NFF Delivers Another Night of Magical Football Memories

By NFF Correspondent Bo Carter

The 51st National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Annual Awards Dinner celebrated many milestones in the collegiate game at the Waldorf=Astoria Tuesday night.

Besides the induction of 13 all-time collegiate stalwarts and head coaches John Cooper and Lou Holtz, the NFF audience of just under 1,600 received rousing renditions of the national anthem and "God Bless America" by "America's Beloved Tenor" Daniel Rodriguez.

2008 inductees included Troy Aikman of UCLA, Dr. Billy Cannon of LSU, Jim Dombrowski of Virginia, Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern, Wilber Marshall of Florida, Rueben Mayes of Washington State, Randall McDaniel of Arizona State, Don McPherson of Syracuse, Jay Novacek of Wyoming, Dave Parks of Texas Tech, Ron Simmons of Florida State, Thurman Thomas of Oklahoma State; Arnold Tucker of Army, and coaches John Cooper (Tulsa, Arizona State and Ohio State) and Lou Holtz (William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina).

Major award winners included U.S. Senator John Glenn, accepting the NFF Gold Medal as an outstanding American who has demonstrated integrity and honesty, achieved significant career success; T. Boone Pickens, who claimed the NFF Distinguished American Award, which is presented on special occasions when a truly deserving individual emerges; Collegiate Licensing Co. and former Tennessee football coach Bill Battle, earned recognition as the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award; and Ohio State's Gene Smith who took home the The John L. Toner Award given annually to a director of athletics who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities. The Outstanding College Football Official Award for 2008 was presented to Thomas Robinson of the Western Athletic and Mountain West Conferences, and Bob Curtis of Idaho and the late Dick Galiette of Yale were recognized as the co-recipients of the NFF Chris Schenkel Broadcaster of the Year Award.

Longtime National Football Foundation allies and retiring commissioners Tom Hansen of the Pacific-10 Conference, Jeffrey Orleans of the Ivy League and Mike Tranghese of the Big East Conference were honored with NFF Legacy Awards for their service to college athletics, especially football.

California center Alex Mack received the coveted 19th Draddy Award, known as the "academic" Heisman for college seniors, among a sterling 15-person field of National Scholar-Athletes. The All-Pacific-10 Conference center and starter for the Emerald Bowl- destined Golden Bears became the first Pac-10 scholar to claim the trophy. He already has graduated with a bachelor's degree and is working towards a Master's degree in business.

"I'm just very thankful to the National Football Foundation for this honor," Mack said, "and I am grateful for schools such as California for allowing us to excel. The university gave me the opportunity to excel on the field and in the classroom as well as offering time for community service."

CBS College Sports Network and several national media outlets offered extensive coverage of the day's events. Some 37 returning NFF College Hall of Fame, seven NFF Gold Medal recipients, six NFF Distinguished American awardees, and six Heisman Trophy Winners returned for the event, which has been a staple of the college football season since the first NFF Awards Dinner at the Astor Hotel on Oct. 25, 1958. Responders for the honorees expressed delight in being able to represent a sport that has given them so much.

"I worked for one of the best directors of athletics in the world in Gene Corrigan at Notre Dame, and it is ADs like this who give you the best chance to perform leadership in football. Rev. (Theodore) Hesburgh once told me that titles come from above, and players determine the leadership abilities of any coach. You have to care for one another and set values and standards."

"Everyone in the audience should look at the 15 people (National Scholar-Athletes) behind me when something negative happens to an individual in college athletics and remember the accomplishments of these young men," added Syracuse quarterback and 2008 Hall of Fame inductees' spokesman Don McPherson. "You leave your own legacy and tradition in football, and you learn what it takes to make a team a team."

"You always recall the people who have the most impact on your lives," said NFF National Scholar- Athlete responder Casey Gerald, who was reared by relatives other than his birth mother and father. "I'm eternally grateful to the game of football. I have lived that game at Yale, and it gives the chance to live your dreams,"

The Foundation's 2008 Gold Medal recipient and famed astronaut/Senator John Glenn noted the benefits of the game.

"Football gives young people the chance to get in shape, be fit and work as a team - tenets that have helped to strengthen America for many years." The national group also acknowledged 20 years of board of directors' service by retiring member John L. Toner and was gearing up for board meetings in New York later this week.

"We want to express out thanks to John Toner for 20 great years of service on the National Football Foundation board," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "I also want to commend Bob Mulcahy (Rutgers director of athletics) and the awards committee for some very extensive research and an outstanding group of finalists and honorees for the 2008 Awards Dinner."

