IRVING, Texas (Dec. 1, 2021) – Anticipation continues to build as the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame prepares for the return of its fabled 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, which will take place Dec. 7 at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. The culmination of the college football regular season, this year's edition features the induction of two College Football Hall of Fame Classes, setting the stage for one of the largest events in NFF history.
The star-studded 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes headline the event, and 13 of the game's current stars will collect $241,000 in postgraduate scholarships as members of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The 13 student-athletes will also vie as finalists for the coveted William V. Campbell Trophy®, which will be awarded during the event for the 32nd time to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.
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HOW TO WATCH ON DECEMBER 7
63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas – 7 p.m. PT on ESPN3
NFF Annual Awards Press Conference
- 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class – 9 a.m. PT on ESPN3
- MEAC Player of the Year Announcement – 10:40 a.m. PT on ESPN3
- 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class – 11 a.m. PT pm on ESPN3
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"We are excited about the return of the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, and we're looking forward to hosting the college football community in Las Vegas," said NFF Chairman
Archie Manning. "Many people have come together to support this year's event, and I especially want to thank the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and CEO/President
Steve Hill for serving as the event's presenting sponsor. As a bridge between the regular season and the bowl season, the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas provides a unique setting where we briefly set aside intense rivalries to join together to celebrate our sport."
Since 1958, when U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower accepted the NFF Gold Medal at the inaugural event, the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas has proven to be one of our nation's most magnetic affairs, attracting giants of industry and leaders from all walks of life. The storied event has become the one night of the year that brings together all entities of college football, even bitter rivals, to celebrate the game. The 63rd edition marks the first time the NFF Annual Awards Dinner will be held outside of New York City.
"The National Football Foundation represents everything right about our great sport, and this night simply features the best and brightest of college football," said NFF President & CEO
Steve Hatchell. "The accomplishments of our 2021 honorees make us all proud while providing us the ultimate vehicle for inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps. We look forward to having everyone back together again. If you're passionate about college football, there will be no better place to be on December 7!"
Rafanelli Events, led by President
Deborah Farley, is serving as the event coordinator for the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas. The videos featured in the program are being produced by Dallas-based
LDWW.
The 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas – December 7
With more than 150 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 NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas live, beginning at 7 p.m. PT via this link.
- Master of Ceremonies: Rece Davis, ESPN broadcaster and host of "College GameDay"
- Public Address Announcer: Bonnie Bernstein, veteran sportscaster and journalist
- "National Anthem" and "God Bless America": Daniel Rodriguez, America's Beloved Tenor
- Invocation: Randall Cunningham, Remnant Ministries Senior Pastor and 2016 Hall of Fame inductee from UNLV
- Official Welcome: Steve Hill, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO/President
- Introduction of the 2021 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 32nd William V. Campbell Trophy®: Jack Ford, NFF Vice Chairman, TV personality and former Yale defensive back
- Introduction of the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class: Archie Griffin, NFF Board Member and 1986 Hall of Fame inductee from Ohio State
- Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
- Recognition of the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Players of the Year and the NFF Chapter Leadership Award recipients
- Introduction of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class: Archie Griffin
- Response on behalf of the 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes: Bob Stoops, former Oklahoma head coach
- Official College Football Hall of Fame Ring Ceremony: Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi
2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes
The 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas will feature the induction of two College Football Hall of Fame Classes for the first time in its history. The induction of the 2020 and 2021 Classes 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.
The classes combined include 28 First Team All-Americans, four coaches, three NFF National Scholar-Athletes, 10 unanimous First Team All-Americans, 14 consensus First Team All-Americans, 10 winners of college football major awards, three coaches with national championships, two coaches with the most wins in school history and one coach with the highest winning percentage in school history.
