NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstate Insurance
Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) today
announced a record 132 nominees for the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good
Works Team®. The award recognizes the selfless contributions
to volunteerism and community service made by college football
student-athletes across the nation.
This year marks the program's 20th year honoring college
football players at all levels of competition who stand out for
their "good works" in the community. Since 1992, selection to
the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has become the gold standard for
off-the-field character and leadership for college football
players. The honor is widely considered the sport's pre-eminent
community service award.
"This program has grown dramatically throughout the years due to
the volunteerism and commitment of these great student-athletes to
their communities," said Mark
LaNeve, Allstate Executive Vice President, Marketing &
Sales Operations, who also serves on the Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team® voting panel. "To be associated with an award that
reflects so positively on college football is an inspiration for
Allstate, our employees and our agents, especially as the Allstate
AFCA Good Works Team® celebrates its 20th year."
While it is often college football players' on-field exploits
that receive the most attention from fans and media, the Allstate
AFCA Good Works Team® award shines a spotlight on student-athletes'
efforts away from the playing field by sharing their stories of
serving others.
From creating mentorship programs at local schools, to traveling
on mission trips around the world, to donating bone marrow to a
cancer patient, this year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® nominees
boast some of the most impressive community service resumes in the
program's history.
"The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most important
awards in college football because it highlights some of the best
and brightest student-athletes in the country," said Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director. "With this
being the 20th year of this outstanding award, it's great to see a
record number of nominees sent in from some of the leading football
programs in the nation. The AFCA is proud to share in this
anniversary year with our partners at Allstate."
From the nominees submitted by sports information directors
across the nation on behalf of their schools, a special voting
panel consisting of former Good Works Team® members and prominent
college football media members will select two 11-player Good Works
Teams® – one comprising of players from the NCAA Football Bowl
Subdivision and another representing players from the NCAA Football
Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA.
The 22 student-athletes named to the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good
Works Team® will be announced in late September.
After a successful first-year partnership with ESPN.com,
Allstate and the AFCA will re-launch its customized Allstate AFCA
Good Works Team® website featuring profiles and images of the final
team members, as well as an opportunity for fans to vote for the
2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain.
The 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel includes:
former Good Works Team® members Alex Van
Pelt (Pittsburgh, 1992
team), Zaid Abdul-Aleem
(Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Grant Irons (Notre
Dame, 1999 team), Brian
Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001
team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team); media members Lou Holtz (ESPN), Rece
Davis (ESPN), Tom O'Toole (USA Today), Gary Shelton (St.
Petersburg Times), Blair
Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star); current AFCA President
and Montana State University Head Coach
Rob Ash; 1987 AFCA President
LaVell Edwards, former head coach at
Brigham Young University; and Allstate
Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales Operations,
Mark LaNeve.
In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and the
AFCA, each player must be actively involved and committed to
working with a charitable organization, service group or community
service while maintaining good academic standing.
The following players have been nominated for consideration to
be named to the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.
|
Football Bowl
Subdivision
|
|
|
Air Force Academy – A.J.
Wallerstein
|
|
|
Arizona State University – Aaron
Pflugrad
|
|
|
Auburn University – T'Sharvan
Bell
|
|
|
Baylor University – Robert
Griffin
|
|
|
Boise State University – Chris
Potter
|
|
|
Bowling Green State University –
Ronnie Goble
|
|
|
Central Michigan University –
Cody Wilson
|
|
|
Clemson University – Dwayne
Allen
|
|
|
Colorado State University –
Ivory Herd
|
|
|
Georgia Institute of Technology
– Roddy Jones
|
|
|
Indiana University – Leon
Beckum
|
|
|
Iowa State University – Jake
Knott
|
|
|
Kansas State University – Tysyn
Hartman
|
|
|
Middle Tennessee State
University – Alan Gendreau
|
|
|
North Carolina State University
– Asa Watson
|
|
|
Northwestern University –
Alexander Netter
|
|
|
Oklahoma State University –
Brandon Weeden
|
|
|
Oregon State University – Johnny
Hekker
|
|
|
Purdue University – Rob
Henry
|
|
|
Rice University – Kyle
Martens
|
|
|
Rutgers University – Scott
Vallone
|
|
|
Southern Methodist University –
Kelvin Beachum
|
|
|
Syracuse University – Adam
Harris
|
|
|
Temple University – Wayne
Tribue
|
|
|
Texas A&M University – Ryan
Tannehill
|
|
|
Texas Christian University –
Jeff Olson
|
|
|
University of Arizona – Nick
Foles
|
|
|
University of Central Florida –
Ronnie Weaver
|
|
|
University of Cincinnati – J.K.
