NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On a night when
college football's brightest stars were celebrated for their
performance on the field, Northwestern State
University senior linebacker Yaser
Elqutub was announced by Allstate Insurance Company and the
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as the 2011 Allstate
AFCA Good Works Team® Captain, a community service award determined
by college football fan voters for the work Elqutub is doing off
the field.
Elqutub is the second Team Captain recognized in the 20-year
history of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, one of the most
prestigious off-the-field honors in college football. He was
presented his trophy during The Home Depot College Football Awards,
televised on ESPN on Dec. 8.
"As a student-athlete committed to making a difference in
people's lives, Yaser Elqutub
represents what the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® is all about,"
said Mark LaNeve, Allstate executive
vice president, marketing & sales operations. "Through his
volunteer efforts, Yaser has become a true ambassador for the sport
of college football and Allstate congratulates him on being named
2011 Team Captain."
A former walk-on player from Katy,
Texas, Elqutub has been involved with a number of community
organizations during his time at Northwestern State. The
senior has mentored troubled youth through the Families in Need of
Services program and planned a series of events on campus to
benefit Samaritan's Feet, an international organization that
provides shoes and feet washings for children in third world
countries.
An applicant to attend medical school after graduation, Elqutub
has also volunteered in the medical field to gain experience while
also helping others. To spread the word and encourage fans to
vote on ESPN.com, supporters of the Demons' linebacker started a
Twitter campaign under the handle @Vote4Yaser.
For his excellence in the classroom, including a 3.85 grade
point average, Elqutub was also selected as a 2011 National
Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Elqutub and his fellow Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members
will be invited to New Orleans to
participate in a special community event prior to the 2011
Allstate® Sugar Bowl. The players will conduct a football
clinic for area youth through the YMCA of Greater New Orleans. For the fourth
consecutive season, the Good Works Team® will also be honored at
halftime of the Allstate® Sugar Bowl, which will be televised
nationally on ESPN on Jan. 3,
2012.
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® consists of two 11-member
teams, one that includes players competing in the NCAA® Football
Bowl Subdivision and the other a combined team representing the
NCAA® Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the
NAIA. A program record 132 players were nominated for
the 2011 award by sports information directors on behalf of their
teams. From the nominations, a special selection committee,
including former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and current
college football broadcasters, named the 22 members of the 2011
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.
To learn more about this year's team members and their selfless
acts of kindness, fans can visit ESPN.com and search "Good
Works."
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest
publicly held personal lines insurer known for its "You're In Good
Hands With Allstate®" slogan. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary
as an insurer, 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 54 selections to the Good Works Teams®, followed by the Big 12
with 40 selections and the Atlantic Coast Conference with 29
selections. With Aron White's
selection this year, Georgia moves
into first place with 13 honorees to the Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team. The Bulldogs are followed by Nebraska and St. Thomas (Minn.) with 12
honorees each. 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