IRVING, Texas (March 18, 2019) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter announced today the names of the eight Texas collegiate scholar-athletes and the 74 North Texas high school scholar-athletes who will be honored for their accomplishments during the chapter's 11th Annual Awards Banquet this Sunday, March 24, at 6 p.m. CT at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.
A number of scholarships will be awarded, and one high school player will be named the club's top scholar-athlete. Award-winning sportscaster
Scott Murray will emcee for the 11th consecutive year.
"We are incredibly proud of this year's scholar-athletes," said
Gerald Brence, president of the
NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter and the athletics director for the Plano Independent School District. "In the 11th year of our chapter, we are honoring another great group of high school scholar-athletes who continue to impress, not only on the field competitively but also as scholars and young community leaders. It's always an honor to meet these young men, showcasing the great stories in North Texas that will inspire future student-athletes to excel in the classroom and become more involved in their communities."
Selected from a pool of candidates that covers the entire region, the eight collegiate and 74 high school players (listed below) earned NFF chapter scholar-athlete recognition in 2019 after a rigorous review. The selection committee, comprised of coaches, teachers, administrators and business leaders from North Texas, evaluated the college and high school candidates based on their athletic accomplishments, academic performance and leadership in the community. The high school honorees will enroll in the fall at a prestigious list of institutions, including Ivy League schools, state universities and the service academies.
2019 NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Collegiate Scholar-Athletes
- Trey Elliott – TCU
- Christian Hosley – North Texas
- Donovan Isom – Texas Wesleyan
- Patrick Lawrence – Baylor
- Kristov Martinez – Texas A&M-Commerce
- Layton Rabb – Midwestern State
- Steve Sellers – Mary Hardin-Baylor
- Garrett Stotts – SMU
2019 NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas High School Scholar-Athletes
- Chris Adkins - Dallas W.T. White
- Ruri Aguilar - S&S Consolidated
- Ben Altizer - McKinney Boyd
- Kobie Anderson - Dallas Wilmer-Hutchins
- Michael Balis - Plano West
- Jacob Barbosa - Carrollton Newman Smith
- James Barrett - Northwest Eaton
- Kyree Barron - Dallas James Madison
- Sebastian Blunt - Dallas Carter
- Evan Bogoslavsky - Plano Senior
- Hunter Broughton - Lucas Lovejoy
- Dylan Brown - Mesquite Poteet
- Lance Canyon - Rowlett
- Larry Cooper - Mesquite Horn
- Chase Cotton - Plano East
- Roger Davis-Jahnel - Garland Naaman Forest
- Ty DeArman - Arlington Bowie
- Brian DeClercq - Arlington
- Hector Diaz - Dallas Thomas Jefferson
- Cadarius Dewade Doss - Dallas Spruce
- Braxton Edrington - Frisco Legacy Christian
- Layton Ernst - Mansfield
- Christian Evans - Dallas Hillcrest
- Jakorian Flentroy-Sanders - Dallas Conrad
- Jaylen Freeman - Dallas Adamson
- Exavier Galloway - Dallas Samuell
- Francisco Garcia - Dallas North Dallas
- Ezra Gore - McKinney North
- Camron Gray - Carrollton Creekview
- Tyler Hanes - Mansfield Summit
- Quinterrius Hargrave - West Mesquite
- Bradford Holley - Richardson J.J. Pearce
- Dawson Holley - Hurst Bell
- Paw Htoo - Dallas South Oak Cliff
- Duane Johnson - Midlothian
- Jordan Johnson - Dallas Seagoville
- Kaleb King - Mansfield Legacy
- Andrew Kopenec - Birdville
- Kody Krause - Granbury
- Landon Ledbetter - Midlothian Heritage
- Emmanuel Longinos - Dallas Molina
- Jonathan McGill - Coppell
- George Mercer - Richardson
- Shawn Morris - Richardson Berkner
- Dorian Mundy - Dallas Skyline
- Cooper Newsom - Episcopal School of Dallas
- Brenden O'Brien - Allen
- Maurice Okello - Arlington Seguin
- Jose Olide - Dallas Sunset
- Matthew O'Reilly - Prestonwood Christian
- Victor Parker - Dallas Roosevelt
- Sean Payne - Keller
- Chase Petter - Argyle
- Zachary Reinert - Aledo
- Sedrick Richardson - North Mesquite
- Ryan Riddle - Denison
- Mariano Robles IV - Dallas Kimball
- Brian Rodriguez - Carrollton R.L. Turner
- Chandler Rogers - Mansfield Lake Ridge
- Gabe Sanchez - Mansfield Timberview
- Carson Shaffer - Prosper
- Sam Sloan - Highland Park
- Jack Spangler - Covenant School of Dallas
- Trey Taylor - Frisco Lone Star
- Jaylen Thomas - Dallas Lincoln
- Kelvin Thomas - McKinney
- Bruce Tipps II - South Grand Prairie
- Jaxon Turner - Mesquite
- Ethan Walters - Dallas Bryan Adams
- Adam White - Frisco Wakeland
- Jamare Williams - Dallas Pinkston
- Joseph "Bear" Williams - Mildred
- Lucas Woltjen - Dallas Woodrow Wilson
- Carter Yates - Frisco
The event will also pay tribute to several outstanding individuals for their contributions to the game and the North Texas region.
Previously announced honorees include legendary Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Drew Pearson (Distinguished Texan Award), legendary high school football coach
G.A. Moore (Legends Award), the voice of UIL high school football and the Texas Longhorns
Craig Way (Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award), longtime NFL, collegiate and high school official and timekeeper
Jim Ely (Steve Storie Official of the Year) and "Dave Campbell's Texas Football" managing editor and FOX Sports Southwest broadcaster
Greg Tepper (Media Person of the Year).
Mary Hardin-Baylor head coach
Pete Fredenburg will be honored as the College Coach of the Year after leading the Cru to the 2018 NCAA Division III national title. High school coach honorees include High School Coach of the Year
Reggie Samples (Duncanville) and Assistant High School Coaches of the Year
Eric Mach (Hebron) and
John Towels (Duncanville).
The event, which will start at 6 p.m. CT, has attracted a sellout crowd of 500-plus people each of the past 10 years. For more information on 2019 tickets and/or banquet sponsorship opportunities, please contact club president
Gerald Brence at 469-878-5370 or via email at
Gerald.Brence@pisd.edu.
The NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas is one of 120 nationwide chapters of the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame. The NFF 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. 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.