Schaffer
|
|
|
University of Colorado – Brian
Lockridge
|
|
|
University of Florida – Jeff
Demps
|
|
|
University of Georgia – Aron
White
|
|
|
University of Iowa – Eric
Guthrie
|
|
|
University of Kentucky – Jacob
Lewellen
|
|
|
University of Louisville – Greg
Scruggs
|
|
|
University of Memphis – Michael
Antonescu
|
|
|
University of Michigan – Patrick
Omameh
|
|
|
University of Minnesota – Donald
Wilhite
|
|
|
University of Mississippi –
Jason Jones
|
|
|
University of Missouri – Michael
Egnew
|
|
|
University of Nebraska – Jared
Crick
|
|
|
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
– Nate Carter
|
|
|
University of North Carolina –
Matt Merletti
|
|
|
University of Notre Dame – Dayne
Crist
|
|
|
University of Pittsburgh –
Andrew Taglianetti
|
|
|
University of South Carolina –
Kenny Miles
|
|
|
University of South Florida –
Chaz Hine
|
|
|
University of Southern
California - Matt Barkley
|
|
|
University of Texas – Emmanuel
Acho
|
|
|
University of Toledo – Eric
Page
|
|
|
University of Utah – Tony
Bergstrom
|
|
|
University of Virginia – Chase
Minnifield
|
|
|
Utah State University – Eric
Moats
|
|
|
West Virginia University – Keith
Tandy
|
|
|
Western Kentucky University –
Jack Doyle
|
|
|
Western Michigan University –
John Potter
|
|
|
|
|
Combined Divisions (FCS, II, III
& NAIA)
|
|
|
Angelo State University – Alvin
Johnson
|
|
|
Campbell University – Branden
Burt
|
|
|
Campbellsville University –
William Warf
|
|
|
Capital University – Troy
Spiker
|
|
|
Carroll College (Mont.) – Nick
Petrusha
|
|
|
Carson-Newman College – Byron
Bell
|
|
|
Central College (Iowa) – Cory
Nikkel
|
|
|
Central Methodist University –
Jacob Heppner
|
|
|
Charleston Southern University –
Chris Kuzdale
|
|
|
Dakota Wesleyan University –
Anthony Muilenburg
|
|
|
Drake University – Stoy
Hall
|
|
|
Duquesne University – Zach
Richert
|
|
|
Elmhurst College – Chris
Kirkpatrick
|
|
|
Elon University – Dale
Riley
|
|
|
Ferris State University – Tom
Schneider
|
|
|
Florida A&M University –
Padric Scott
|
|
|
Frostburg State University –
Josh Volpe
|
|
|
Georgia Southern University –
Andrew Boyd Sasser
|
|
|
Grinnell College – Mike
Bogard
|
|
|
Heidelberg University – Derrick
Arbogast
|
|
|
Henderson State University –
Nick Johnson
|
|
|
Hobart College – Jarrid
Blades
|
|
|
Illinois State University – Matt
Lancaster
|
|
|
Indiana State University – Alex
Sewall
|
|
|
Johns Hopkins University – Doug
Drummond
|
|
|
Macalester College – David
Melms
|
|
|
McNeese State University – Ben
Bourgeois
|
|
|
Millsaps College – Garrett
Pinciotti
|
|
|
Missouri Southern State
University – Kellen Cox
|
|
|
Montana State University – Rick
Haluszka
|
|
|
Morningside College – Colby
Rohde
|
|
|
North Dakota State University –
Coulter Boyer
|
|
|
North Park University – Casey
Smagala
|
|
|
Northern Arizona University –
Matt Myers
|
|
|
Northwest Missouri State
University – Jake Soy
|
|
|
Northwestern College (Iowa) –
Chris Butler
|
|
|
Northwestern State University
(La.) – Yaser Elqutub
|
|
|
Old Dominion University – Ronnie
Cameron
|
|
|
Samford University – Jeremy
Towns
|
|
|
Shenandoah University – Kyle
Feldman
|
|
|
South Dakota School of Mines and
Technology – Andy Smith
|
|
|
South Dakota State University –
Jake Steffen
|
|
|
Southern Illinois University –
Mike McElroy
|
|
|
St. Cloud State University –
Matt Theis
|
|
|
St. John's University (Minn.) –
Andrew Rotschafer
|
|
|
St. Olaf College – Leon
Clark
|
|
|
St. Xavier University – Michael
