National Football Foundation

From grammar school to Parkview High School (Ga.), Jon Stinchcomb has been a straight-A student his whole life. His 4.0 GPA brought him honors as an Academic Scholar, and he was a member of the Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, Latin Honor Society and National Honor Society, he won the Silver Medal in the National Latin Exam competition, and he was named Student-Athlete of the South by the Sporting News and the Army ROTC.

At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Stinchcomb was a fearsome offensive lineman. Among those who named him first team All-America were USA TODAY, Parade Magazine and Reebok. He received the Jeff Whitaker Georgia High School Player of the Year Award as well as the Dr. Noah Langdale Lineman of the Year Award from the Atlanta Touchdown Club.

Stinchcomb served as a volunteer for DeKalb County Police S.W.A.T. training, the Egleston Children’s Hospital, the Scottish Rite Easter Carnival, and he was involved with his school’s D.A.R.E. program. He was also a Peer Tutor for three years.

Stinchcomb attended the University of Georgia, serving as a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. He continued his commitment to the community, earning a spot on the SEC Community Service and the AFCA National Good Works teams in 2001. In 2002, Stinchcomb was awarded the NCAA’s prestigious Top VIII award, given to eight student-athletes for accomplishments in both academics and athletics as well as character and leadership. He was a three-time Academic All-American and four-time Academic All-SEC selection. In 2002, Jon became the second Stinchcomb at Georgia to claim an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, joining his brother Matt, who was honored in 1998.

Georgia went 37-13 in four seasons with Jon at tackle, picking up wins in the 1999 Outback Bowl, the 2000 Oahu Bowl and the 2003 Nokia Sugar Bowl. He was a two-time All-SEC selection and a member of the 1999 All-SEC Freshman team. A Walter Camp All-America selection, Stinchcomb paved the way for a 2002 offense that led the SEC in scoring (32.6 PPG) and won the SEC Championship. He was selected to play in the 2003 Senior Bowl. Stinchcomb’s team honors include Most Outstanding Player in 2002 and the Billy Payne Award, honoring four-year football players with a cumulative GPA of 3.0+. He was inducted into the University of Georgia Circle of Honor in 2012.

Stinchcomb was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round (37th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. After two years as a backup, he missed the entire 2005 season with a knee injury. He then took over the starting right tackle position for the Saints in 2006. He started 86 consecutive games for the Saints during five seasons, claiming the team's Man of the Year in 2008. He went to the Pro Bowl in the Saints' Super Bowl-winning 2009 season. Stinchcomb was also named to the 2009 PFWA All-NFC team, and he claimed a Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award in 2010. On Sept. 22, 2011, he announced his retirement from the NFL with plans to pursue a career in physical therapy.

He is now the director of operations for a Gwinnett County (Ga.) based organization called NG# (Next Generation 3), which promotes the development of character building and chaplaincy programs in local schools.