Photo Credit: National Football Foundation, Gene Boyars

On Location: Syracuse 28, Louisville 21

SYRACUSE, NY – On Legends Day at the Carrier Dome, it was Orange running back Curtis Brinkley who stole the show, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown in Syracuse’s surprising 28-21 victory over Louisville. Brinkley set the Syracuse single-season record by rushing for over 100-yards in five consecutive games. The senior averaged 5.0 yards per carry and was exuberant after his team’s win. Brinkley rushed for 166 yards, giving him 899 yards on the season, fourth in the conference. He has become tremendous in short yardage situations, and his leap over the pile knotted the score at seven in the first quarter. Brinkley took to the air twice in critical spots for the Orange—once for a touchdown and another for a key first down as they were in unfamiliar territory, milking the clock late in the game.

“One thing I really like about Brinkley is how he responds to first contact,” said Don McPherson, who was honored at the Carrier Dome for being a member of the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008. “He really does explode through tackles. You can’t arm-tackle him to bring him down and he changes directions off of tackles as well.”

The Syracuse offensive line had arguably their best game of the season. Led by guard Ryan Durand, the unit was strong throughout the game as the offense was able to run the ball at will, posting a total of 207 rushing yards. Freshman Antwan Bailey rushed for his first career touchdown on a 39-yard scoring scamper in the second quarter.

Syracuse quarterback Cameron Dantley was effective enough, throwing for two touchdowns, both off of play action. On his first touchdown pass, Dantley was able to show off his arm strength, hitting wide out Da’Mon Merkerson for a 38-yard touchdown. Senior fullback Tony Fiammetta caught his first touchdown pass of his career late in the fourth quarter to give the Orange a two-touchdown cushion. Fiametta also delivered a key block on a screen pass to Doug Hogue that went for 39 yards.

“Fiametta has proven with his play (he is one of the top fullbacks). If you want to know how good a fullback is, you really have to watch him, because they’ll make blocks on plays where you don’t really know how important he was,” McPherson said of the Syracuse fullback. “He’s almost like the sixth or seventh lineman when you count the tight end.”

The Louisville offense was less than impressive. Although he was the victim of several dropped passes, Hunter Cantwell was shaky all night. He finished with 214 yards but struggled on third downs. The Cardinals missed a big opportunity when wide receiver Troy Pascley dropped a pass that would have easily led to a score. Instead, Louisville had to punt the ball.

It looked like the Cardinals had caught a break when Syracuse return man Bruce Williams muffed a punt that was recovered by Louisville. However, the Cardinals gave the ball right back when Syracuse defensive end Jared Kimmel forced a fumble. Louisville finished the game with two turnovers and eight penalties that resulted in a loss of 81 yards.

The Orange must have headman Steve Kragthorpe’s number—this is the second straight year that Syracuse has defeated Louisville.

The performance on Saturday may not have been a flashback to the 1987 season when McPherson led the then Orangemen to an 11-0-1 season. McPherson, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy, won both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Maxwell Award that season. The win did mark Syracuse’s first conference home win since 2006 against Connecticut.

Photo Credit: Syracuse University Athletics

NFF Chalktalk

News and Notes From Around College Football for Oct. 27, 2008

NFF to Announce Draddy Finalists on Oct. 29

With $275,000 in scholarships and 15 all-expense paid trips to New York City at stake, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) will announce Oct. 29 the 15 finalists for college football's most prestigious academic honor: The Draddy Trophy presented, by HealthSouth.

Coming from a pool of 164 semifinalists from all divisions of play, the 15 finalists will each win a coveted $18,000 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award for their post graduate educations, and they will each travel all expenses paid to New York City to attend the NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 at the Waldorf- Astoria.

McPherson On-Campus Salute Set for Saturday

Syracuse's most highly decorated quarterback Don McPherson will be honored for his 2008 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this Saturday, as the Orange take on Louisville at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

McPherson won over 18 national Player of the Year honors during his collegiate career, including the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, the Maxwell Player of the Year and the inaugural Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The West Hempstead, N.Y., native holds or shares 11 Syracuse football records and claimed MVP honors in the Sugar Bowl, capping an undefeated 1987 regular season and a No. 4 final ranking for the Orange.

McPherson has become one of the nation's leading educators and advocates for the prevention of men's violence against women and has been featured on Nightline and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

BCS News

Florida and Texas have appeared in at least one BCS Standings every year since 1998. Texas was the first school to be included in 70 different surveys and has appeared in 71 of the first 78 standings (91 percent). Florida is next with 70 appearances through the second set of '08 standings.

