NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Across
America, many college football players receive praise for their
superior performance on the field. Today, however, only a select
group of those student-athletes have the honor of being commended
for their distinguished accomplishments off the field when Allstate
Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association
(AFCA) announce 169 nominees for the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team®.
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been one of
the most esteemed honors in college football for more than 25
years. The student-athletes who are nominated for this award not
only demonstrate a unique dedication to community service and
desire to make a positive impact on the lives around them, but they
also show tremendous perseverance as well as the ability to
overcome personal struggles and come out victorious against all
odds.
"Each nominee has an inspiring story to tell – often times about
how they have prevailed over hardships and adversity only to turn
around and pour their hearts into helping others," said
David Prendergast, president of the
Eastern Territory at Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the
2018 voting panel. "It is our privilege at Allstate to come
together with the AFCA for the 11th consecutive year to
shine a light on these exceptional nominees who set the highest
standards of community service and serve as role models for
generations to come."
The college football players who have been nominated make it a
priority to find time in their busy schedules to volunteer in
meaningful ways. Of the nominees, many players dedicate time to
reading, mentoring and playing sports with disadvantaged children
when they are not in the classroom or on the field. Other players
make frequent visits to hospitals to spend one-on-one time with ill
patients. One student-athlete even went as far as donating bone
marrow in order to save the life of a child in need.
A special voting panel consisting of former Allstate AFCA Good
Works Team® members and prominent college football media
members will review submissions from sports directors across the
nation to select the 2018 Good Works Team®. Tim Tebow, two-time national champion, Heisman
Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®
member, will once again headline the Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team® voting panel.
"I've seen the value of this team firsthand since I was selected
as a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team my senior year,
and I love seeing the influx of players year after year who truly
embody everything this program stands for," said Tebow. "These kids
have so much character, strength, and honor. To excel on the field,
in the classroom and be a leader in community service - that is the
ultimate accomplishment."
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® is comprised of 11
players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from
the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and
the NAIA and one honorary head coach. To be in consideration by
Allstate and the AFCA for a nomination, each player must be
actively involved with a charitable organization or service group
while maintaining a strong academic standing.
The final roster of 22 award recipients and honorary head coach
will be unveiled in September.
"There are always a lot of great stories that come out every
year during the college football season, but none of them compare
to the inspiring stories that each of these Allstate AFCA Good
Works Team nominees live out on a daily basis," Todd Berry, AFCA Executive Director said. "How
these student-athletes spend their time helping others should be a
motivation to everyone who reads about them to give back. It's an
honor to partner with Allstate to publicize the great works these
student-athletes achieve each year."
In addition to Tebow and Prendergast, the 2018 Allstate AFCA
Good Works Team® selection panel members includes:
former Good Works Team® members Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt
Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997,
1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St.
Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman
(Amherst, 2002 team) and Wes Counts (Middle
Tennessee State, 1999 team); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star) and
Paul Myerberg (USA TODAY); Georgetown
College head coach Bill
Cronin; 2001 AFCA President and current athletic director at
Virginia Union University Joe
Taylor.
After the final team members are announced in September, college
football fans can visit the Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team® official page on ESPN.com to view profiles and
images of the players and honorary head coach, and vote for the
2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain. Fans are
also encouraged to follow along and join in on the conversation by
searching and using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels
throughout the season.