The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes:
- Lomas Brown – OT, Florida (1981-84)
- Keith Byars – RB, Ohio State (1982-85)
- Eric Crouch – QB, Nebraska (1998-2001)
- Eric Dickerson – RB, Southern Methodist (1979-82)
- Glenn Dorsey – DT, LSU (2004-07)
- John Elliott – OT, Michigan (1984-87)
- Jason Hanson – PK, Washington State (1988-91)
- E.J. Henderson – LB, Maryland (1999-2002)
- E.J. Junior – DE, Alabama (1977-80)
- Steve McNair – QB, Alcorn State (1991-94)
- Cade McNown – QB, UCLA (1995-98)
- Leslie O'Neal – DT, Oklahoma State (1982-85)
- Anthony Poindexter – DB, Virginia (1995-98)
- David Pollack – DE, Georgia (2001-04)
- Bob Stein – DE, Minnesota (1966-68)
- Michael Westbrook – WR, Colorado (1991-94)
- Elmo Wright – WR, Houston (1968-70)
- Coach Dick Sheridan – 121-52-5 (69.4%); Furman (1978-85), North Carolina State (1986-92)
- Coach Andy Talley – 258-155-2 (62.4%); St. Lawrence [NY] (1979-83), Villanova (1985-2016)
The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes:
- Harris Barton – OT, North Carolina (1983-86)
- David Fulcher – DB, Arizona State (1983-85)
- Dan Morgan – LB, Miami [FL] (1997-2000)
- Carson Palmer – QB, Southern California (1998-2002)
- Tony Romo – QB, Eastern Illinois (1999-2002)
- Kenneth Sims – DT, Texas (1978-81)
- C.J. Spiller – RB/KR, Clemson (2006-09)
- Darren Sproles – RB, Kansas State (2001-04)
- Aaron Taylor – OT, Notre Dame (1990-93)
- Andre Tippett – DE, Iowa (1979-81)
- Al Wilson – LB, Tennessee (1995-98)
- Coach Rudy Hubbard – 83-48-3 (63.1%); Florida A&M (1974-85)
- Coach Bob Stoops – 190-48-0 (79.8%); Oklahoma (1999-2016)
Finalists for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy® and Members of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments
The 13 members of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments begin their festivities on Monday, Dec. 6, with a Scholar-Athlete Dinner presented by Fidelity and hosted by the Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium. NFF Board Member and 2015 College Football Hall of Fame inductee
Lincoln Kennedy (Washington), who serves as the radio color commentator for the Raiders, will welcome the honorees to Las Vegas at the world class, state-of-the-art stadium.
The 13 honorees, who will each vie as a finalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy® as the nation's top football scholar-athlete, boast an astounding 3.77 average GPA. Other class accolades include 13 captains, nine players who have already graduated, two players with master's degrees, eight Academic All-Americans, 13 academic all-conference selections, five All-Americans, 13 all-conference honorees and five school record holders.
Each Scholar-Athlete receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship with the recipient of the Campbell Trophy® claiming a grand total of $25,000.
The finalists for the 2021 Campbell Trophy® include:
- Troy Andersen, LB – Montana State
- Thomas Booker, DE – Stanford
- Mike Caliendo, OL – Western Michigan
- Sean Clifford, QB – Penn State
- Cameron Dukes, QB – Lindsey Wilson (KY)
- Patrick Fields, DB – Oklahoma
- Matt Henningsen, DE – Wisconsin
- Aidan Hutchinson, DE – Michigan
- Joshua King, LB – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (NY)
- Charlie Kolar, TE – Iowa State
- Henry Litwin, WR – Slippery Rock (PA)
- Sean Mahone, S – West Virginia
- Grant Morgan, LB - Arkansas
NFF Annual Awards Press Conference – December 7
The morning press conference will give media a chance to hear from the 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes. The press conference will also include the announcement of the 2021 MEAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
Media and fans can watch the entire press conference live on ESPN3:
- 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class – 9 a.m. PT on ESPN3
- MEAC Player of the Year Announcement – 10:40 a.m. PT on ESPN3
- 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class – 11 a.m. PT pm on ESPN3
The press conference will feature:
- Press Conference Moderator: Kevin Trainor, University of Arkansas Senior Associate Athletics Director
- Comments on the NFF: Steve Hatchell, NFF President & CEO
- Official welcome: Steve Hill, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO/President
- Comments from the 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes
- Announcement of the MEAC Players of the Year: Dr. Dennis E. Thomas, MEAC Commissioner and NFF Board Member
2021 NFF Chapter Leadership Award Recipients
The NFF will recognize the recipients of the 2021 NFF Chapter Leadership Awards during the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas. The awards annually recognize five individuals, one from each region of the country, for their commitment, generosity and leadership at the local level.
NFF National Scholar-Athletes at the 2021 SBJ LEARFIELD Intercollegiate Athletics Forum – December 8
The NFF has once again partnered with the Sports Business Journal in helping promote the LEARFIELD Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, which takes place Dec. 8-9 at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. This year, the NFF will again send two members of the 2021 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. The panel will take place on Dec. 8 at 9:20 a.m. PT.
- Panel Moderator: Dr. Mónica Lebrón, University of Tennessee Deputy Athletics Director for Championship Resources
- Participating 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athletes: Thomas Booker (Stanford) and Grant Morgan (Arkansas)
Corporate Partners and Event Sponsors
Corporate partners and event sponsors involved with the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas and surrounding events include:
- Catapult
- Delta Air Lines
- Fidelity Investments
- Goodyear
- Jostens
- Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
- Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium
- New York Athletic Club
- Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation
- Spielman Koenigsberg & Parker, LLP
- Sports Business Journal
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®, 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 Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Goodyear, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
