: Robin Harris, Ivy League Executive Director
William V. Campbell Trophy® Luncheon at the New York Athletic Club – December 5
The New York Athletic Club will host a special luncheon the day after the Annual Awards Dinner in honor of the 2018 Campbell Trophy® recipient. The NYAC became the official home of the Campbell Trophy® in 2013, and the award is prominently displayed in the NYAC Hall of Fame.
- Emcee and NFF Welcome: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale football player
- Welcome: James Rafferty, NYAC President
- Recognition of the recipient of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award funded by the NYAC: Drue Tranquill (Notre Dame)
- Recognition of and comments from the 2018 Campbell Trophy® recipient (if different than recipient of NYAC Scholar-Athlete Award)
NFF National Scholar-Athletes at the 2018 Sports Business Journal - Learfield Intercollegiate Athletics Forum – December 5
The NFF has partnered with the Sports Business Journal in helping promote the Learfield Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, which takes place Dec. 5-6 in New York. This year, the NFF will again send two members of the 2018 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class to speak at the forum as part of a panel discussing their life-changing experiences as high performing student-athletes (if one of these two wins the 2018 Campbell Trophy®, they will not attend the Forum). The panel will take place on Dec. 5 at 10:45 a.m. ET.
- Panel Moderator: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale football player
- Participating NFF National Scholar-Athletes: De'Arius Christmas (Grambling State) and Dalton Risner (Kansas State)
Corporate Partners
Corporate partners involved with the NFF Annual Awards Dinner and surrounding events include:
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
- Delta Air Lines
- diDNA and Sports Publishers Group
- Fidelity Investments
- Herff Jones
- iSix
- New York Athletic Club
- The Pasadena Tournament of Roses
- Spielman Koenigsberg & Parker, LLP
- Sports Business Journal
- Under Armour
- UPS
- VICIS
- XOS Digital
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments – a proud partner of the Campbell Trophy®, Herff Jones, New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Sports Business Journal, SportsManias, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at footballfoundation.org.
