IRVING, Texas (Nov. 21, 2019) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today a five-year partnership with Economic Transformation Technologies (ETT). The multi-discipline technology company will become the first-ever presenting sponsor in the storied history of both the NFF Annual Awards Dinner and the College Football Hall of Fame Class, which will now be called the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT and the College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT, respectively.
 
"Over the years we have honored many of our nation's greatest leaders at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, and they often cite their experiences on the gridiron as the key to their success," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "ETT has built a corporate culture that builds on many of those same lessons, focusing on creating companies that know how to compete while delivering superior performance and profitability. We are extremely pleased to welcome them to our team as an NFF presenting sponsor."
 
Headquartered in Frisco, Texas, ETT has amassed a portfolio of disruptive companies in several sectors, including blockchain, software development, artificial intelligence, media, fintech, cyberdefense, real estate, education, healthcare, agriculture and logistics.
 
"We are proud to be a partner of the National Football Foundation, which for the past 72 years has done such a spectacular job of highlighting why football matters," said ETT CEO Shahal Khan. "At ETT, we have built a culture anchored in teamwork, leadership and a desire to win. This serves as the foundation to our commitment to excellence and innovation. Many of these lessons I learned playing the game at a young age. This is why we're so excited at ETT to help the NFF tell the stories of those who have played the game and gone on to make positive impacts in their communities."
 
The NFF inducted its first College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951. Seven years later in 1958 the organization staged the First NFF Annual Awards Dinner, which established a new platform for annually inducting the College Football Hall of Fame Class while also bestowing several major awards. Sitting U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower accepted the inaugural NFF Gold Medal at the 1958 event, and nine men entered the Hall of Fame the same evening. The tradition continues to this day with the NFF preparing to host its 62^nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT on Dec. 10 at the New York Hilton Midtown.
 
The NFF has inducted 1,010 players and 219 coaches (including this year's class) into the College Football Hall of Fame, and 65 distinguished leaders have claimed the NFF Gold Medal, including seven U.S. Presidents, ­ five U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice and 29 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen. Numerous other leaders have collected other prestigious honors bestowed by the NFF at the event.
 
This year celebrated actor and former UCLA quarterback Mark Harmon will accept the Gold Medal and 13 players and two coaches will be inducted as part of the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT, including 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).
 
At the event this year, the NFF will also present awards to University of Alabama broadcaster Eli Gold (NFF Chris Schenkel Award for excellence in broadcasting) and retired NC State University Director of Athletics Deborah Yow (NFF John L. Toner Award for excellence in athletics administration).
 
The event will also include the presentation of The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda. The finalists, comprised of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments, 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).
 

About ETT
Economic Transformation Technologies (ETT) represents a new corporate archetype: a multidiscipline technology company driven by the mandates of economic development, corporate performance and sustainable value. ETT has harnessed a portfolio of sector-disruptive companies that integrate their technologies, delivering turnkey solutions that advocate for community advancement across generations, with a measurable impact on job creation and competitiveness. For more information, visit ett.world. 
 
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, ETT, Fidelity Investments, Goodyear, Herff Jones, Mazda, the 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.