The following players have been nominated for consideration to
be named to the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®:
Football Bowl
Subdivision (FBS)
|
|
Arizona State
University – Manny Wilkins
|
Kent State University
– Matt Bahr
|
Auburn University –
Derrick Brown
|
Louisiana State
University – Blake Ferguson
|
Boston College –
Michael Walker
|
Marshall University –
Chase Hancock
|
Brigham Young
University – Tanner Mangum
|
Miami University –
James Gardner
|
Clemson University –
Sean Pollard
|
Michigan State
University – Khari Willis
|
Colorado State
University – Adam Prentice
|
Middle Tennessee
State University – Matt Bonadies
|
Duke University –
Johnathan Lloyd
|
Mississippi State
University – Nick Fitzgerald
|
East Carolina
University – Alex Turner
|
Northern Illinois
University – Max Scharping
|
Eastern Michigan
University – Jeremy Hickey
|
Northern Illinois
University – Max Scharping
|
Florida State
University – Fredrick Jones
|
Old Dominion
University – Oshane Ximines
|
Indiana University –
Ricky Brookins
|
Penn State University
– Nick Scott
|
Iowa State University
– D'Andre Payne
|
Purdue University –
David Blough
|
Kansas State
University – Dalton Risner
|
Rutgers University –
Zack Heeman
|
Southern Methodist
University – Jordan Wyatt
|
University of Notre
Dame – Nic Weishar
|
Syracuse University –
Kielan Whitner
|
University of
Oklahoma – Caleb Kelly
|
TCU – Ben
Banogu
|
University of
Pittsburgh – Darrin Hall
|
Texas A&M
University – Erik McCoy
|
University of South
Alabama – Sean Grayer
|
Texas State
University – A.J. Krawczyk
|
University of
Southern California – Jordan Austin
|
Tulane University –
Brian Newman
|
University of
Southern Mississippi – Picasso Nelson Jr.
|
UCF – Jordan
Johnson
|
University of
Tennessee – Kyle Phillips
|
UNC-Charlotte – Juwan
Foggie
|
University of Texas –
Chase Moore
|
United States Air
Force Academy – Brody Bagnall
|
University of Texas
at San Antonio – Jalen Rhodes
|
University of Akron –
Brian Reinke
|
University of Toledo
– Cody Thompson
|
University of Alabama
– Jamey Mosley
|
University of Tulsa –
Willie Wright
|
University of
Arkansas – Hjalte Froholdt
|
University of Utah –
Chase Hansen
|
University of
California, Berkeley – Patrick Laird
|
University of
Virginia – Lester Coleman
|
University of
Cincinnati – Garrett Campbell
|
University of
Wisconsin – D'Cota Dixon
|
University of Florida
– Fred Johnson
|
Utah State University
– Jacoby Wildman
|
University of Georgia
– Rodrigo Blankenship
|
Vanderbilt University
– Khari Blasingam
|
University of Hawaii
– Dakota Torres
|
West Virginia
University – Will Grier
|
University of
Illinois – Nick Allegretti
|
Western Michigan
University – Jamauri Bogan
|
University of Iowa –
Parker Hesse
|
|
University of Kansas
– Joe Dineen
|
|
University of
Kentucky – C.J. Conrad
|
|
University of
Louisville – Dae Williams
|
|
University of
Michigan – Chase Winovich
|
|
University of
Minnesota – Emmit Carpenter
|
|
University of
Missouri – Corey Fatony
|
|
University of
Nebraska – Freedom Akinmoladun
|
|
University of Nevada
– Ty Gangi
|
|
Combined Divisions
(FCS, II, III & NAIA)
|
|
Alabama State
University – Carl Thompson
|
Ferris State
University – Travis Russell
|
Alma College – Hunter
Hoffman
|
Franklin and Marshall
College – Tanner Erisman
|
Angelo State
University – Connor Flanigan
|
Frostburg State
University – Riley Hartman
|
Arkansas Tech
University – Tremel Glasper
|
Furman University –
Avery Armstrong
|
Ashland University –
Travis Downing
|
Guilford College –
Jeremiah Hedrick
|
Aurora University –
Kurtis Chione
|
Harvard University –
Jake McIntyre
|
Bemidji State
University – Jared Henning
|
Hope College – Mason
Dekker
|
Berry College –
Justen Booket
|
Howard University –
John Petricca
|
Bethel University
(Minn.) – Kyle Kilgore
|
Illinois State
University – Jake Kolbe
|
Black Hills State
University – Zane Lindsey
|
Jacksonville
University – Jake Dempsey
|
Butler University –
Drew Bevelhimer
|
James Madison
University – Grant Westbrook
|
Capital University –
Cory Heeter
|
Johns Hopkins
