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) |
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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 |
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University of Kansas – Joe Dineen |
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University of Kentucky – C.J. Conrad |
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University of Louisville – Dae Williams |
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University of Michigan – Chase Winovich |
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University of Minnesota – Emmit Carpenter |
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University of Missouri – Corey Fatony |
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University of Nebraska – Freedom Akinmoladun |
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University of Nevada – Ty Gangi |
Combined Divisions (FCS, II, III & NAIA) |
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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."
SOURCE Allstate
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