John Glenn, T. Boone Pickens, Troy Aikman, Billy Cannon, Lou Holtz, Graham Harrell and Chase Daniel highlight a well-rounded and widely acclaimed group of honorees.
DALLAS — The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) highlighted today that its fabled NFF Annual Awards Dinner, which will take place Dec. 9 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, promises to be one of the most memorable in history.
With an anticipated record turnout of 1,600-plus, the 2008 banquet will be the first under newly elected NFF Chairman Archie Manning. Tickets in the main ballroom have been sold-out for months while an overflow room, opened to accommodate intense demand, is also near full capacity. A star-studded class of inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame with will headline the event while 15 of the game’s current brightest stars will collect $277,000 in scholarships and vie for the coveted Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, as the nation’s top scholar- athlete. Acclaimed ESPN football broadcaster Rece Davis will serve as master of ceremonies.
Since 1958, when U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower took a break from the election trail to accept the first NFF Gold Medal at the inaugural event, the NFF’s dinner has proven to be one of our nation’s most magnetic affairs, attracting giants of industry and leaders from all walks of life to the Waldorf-Astoria’s Grand Ballroom to celebrate America’s passion for football.
“This event again will feature the best and brightest of college football,” said Manning. “It annually brings the finest people in the country connected with college football and is simply an unmatched experience for a college football fan.”
This year’s event will feature a literal parade of nationally recognized personalities and scholar- athletes, including former U.S. Senator and astronaut John Glenn, who will claim the 2008 Gold Medal and the organization’s highest honor. Philanthropist and business titan T. Boone Pickens will claim the NFF Distinguished American Award, which to an individual emerges who has exhibited enviable leadership qualities and made significant contributions to the betterment of amateur football.
Collegiate Licensing Co. founder and former football coach Bill Battle will accept the NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award for his contributions to the game while Ohio State’s Gene Smith will take home the John L. Toner Award for his superior administrative abilities as an athletics administrator. Thomas Robinson, the recipient of the Outstanding Football Official Award and co-recipients of the Chris Schenkel Award for excellence in broadcasting Bob Curtis and Dick Galiette (posthumously) round out the recipients of the 2008 NFF Major Awards.
“If you love college football and you look at the 2008 major award winners and the hall of fame class, you know that the December 9 event will be historic and a moving tribute for all in attendance,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. “As a bridge between the regular season and the bowl season, the NFF dinner provides a unique setting where we briefly set aside the intense rivalries of the game to join together to celebrate our sport.”
The true highlight of the evening, the induction of the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame Class provides the ultimate stage for the stalwarts and coaches of yesteryear to take their rightful place among the immortals of the game. With a sensational list of accomplishments, encompassing one Heisman Trophy winner; three unanimous First Team All- Americas; nine consensus First Team All-Americas; one Maxwell Award winner; one Walter Camp Player of the Year; two Davey O’Brien Award winners; four multiple-year First Team All-America honorees; one Sullivan Award winner; one Nagurski Award winner; one Bednarik Award winner; three members of National Championship teams; five conference players of the year; and six first round NFL Draft picks, this year’s class includes Troy Aikman (UCLA), Billy Cannon (LSU), Jim Dombrowski (Virginia), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), Wilber Marshall (Florida), Rueben Mayes (Washington State), Randall McDaniel (Arizona State), Don McPherson (Syracuse), Jay Novacek (Wyoming), Dave Parks (Texas Tech), Ron Simmons (Florida State), Thurman Thomas (Oklahoma State), Arnold Tucker (Army) and coaches John Cooper and Lou Holtz.
Boasting a composite 3.71 grade point average, the 15 finalists for the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, comprise perhaps the best class of well- rounded scholar-athletes ever. With each finalist earning Academic All-Conference honors in 2007, the accolades are starting to roll in for the 2008 season. Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell and Missouri QB Chase Daniel will both contend for a number of national awards. California Center Alex Mack, a First Team All-America in 2007, will vie for the Rimington Trophy while Utah Kicker Louie Sakoda, also a First Team All-America in 2007, will contend for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy Awards.
Other members of the 50th Class of NFF National Scholar-Athletes include Quin Harris (Louisiana Tech); Jeff Horinek (Colorado State); Ryan McDonald (Illinois); Darryl Richard (Georgia Tech); and Brian Robiskie (Ohio State) from the Football Bowl Subdivision; and Andrew Berry (Harvard); Ryan Berry (South Dakota State); and Casey Gerald (Yale) from the Football Championship Subdivision; Ryan Kees (St. Cloud State, Minn.) from Division II; and Brian Freeman (Carnegie Mellon, Pa.); and Greg Micheli (Mount Union, Ohio) from Division III. Each receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship with the Draddy Trophy honoree claiming a grand total of $25,000.