IRVING, Texas (Dec. 5, 2019) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame highlighted today that its fabled 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT, which will take place Dec. 10 at the New York Hilton Midtown, promises to be one of the most memorable in history as it adds to the yearlong celebration of the 150th anniversary of college football.
A star-studded College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT headlines the event, and 12 of the game's current stars will collect $223,000 in postgraduate scholarships as members of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The 12 student-athletes will also vie as finalists for the coveted William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, which will be awarded during the event for the 30th 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.
|
"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, and this year's dinner is especially momentous as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football in 2019. If you're passionate about college football, there will be no better place to be on December 10."
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 Presented by ETT 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. This year marks the 62nd edition of the storied event that 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 third 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, which turned 150 this year," said NFF Chairman
Archie Manning. "The accomplishments of our 2019 honorees make us all proud while providing us the ultimate vehicle for inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps."
The 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT – December 10
With more than 100 colleges and universities, 19 college commissioners and over 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 via this link.
- Master of Ceremonies: Charles Davis, FOX Sports broadcaster
- Introduction of returning members of the College Football Hall of Fame: Eli Gold, Voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the 2019 NFF Chris Schenkel Award recipient
- Official Welcome: Shahal Khan, ETT Chief Executive Officer
- "National Anthem" and "God Bless America": Daniel Rodriguez, America's Beloved Tenor
- Invocation: The Reverend Joseph M. McShane, S.J., Fordham University President
- Honoring the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments: Kathleen Murphy, NFF Vice Chairwoman and President of Personal Investing at Fidelity Investments
- Awarding of the 30th William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda: Dino Bernacchi, Mazda North American Operations Chief Marketing Officer
- Recognition of the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Players of the Year and the NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipients
- Introduction of the NFF Major Awards: Steve Hatchell, NFF President & CEO
- NFF Legacy Award Recipient: Dennis Adamovich, Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame CEO
- NFF Legacy Award Recipient: Rogers Redding, National Coordinator of College Football Officiating
- NFF Chris Schenkel Award Recipient: Eli Gold, Voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide
- NFF John L. Toner Award Recipient: Deborah Yow, former Saint Louis, Maryland and North Carolina State Director of Athletics
- A look at 150 years of college football and why Football Matters®
- Introduction of the 2019 NFF Gold Medal recipient: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale defensive back
- Acceptance of the 2019 NFF Gold Medal: Mark Harmon, celebrated actor, former UCLA quarterback and 1973 NFF National Scholar-Athlete
- Introduction of the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT: Archie Griffin, NFF Board Member and 1986 Hall of Fame inductee from Ohio State
- Response on behalf of the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT: Joe Taylor, former Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton and Florida A&M head coach
- Official College Football Hall of Fame Ring Ceremony: Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi
2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT
The induction of the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT 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 13 First Team All-Americans, two coaches, one NFF National Scholar-Athlete, five unanimous First Team All-Americans, seven winners of college football major awards and coaches that combined for six national championships and 10 conference coach of the year honors.
The 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT includes:
- Terrell Buckley – DB, Florida State (1989-91)
- Rickey Dixon – DB, Oklahoma (1984-87)
- London Fletcher – LB, John Carroll [OH] (1995-97)
- Jacob Green – DL, Texas A&M (1977-79)
- Torry Holt – WR, North Carolina State (1995-98)
- Raghib "Rocket" Ismail – KR/WR, Notre Dame (1988-90)
- Darren McFadden – RB, Arkansas (2005-07)
- Jake Plummer – QB, Arizona State (1993-96)
- Troy Polamalu – DB, Southern California (1999-2002)
- Joe Thomas – OL, Wisconsin (2003-06)
- Lorenzo White – RB, Michigan State (1984-87)
- Patrick Willis – LB, Mississippi (2003-06)
- Vince Young – QB, Texas (2003-05)
- Coach Dennis Erickson – 179-96-1 (65.0%); Idaho (1982-85, 2006), Wyoming (1986), Washington State (1987-88), Miami [FL] (1989-94), Oregon State (1999-2002), Arizona State (2007-11)
- Coach Joe Taylor – 233-96-4 (70.6%); Howard (1983), Virginia Union (1984-91), Hampton (1992-2007), Florida A&M (2008-12)
Finalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and Members of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments
The 12 members of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments 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 12 honorees, who will each vie as a finalist for The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda as the nation's top football scholar-athlete, boast an astounding 3.82 average GPA. Other class accolades (based on accomplishments prior to the 2019 season) include three players who have already graduated, seven more on track to graduate in December, nine Academic All-America selections by five players, 12 academic all-conference selections, three All-Americans, seven all-conference players and four members of playoff teams.
