IRVING, Texas (Dec. 15, 2020) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names of the 12 Faculty Athletics Representatives who will be honored as part of the 2020 NFF Faculty Salutes Presented by Fidelity Investments, honoring the significant contributions of faculty athletics representatives across the nation.
 
As part of the initiative, each school with an NFF National Scholar-Athlete receives recognition for their faculty athletics representative, and a $5,000 donation per school (a total of $60,000 this year) from Fidelity is made to support the academic support services for student-athletes at the schools. Including this year's honorees, the salutes have recognized 139 FARs since the program's inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $690,000 in donations.
 
"Honoring the faculty athletics representatives from the schools with NFF National Scholar-Athletes sends a powerful message," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "There is no group more committed to the well-being of our student-athletes, and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete success stories provide a natural vehicle for emphasizing the important contributions of the faculty athletics representatives across the country."
 
The NFF will recognize 12 Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 12 schools with a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments, including (names of the scholar-athletes in parentheses):

• Abilene Christian University, Dr. Jonathan Stewart (Jack Gibbens, LB, 4.00 GPA)
• Alabama State University, Dr. Carmela Drake (Ezra Gray, RB, 4.00 GPA)
• Boise State University, Dr. Roger Munger (Kekaula Kaniho, DB, 3.94 GPA)
• Grand Valley State University (MI), Dr. Paul Leidig (Tyler Bradfield, LB, 3.99 GPA)
• Hampden-Sydney College (VA), Dr. Saranna Thornton (Tyler Howerton, OL, 4.00 GPA)
• Illinois State University, Dr. Jeri Beggs (Drew Himmelman, OT, 3.82 GPA)
• United States Naval Academy, Dr. Christine Copper (Cameron Kinley, CB, 3.32 GPA)
• University of Memphis, Lynda Black (Brady White, QB, 3.58 GPA)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Jeffrey Leak (Tyriq Harris, DE, 3.68 GPA)
• University of Tennessee, Dr. Donald Bruce (Brandon Kennedy, OL, 3.55 GPA)
• University of Texas, Dr. Michael Clement (Sam Ehlinger, QB, 3.42 GPA)
• University of Washington, Dr. Alexes Harris (Elijah Molden, DB, 3.56 GPA)

 
"For many decades, faculty athletics representatives have played a critical role in the overall educational experience of our country's student-athletes," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are proud to join Fidelity Investments in continuing to highlight their contributions in ensuring that our nation's student-athletes succeed on and off the field."
 
Fidelity Investments, which also serves as the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, has taken on a leadership role with the Faculty Salutes as a natural extension of its ongoing support of the scholar-athlete ideal and commitment to higher education nationwide.  Launched in 2011 as a partnership between Fidelity and the NFF, the Salutes expand the reach of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program, which provides $18,000 postgraduate scholarships to college football's top student-athletes.
 
"Fidelity Investments has teamed with the National Football Foundation for many years to recognize the important role of faculty athletic representatives in the development and success of scholar-athletes," said Rick Mitchell, Executive Vice President, Tax-Exempt and Retirement Solutions, Fidelity Investments. "Since the events of 2020 have created significant challenges across the academic landscape, this year's award recipients should be especially proud of the contributions they have made to the well-being of their student-athletes, both on and off the field."
 
The NFF consulted with the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives (1A FAR) to design the initiative, and the organizations continue to collaborate on its implementation. In 2015, the 1A FAR presented Fidelity with its "Friend of FAR" Award for its efforts with the program, and the group honored the NFF with the same award in 2016.
 
"We are pleased to support the National Football Foundation and its programs, which celebrate outstanding football scholar-athletes and the hard work of faculty athletics representatives," said 1A FAR president Kurt Zorn, Indiana University Acting Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and a professor of public and environmental affairs who serves as the Hoosiers' FAR. "The National Football Foundation has joined with Fidelity Investments not only to recognize the work of the FARs at an array of campuses each year, but to support academic services on campuses for student-athletes and to award significant postgraduate scholarships to outstanding football student-athletes.
 
"These programs emphasize that success as a student-athlete is about more than just athletic accomplishments on the field. Participating in college athletics provides the opportunity for a top-flight education at our nation's finest institutions of higher education and facilitates the development of unparalleled leadership skills."
 
About the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards were established in 1959 as the first initiative in history to honor scholar-athletes with postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. The NFF has awarded more than $11.9 million to 878 individuals since its inception. Fidelity Investments has served as the presenting sponsor of the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class since 2011.
 
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
 
In 2020, the NFF has selected 12 of the nation's best and brightest to each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. Later this year, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 31st William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda as the nation's top football scholar-athlete and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
 
Past recipients have used their postgraduate scholarships to set the standard for excellence in our society, earning more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 45 PhDs. Others have used the financial backing to enhance their successful careers in finance, consulting and engineering. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 200 recipients have played in the NFL, including Drew Brees, Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Peyton Manning, Lee Roy Selmon and Steve Young. Forty former National Scholar-Athletes have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
Past Scholar-Athletes have made it big in a variety of fields, including UCLA's Mark Harmon, an actor and film producer; Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury, the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals; Richmond's Leland Melvin and Illinois' Michael Hopkins, NASA astronauts; and Georgia's Billy Payne, the former chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club. For more information regarding the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards or the College Football Hall of Fame programs, please visit www.footballfoundation.org.
 
 
About Fidelity Investments
Fidelity's mission is to inspire better futures and deliver better outcomes for the customers and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $8.7 trillion, including discretionary assets of $3.4 trillion as of October 31, 2020, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers: helping more than 32 million people invest their own life savings, 22,000 businesses manage employee benefit programs, as well as providing more than 13,500 institutions with investment and technology solutions to invest their own clients' money. Privately held for more than 70 years, Fidelity employs more than 47,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.
 
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 the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Future for Football, 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, Jostens, Mazda, the New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
 
About 1A FAR
The 1A FAR is an organization of faculty athletics representatives at NCAA Division I institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division 1A. The mission of the 1A FAR is to advocate for effective interaction and academic and fiscal balance between an institution's academic mission and its intercollegiate program. The purpose of the 1A FAR is to address issues unique to FBS institutions, which requires a careful balancing of academic versus athletics interests, of student-athlete welfare versus competitive success and of cost containment versus additional revenue generation. Learn more at oneafar.org.