Since 1959, the National Football Foundation has annually recognized the best and the brightest college players, presenting them with prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Currently an $18,000 scholarship for postgraduate education, each award is presented at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in conjunction with the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. On average, 14-16 awards are presented each year, and accepting the honor has always proven to be a highly inspiring moment for each recipient. Since 1990, each member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class has also become a finalist for that year's William V. Campbell Trophy®, which is awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner to the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.

“Recipients of these awards have used their scholarships to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, businessmen and leaders in their communities,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “And many of our honorees, when confronted with the financial hurdles of continuing their education, have stated that it has been the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award that made the difference in their career choices. Creating the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association allows them to remain active members of this exclusive club.”

The NFF founders believed in the power of an organization that would provide a collective voice for the promotion of amateur football while highlighting the game’s long-term ability to produce tomorrow’s leaders. The spirit of college football and the NFF’s mission of Building Leaders Through Football is embodied in the National Scholar-Athlete Awards.

The NFF Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association adds to this collective voice, providing a powerful vehicle for past honorees to remain in the vanguard of the NFF’s present efforts. This group of past NFF National Scholar-Athletes has stepped forward to give back financially on an annual basis, helping us support future generations by raising money for the scholar-athlete scholarship fund. This group of past NFF National Scholar-Athletes has stepped forward to give back and support future generations. For more information on the program or to enroll for 2025, please email Ron Dilatush at rdilatush@footballfoundation.com.
 

2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association Members