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National Football Foundation

{{Short description|Non-profit organization in support of American football}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = National Football Foundation

| full_name = National Football Foundation &
College Hall of Fame, Inc.

| image = National_Football_Foundation_logo.svg

| size = 150px

| mcaption = football

| abbreviation = NFF

| founded = {{Start date and age|1947}}

| type = Nonprofit

| headquarters = Irving, Texas

| region_served = United States
120 chapters in 47 states

| membership = 12,000

| leader_title = Chairman

| leader_name = Archie Manning

| leader_title2 = President & CEO

| leader_name2 = Steven J. Hatchell

| main_organ =

| website = {{URL|https://footballfoundation.org}}

}}

The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and develop "the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people."{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/7/26/nff-mission.aspx |title=NFF Misson |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}} It was founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, longtime Army Black Knights football coach Earl Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice.{{Cite web|title=NFF and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Partner on MEAC Minute|url=https://morganstatebears.com/news/2020/9/16/football-nff-and-mid-eastern-athletic-conference-partner-on-meac-minute|access-date=2020-09-30|website=Morgan State University Athletics|date=16 September 2020 |language=en}}

In addition to supporting amateur football on the local level, the National Football Foundation also oversees the support, administration, and operation of the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-16|title=College Football Hall of Fame ballot for Class of 2021 released|url=https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/06/16/college-football-hall-fame-ballot-class-of-2021/|access-date=2020-09-30|website=College Football {{!}} NBC Sports|language=en-US}} The Foundation also tabulated and released the Bowl Championship Series Standings each Fall and hosts an Annual Awards Dinner in December at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

{{asof|2020}}, Archie Manning, a former Ole Miss Rebels football All-American and member of the College Football Hall of Fame, serves as chairman,{{cite web|url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/7/27/nff-officers.aspx|title=NFF Officers|website=footballfoundation.org}}{{Cite web|title=Football legend Archie Manning to speak at University of Mobile scholarship banquet|url=https://www.fox10tv.com/news/mobile_county/football-legend-archie-manning-to-speak-at-university-of-mobile-scholarship-banquet/article_91dec700-4cf3-11ea-ac93-a771362e01bc.html|access-date=2020-09-30|website=FOX10 News|language=en}} and Steven J. Hatchell, the former commissioner of the Big 12 Conference and executive director of the FedEx Orange Bowl, serves as president and CEO.{{Cite web|title=Seventeen From ACC Schools Listed on College Football Hall of Fame Ballot|url=http://theacc.com/news/2020/6/16/xx-from-acc-schools-listed-on-college-football-hall-of-fame-ballot.aspx|access-date=2020-09-30|website=theacc.com|date=16 June 2020 |language=en}} The foundation has 120 local chapters distributed among 47 states.{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/7/30/about-the-nff-chapter-network.aspx |title=About the NFF |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}} Since 1956, more than 100,000 volunteers have become members.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

History

The NFF was incorporated as the National Football Shrine and Hall of Fame on December 8, 1947, in Syracuse, New York by Arthur Evans. Within a year, sportswriter Grantland Rice and Army football coach Earl Blaik had joined the board.{{cite web |title=History of the National Football Foundation |url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/7/26/history.aspx |website=National Football Foundation |access-date=5 May 2022 |language=en}} The NFF was reorganized in 1954 with 11 schools serving as "founding subscribers": Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Manhattan, Michigan, Navy, Notre Dame, Penn, Princeton, Syracuse, and Yale.

Chet LaRoche became the organization’s first chairman in 1955 and invited General Douglas MacArthur to become chairman of the board in May 1958. The leadership of MacArthur, Blaik, and Rice offered credibility and national prominence to the organization.

Awards

Among its other programs and initiatives includes the facilitation of the Play It Smart program, which places a trained "academic coach" who turns football teams into learning teams in underserved high schools across the country, and the awarding of the William V. Campbell Trophy, referred to in many circles as the "Academic Heisman". In spring 2007, the NFF launched the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, a recognition program for players who excel both on the field and in the classroom. Inductees must have been a starter in their final collegiate season and have earned a 3.2 cumulative GPA for their undergraduate degree.{{cite web|url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2012/8/30/_52339.aspx?path=football |title=NFF Announces Inaugural National Honor Society |publisher=National Football Foundation |date=2007-04-25 |access-date=2007-07-18}}

The NFF issues a number of awards, including:

=National Scholar-Athlete Awards=

Founded in 1959, the award is presented each season to the nation's top scholar-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics and leadership.{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Cory|date=2020-09-30|title=North football announces '21 schedule|url=https://www.mtairynews.com/sports/90510/north-football-announces-21-schedule|access-date=2020-09-30|website=Mt. Airy News|language=en-US}} Each year, between 15 and 17 scholar-athletes are chosen from the NCAA Divisions I (both I-A/FBS and I-AA/FCS), II and III and the NAIA and awarded a $18,000 scholarship. One of the recipients is chosen and awarded the William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly the Draddy Trophy).{{cite web|title=The William V. Campbell Trophy|url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/7/31/the-william-v-campbell-trophy.aspx|publisher=footballfoundation.org}}

Notable former National Scholar-Athletes in the NFL include Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M, 2011){{cite news|title=Tuesday's Chalktalk |url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2011/12/27/_51323.aspx?path=football|publisher=footballfoundation.org|date=December 27, 2011}} and Joe Thomas (Wisconsin, 2006){{cite news|title=TUESDAY'S CHALKTALK|url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2013/1/22/_53107.aspx?path=football|publisher=footballfoundation.org|date=January 22, 2013}} and Super Bowl winners Peyton (Tennessee, 1997) and Eli Manning (Mississippi, 2003), Drew Brees (Purdue, 2000), Jonathan Vilma (Miami, 2003){{cite news|title=Jonathan Vilma|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_scholars.aspx?hof=135|work=NFF National Scholar-Athletes|publisher=footballfoundation.org}} and Dennis Dixon (Oregon, 2007). Non-sporting former recipients include Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor Mark Harmon (UCLA), NASA astronaut and USAF flight test engineer Michael S. Hopkins (Illinois), former USAF pilot and incumbent Hampden–Sydney College President Christopher B. Howard (U.S. Air Force Academy){{cite news|title=Chris Howard|work=NFF National Scholar-Athletes|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_scholars.aspx?hof=36|publisher=footballfoundation.org}} and NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale).{{cite news|title=NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Prepares for the NFL Draft|url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2014/5/6/_54763.aspx?path=football|publisher=footballfoundation.org|date=May 6, 2014}}

=National Football Foundation Gold Medal=

{{Main|National Football Foundation Gold Medal Winners}}

The Gold Medal, the NFF’s highest honor, has been presented to seven U.S. Presidents, four U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 25 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen. The most recent recipient of the award was Mark Harmon, in 2019.{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/roster.aspx?roster=1 |title=NFF Gold Medal Recipients |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}}

=Distinguished American Award=

{{Main|National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award}}

Presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges, the award honors someone who has applied the character building attributes learned from amateur sport in their business and personal life, exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, amateur athletics, business and in the community. The award was most recently bestowed in 2016, to William H. McRaven.{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/roster.aspx?roster=2 |title=NFF Distinguished American Award Recipients |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}}

=MacArthur Bowl=

{{Main|MacArthur Bowl}}

Every year, the National Football Foundation awards the MacArthur Bowl to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football team determined to be the national champion. The award recipients since 2000 are:{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/roster.aspx?roster=8 |title=MacArthur Bowl Recipients |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}}

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=John L. Toner Award=

{{See also|National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics #Awards}}

The annual award is given to an athletic director who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. The award's namesake and first recipient served as the head football coach at the University of Connecticut (UConn) from 1966 to 1970 and as the school's athletic director from 1969 to 1987.

Note: * = posthumously

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Source:{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/roster.aspx?roster=4 |title=NFF John L. Toner Award Recipients |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}}

=Chris Schenkel Award=

Named in honor of broadcaster Chris Schenkel, the award is given annually to distinctive individuals in broadcasting with ties to a university.{{cite news|last1=Kleinpeter|first1=Jim|title=LSU's Jim Hawthorne wins Chris Schenkel Award|url=http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2015/05/lsu_jim_hawthorne_chris_schenk.html|access-date=June 26, 2017|work=The Times-Picayune|date=May 27, 2015}}

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Source:{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/roster.aspx?roster=5 |title=NFF Chris Schenkel Award Recipients |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}}

Poll

{{Main|FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll}}

The poll was started in 2014; 10 members of the NFF vote in a poll in partnership with the Football Writers Association of America.{{cite web |url=https://footballfoundation.org/sports/2018/7/26/fwaa-nff-super-16-poll.aspx |title=FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll |website=footballfoundation.org |access-date=October 30, 2020}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

  • {{Official website|https://footballfoundation.org}}

{{College football award navbox}}

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Category:American football mass media

Category:College football awards organizations

Category:College Football Hall of Fame

Category:Sports organizations established in 1947

Category:1947 establishments in the United States

Category:Sports foundations based in the United States

Category:College football championships