Each Scholar-Athlete receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship with the recipient of the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda claiming a grand total of $25,000.
The 2019 finalists for the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda include:
- Spencer Blackburn, C – Eastern Washington
- Rodrigo Blankenship, PK – Georgia
- Jordan Fuller, S – Ohio State
- Alex Goettl, LB – Minnesota State
- Justin Herbert, QB – Oregon
- Adam Holtorf, C – Kansas State
- Michael Lohmeier, DE – Carnegie Mellon (PA)
- Jordan Mack, LB – Virginia
- Dante Olson, LB – Montana
- Jelani Taylor, S – Cornell
- Casey Toohill, LB – Stanford
- Jon Wassink, QB – Western Michigan
Amos Alonzo Stagg Social Presented by Under Armour
The NFF will host the second Amos Alonzo Stagg Social Presented by Under Armour, a private event honoring the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipients (listed below). 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: Holly Rowe, ESPN broadcaster
2019 NFF Chapter Leadership Award Recipients
The NFF will recognize the recipients of the 2019 NFF Chapter Leadership Awards during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT and during the Amos Alonzo Stagg Social. The awards annually recognize five individuals, one from each region of the country, for their commitment, generosity and leadership at the local level.
- Nick Fitzgerald – Capital District (NY) Chapter, representing the Northeast Region
- Mike Gonce – Mountain Empire (TN) Chapter, representing the South Region
- Steve McKay – Orange County (CA) Chapter, representing the West Region
- Fred Roselli – Bill Denny/Rutgers Football Letterwinners (NJ) Chapter, representing the East Region
- Mike Skvara – Southern Indiana Chapter, representing the Midwest Region
MEAC Players of the Year
For the fourth consecutive 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 Presented by ETT. The announcement will be made the morning of Dec. 10, and the two recipients will be recognized that night during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT.
- 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 9
On the day before the event, the NFF will partner with the Ivy League for the 10th 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 Presented by ETT, and it will be carried live on ESPN+. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses returns for a sixth 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: Rich Chinen, Pasadena Tournament of Roses Past President and NFF Board Member
- Comments on the Ivy League football season and announcement of the 2019 Bushnell Cup winners: Robin Harris, Ivy League Executive Director
William V. Campbell Trophy® Luncheon at the New York Athletic Club – December 11
The New York Athletic Club will host a special luncheon the day after the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT in honor of the recipient of the 2019 Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda. The NYAC became the official home of the trophy in 2013, and it 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: Jelani Taylor (Cornell)
- Recognition of and comments from the recipient of the 2019 Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda (if different than recipient of NYAC Scholar-Athlete Award)
NFF National Scholar-Athletes at the 2019 Learfield IMG College Intercollegiate Athletics Forum – December 11
The NFF has once again partnered with the Sports Business Journal in helping promote the Learfield IMG College Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, which takes place Dec. 11-12 in New York City. This year, the NFF will again send two members of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments 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 2019 Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, they will not attend the Forum). The panel will take place on Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. ET.
- Panel Moderator: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale football player
- Participating NFF National Scholar-Athletes: Jordan Mack (Virginia) and Casey Toohill (Stanford)
Corporate Partners
Corporate partners involved with the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT and surrounding events include:
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
- Delta Air Lines
- ETT
- Fidelity Investments
- Goodyear
- Herff Jones
- iSix
- Mazda
- New York Athletic Club
- The Pasadena Tournament of Roses
- Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation
- Spielman Koenigsberg & Parker, LLP
- Sports Business Journal
- Under Armour
- 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® 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, Under Armour and VICIS. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
