National Football Foundation

Legendary college football coach, chapter founder and respected friend of all in the State of Vermont, Mickey Heinecken truly represents the sprit of the game of football and all the values of the National Football Foundation.
 
Heinecken spearheaded the formation of the Vermont Chapter in 1993 and has served as its leader since its inception. He currently holds the position of chapter chairman. In this role, Mickey oversees the chapter's annual scholar-athlete banquet, a senior high school all-star football game and the chapter's scholarship and grant program for high school and youth football programs.
 
The Vermont Chapter annually honors a player from each of the 34 high schools in the state. From this group, the chapter awards scholarships to the six best student-athletes. In addition to the scholar-athletes, the chapter also honors individuals for their contributions to the game. The awards include: Official of the Year, Youth Leader of the Year, Contribution to Amateur Athletics, and the Distinguished American Award. Under Heinecken's leadership, the chapter recently added a Player of the Year award that honors one player from each of the four divisions playing high school football in Vermont.
 
The chapter's annual all-star game continues to be a great success. Ensuring that there will be at least one player from each school, the chapter stages a game that showcases 88 players in a North vs. South format and draws more than 2,000 fans to Middlebury College's Alumni Stadium. Over 90 players who have played in the all-star game held spots on college rosters during the 2006 football season. Proceeds from the game support the chapter's scholarship and grant programs.
 
"Prior to the 1993 Vermont was one of only a few states to not have an NFF Chapter," said Coach Heinecken. "It has been very rewarding to have been part of our numerous initiatives, which have benefited football at all levels. Football is alive and well in our little state where football has actually been a growth sport with eight new high school programs having been started in the last ten years. The chapter has acted as a great conduit for the enhancement of the game."
 
One of the Northeast's standout football coaches, Heinecken took over the Middlebury football program in the fall of 1972. Twenty-eight years later, he retired at the age of 62 with a career record of 126-95-2, ranking him at the time as the sixth all-time winningest coach in New England Division III college football history.
 
A 1961 graduate of the University of Delaware where he earned Little All-American honors in football, Heinecken currently lives in Cornwall, Vermont with his wife Carol. They have three children and four grandchildren.