Prosser
|
|
|
SUNY Maritime College – Ricky
McClain
|
|
|
Tarleton State University – Levi
Kirkland
|
|
|
Thiel College – Tim
Taylor
|
|
|
Thomas More College – Jay
Volker
|
|
|
Towson University – Marcus
Valentine
|
|
|
Trinity University (Texas) –
Markham Stayton
|
|
|
Tusculum College – Bo
Cordell
|
|
|
Union College – Jonathan
Stidd
|
|
|
University of California - Davis
– Bobby Erskine
|
|
|
University of Dubuque – Michael
Zweifel
|
|
|
University of Montana – Alex
Shaw
|
|
|
University of New Hampshire –
Chris Zarkoskie
|
|
|
University of North Dakota –
Justin Belotti
|
|
|
University of Northern Iowa –
Ben Boothby
|
|
|
University of Redlands – Tyler
Aubrey
|
|
|
University of Rhode Island –
Matt Greenhalgh
|
|
|
University of San Diego –
Al-Rilwan Adeyemi
|
|
|
University of Sioux Falls –
Braden Wieking
|
|
|
University of St. Thomas (Minn.)
– Fritz Waldvogel
|
|
|
University of Tennessee -
Chattanooga – B.J. Coleman
|
|
|
University of the Incarnate Word
– Jacob Love
|
|
|
University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater – Kris Rosholt
|
|
|
Wartburg College – Logan
Hansen
|
|
|
Washington University in St.
Louis – Kyle Larkin
|
|
|
Wayne State College (Neb.) – Joe
Bundy
|
|
|
Wayne State University (Mich.) –
Josh Renel
|
|
|
Wheaton College – Jordan
Chapman
|
|
|
Williams College – William
Hamrick
|
|
|
Winona State University – Alex
Kautza
|
|
|
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the
"You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan, Allstate is
reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million
households insure what they have today and better prepare for
tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home,
life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies,
independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial
representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and
1-800 Allstate®.
About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams® were established in 1992 by
the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts
made by college football players and student support staff off the
field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997
and continues to honor college football players who go the extra
mile for those in need. Allstate partnered to present the
award starting with the 2008 season.
Since 1992, the Southeastern Conference leads all conferences
with 52 selections to the Good Works Teams®, followed by the Big 12
with 38 selections and the Atlantic Coast Conference with 29
selections. In 2009, St. Thomas
defensive back Jeffrey Hilliard
became the 12th Tommie, and Georgia defensive lineman Jeff Owens became the 12th Bulldog to be
selected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, tying both schools
for the most selections of all time. Super Bowl XLII and XLI
champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton
Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Good Works Teams®,
respectively.
About AFCA
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000
members around the world ranging from the high school level to the
professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was
formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in
football and in the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum
for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to
football."
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company