IRVING, Texas (Nov. 20, 2019) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that the National Coordinator of College Football Officiating (CFO) Rogers Redding will be recognized with a 2019 NFF Legacy Award during the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City on Dec. 10. The NFF Legacy Award, established in 2007, honors individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary contributions to the NFF and/or embody its mission.
 
"We had the privilege of honoring Rogers Redding in 2010 as the recipient of the NFF Outstanding Football Official Award, and we quickly forged a partnership with him to support his efforts to improve officiating and enhance player safety," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Rogers stands as a giant among those who have worn the college football stripes, and we are proud to call him a friend and recognize him as an ambassador for football with an NFF Legacy Award. He has left his mark on our game, which is without question better because of his contributions."
 
Since 2011, the NFF has partnered with Rogers Redding to help generate awareness for the rule changes in college football through a series of regular columns distributed by the NFF while supporting his efforts as the leader of the CFO, which functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level. For the past seven years, the NFF has hosted Redding and the CFO at the NFF headquarters in Irving, Texas, for their annual winter meeting of conference coordinators for football officials. Redding was honored with the NFF's Outstanding Football Official Award in 2010.
 
Having officiated football for more than three decades, Redding started his career working high school football in Texas. He later officiated in the Southwest Conference from 1988-93 before serving as a referee in the Southeastern Conference for nearly a decade and working three national championship games.

Following his retirement from active officiating in 2004, Redding served as a technical advisor and instant replay official for the SEC before becoming the conference's coordinator of officials. Since 2011, Redding has served as the national coordinator of CFO, which functions as the national professional organization for all football officials who work games at the collegiate level. He recently announced he would retire at the end of this football season.
 
Redding also held the position of NCAA secretary-rules editor from 2008-17, working to enhance policies for the consistent application of NCAA playing rules in all games. His tenure saw the institution of instant replay across the FBS and the addition of the eight-person officiating system.
 
He received his bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech and later obtained a master's and Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Vanderbilt University. He has served as a physics professor and senior academic administrator at the University of North Texas, Northern Kentucky University, the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He also had a small role as a referee in the 1991 comedy film "Necessary Roughness." Redding and his wife Shirley live in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
Presented in years when worthy candidates emerge, the NFF is pleased to highlight the all-time list of NFF Legacy Award recipients for their unwavering support and leadership in the promotion of college football, including:
 
Click here for a full list of past recipients of the NFF Legacy Award.
 

Event and Award Details
 
Redding will accept his award Dec. 10 alongside the night's other honorees. As the culmination of the 2019 regular season, the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner provides the stage for the induction of the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the awarding of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; the announcement of the recipient of the 30th William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda; and the presentation of several major awards. The event will be streamed live, with specific broadcast information to be announced at a later date.
 
The 2019 NFF Major Award honorees include celebrated actor and former UCLA quarterback Mark Harmon (NFF Gold Medal), former Saint Louis, Maryland and North Carolina State Athletics Director Deborah Yow (NFF John L. Toner Award for excellence in athletics administration) and the Voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide Eli Gold (NFF Chris Schenkel Award for excellence in broadcasting).
 
The 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Terrell Buckley (Florida State), Rickey Dixon (Oklahoma), London Fletcher (John Carroll [OH]), Jacob Green (Texas A&M), Torry Holt (North Carolina State), Raghib "Rocket" Ismail (Notre Dame), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Jake Plummer (Arizona State), Troy Polamalu (Southern California), Joe Thomas (Wisconsin), Lorenzo White (Michigan State), Patrick Willis (Mississippi), Vince Young (Texas) and coaches Dennis Erickson (Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami [FL], Oregon State, Arizona State) and Joe Taylor (Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton, Florida A&M).
 
The members of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments, who will vie as finalists for The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, include Spencer Blackburn (Eastern Washington), Rodrigo Blankenship (Georgia), Jordan Fuller (Ohio State), Alex Goettl (Minnesota State), Justin Herbert (Oregon), Adam Holtorf (Kansas State), Michael Lohmeier (Carnegie Mellon [PA]), Jordan Mack (Virginia), Dante Olson (Montana), Jelani Taylor (Cornell), Casey Toohill (Stanford) and Jon Wassink (Western Michigan).
 
For tickets and/or more information regarding the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner, please contact Will Rudd at 972.556.1000 or wrudd@footballfoundation.com.
 
 
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® Presented by Mazda, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments 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, Goodyear, Herff Jones, Mazda, New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Sports Business Journal, SportsManias, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.