University – Luke McFadden
|
Carthage College –
Jeremy Behnke
|
Kennesaw State
University – Nicolas Snowden
|
Chapman University –
Elias Deeb
|
Lewis & Clark
College – Pete Lahti
|
Colorado State
University-Pueblo – Quinn Vandekoppel
|
Lindenwood University
– Jonathan Harris
|
Concord University –
Brandon Plyler
|
Macalester College –
Ethan Levin
|
Concordia University,
Nebraska – Vince Beasley
|
Manchester University
– Brady Nyland
|
Dakota State
University – Brandon Schmit
|
Marist College – Kyle
Hamrick
|
DePauw University –
Hunter Sego
|
Mercer University –
Isaiah Buehler
|
Drake University –
Nathan Clayberg
|
Millikin University –
Matthew Brown
|
East Stroudsburg
University – Levi Murphy
|
Millsaps College –
Andrew Cassidy
|
Eastern Kentucky
University – LJ Scott
|
Minot State
University – Parker Franzen
|
Eastern New Mexico
University – Wyatt Strand
|
Monmouth University –
Ryan Wetzel
|
Eastern Washington
University – Sam McPherson
|
Montana State
University – Wilson Brott
|
Montana Tech – Clay
Dean
|
Moravian College –
Nick Zambelli
|
Morgan State
University – Deontaye White
|
University of
California, Davis – Kooper Richardson
|
Morningside College –
Trent Solsma
|
University of Central
Missouri – Austin Miller
|
North Carolina
Central University – Nick Leverett
|
University of Dubuque
– Collin Stefanowski
|
North Dakota State
University – Easton Stick
|
University of
Minnesota-Crookston – Will Cross
|
Northern State
University – Zach Mohs
|
University of
Minnesota-Duluth – Trapper Ward
|
Ohio Dominican
University – Cory Contini
|
University of Mount
Union – Jared Ruth
|
Ohio Wesleyan
University – Cameron Smith
|
University of North
Dakota – Brady Oliveira
|
Peru State College –
Daniel Boshart
|
University of
Pennsylvania – Sam Philippi
|
Princeton University
– Kurt Holuba
|
University of Puget
Sound – Dwight Jackson
|
Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute – Sean Egan
|
University of Sioux
Falls – Logan Dykstra
|
Rowan University –
Kevin Stokes
|
University of St.
Thomas – Jacques Perra
|
Saint Augustine's
University – Zack Jenkins
|
University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga – Alex Trotter
|
Saint John's
University (Minn.) – Jackson Erdmann
|
University of
Wisconsin-Platteville – Mark Johnson
|
Samford University –
Kevin Marion
|
University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater – Elliot Kim
|
South Dakota School
of Mines – Jake Sullivan
|
Upper Iowa University
– Tanner Thompson
|
South Dakota State
University – Taryn Christion
|
Utica College –
Malcolm Stowe
|
Southeastern Oklahoma
State University – Joel Carlos
|
Virginia State
University – Shakym Peters
|
Southwest Minnesota
State University – Jon Dicke
|
Walsh University –
Morgan Trust
|
Springfield College –
Andrew Papirio
|
Wartburg College –
Matt Sacia
|
Stephen F. Austin
State University – Cody Williams
|
Washington University
in St. Louis – Jason Singer
|
Stevenson University
– Dan Williams
|
Wayne State
University – Deiontae Nicholas
|
Stony Brook
University – Marc Nolan
|
Westminster College
(Pa.) – Bryson Paulinellie
|
Texas A&M
University-Commerce – Chris Smith
|
Wingate University –
Adam Riley
|
Texas A&M
University-Kingsville – Sean Landez
|
Youngstown State
University – Tevin McCaster
|
The College of
Wooster – Hunter Coia
|
|
About the Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team®
The Allstate AFCA Good Works
Team® was 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 worked to present the award starting with the
2008 season.
The SEC leads all conferences with 71 selections to the Good
Works Team since it began in 1992. The SEC is followed by the
Atlantic Coast Conference with 37 selections and the Big 12
Conference with 30 selections. Georgia is in first place with 18 honorees to
the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. ® The Bulldogs are
followed by Kentucky and
Nebraska with 14 honorees. Super
Bowl XLII, XLVI 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."
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