National Football Foundation

Robert M. Sullins heads one of the most respected and oldest branches of the NFF in the country, with passion and charisma that enables him to carry on the rich traditions of the Middle Tennessee Chapter.
 
Established in 1961, the chapter's spring awards banquet annually honors 32 high school seniors and seven collegiate scholar-athletes while presenting the Fred Russell Distinguished American Award and the Roy Kramer Contribution to Football Award. The chapter also takes an active role in supporting the Play It Smart program at Stratford High School in East Nashville and running an NFL/NFF Coaching Academy in conjunction with the Tennessee Titans.
 
"Robert Sullins has been a great leader by carrying on for the late Charles W. Hawkins III," said Art Demmas, NFF regional coordinator for the South Region. "He has simply done a terrific job with continuing the tradition of the Middle Tennessee Chapter."
 
Since taking the helm of the Middle Tennessee Chapter, Sullins has ensured that the chapter's programs will continue to flourish. His passion for the game extends from his own experiences, which made him a legend in Commodore athletics at Vanderbilt. After earning a scholarship in 1961 as a running back, Sullins would start for three years. He was red-shirted in 1963 because of a broken leg, but he returned his senior year to score the game winning touchdown against Tennessee, earning him immortal status among the Commodores.
 
A first vice president and financial advisor with Smith Barney, Sullins plays an active role in the community as member of Brentwood United Methodist Church in Tennessee. He has held positions as president of the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club and chairman of the McKendree Village Retirement Center. He earned induction into the Huntsville Madison County Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.
 
Sullins resides in Brentwood, Tennessee, with his wife Nancy. They have two daughters, Stacy and Beth, and four grandchildren.