Top 12 Schools By Appearance (through Oct. 26, 2008): Texas - 71; Florida - 70; Oklahoma - 62; Michigan - 62; Virginia Tech - 60; Ohio State - 54; Florida State - 52; Tennessee - 52; Southern California - 51; Miami (Fla.) - 50; Georgia - 48; and LSU - 46.

Most Seasons in BCS Standings (1998-Oct. 26, 2008): Texas - 11; Florida - 11; Michigan - 10; Virginia Tech - 10; Florida State - 9; Georgia - 9; Ohio State - 9; Oklahoma - 9; LSU - 8; Oregon - 8; Southern California - 8; Tennessee - 8; Miami (Fla.) - 7; Nebraska - 7; and Penn State - 7.

Most Appearances at No. 1 (through Oct. 26, 2008): Oklahoma - 17; Ohio State - 15; Southern California - 15; Florida State - 7; Miami (Fla.) - 7; Nebraska - 5; Tennessee - 5; Texas - 3; LSU - 2; Missouri - 1; and UCLA - 1.

Hawaii, Rutgers, Tulsa and Wake Forest all made their first appearances in the standings in 2006 to bring the then-total representation to 72 schools. Cincinnati, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky and South Florida joined the field in 2007, and appearances by Ball State and North Carolina in 2008 raised the tally to 79 of 119 current total FBS members to have ever been featured in the standings.

Oklahoma has been one of most active "latecomers" to the standings. After not being among the Top 15 in either 1998 or '99, the Sooners have been in 62 polls since Oct. 2000 and have been No. 1 on a record 17 occasions. They are tied for third with Michigan all-time in BCS standings' appearances.

National College Football Day

National College Football Day is this Saturday, Nov. 1, honoring college football's first game in 1869. The American Football Coaches Association, the National Association of Division IA Football Officials and Football Writers Association of America are teaming with the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and The V Foundation for Cancer Research to raise funds and increase awareness in the fight against cancer. For more information, please visit w ww.NationalCollegeFootballDay.com.

NFF News

Liberty Mutual has proudly partnered with the College Football Hall of Fame to honor one coach from each division who demonstrates excellence on and off the field through victories, community service, charitable endeavors and academic support. Visit www.coachoftheyear.com now to find out how to vote for your favorite coach.

Southern Connecticut State head coach Rich Cavanaugh spoke to the Gene J. Casey/New Haven (Conn.) Chapter last Thursday. He is in his 24th season as coach of the Owls, has a career mark of 142-103-1, has led the school to three consecutive NCAA playoffs and a school-record 15 consecutive seasons of .500-plus winning percentages.

Newest member of the NFF National Scholar- Athlete Alumni Association: David Wonderlick (Susquehanna, Pa.). To become a member of the NFF National Scholar- Athlete Alumni Association, please contact NFF Director of Special Projects Hillary Jeffries at 800-486- 1865 or via email at hjeffries@footballfoundation.com.

Two-Minute Drill

Head coaches including 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, North Carolina's Butch Davis, and all 12 mentors from Conference USA, along with hundreds of other programs on all NCAA and NAIA levels joined in wearing "Coach for the Cure" armbands last weekend to raise awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a special charitable cause in 2008 for the American Football Coaches Association. MDA and the AFCA are also joining in the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and other neuromuscular disorders.

East Carolina will host Appalachian State on Sept. 5, 2009, to renew a 77-year-old rivalry... La.-Lafayette is promoting "Sell Out the Swamp" for Saturday's homecoming contest with Florida Atlantic. It's the 1,000th football contest in ULL history, and RB Rajin Cajun Tyrell Fenroy also has become just the seventh back in FBS history to record four 1,000-yard seasons... Navy played its 1,200th all-time football contest against SMU last week in Annapolis, Md., and became the first team since Ohio in 1997 to win a game without attempting a pass on 77 plays from scrimmage... Texas Tech QB and NFF Draddy Trophy semifinalist Graham Harrell moved into fourth place in all-time FBS individual passing. Red Raider walk-on kicker Matt Williams, who won a halftime kicking contest and tryout for the team last month, was 9-for-9 in PATs during the Tech's win last week at Kansas... La.-Monroe brought back Major League Baseball and Olympic pitching star alumnus Ben Sheets as honorary captain for its recent contest with Florida Atlantic and hosted a "Blue Out Game" for ULM fans... Cleveland State is investigating the possibility of adding varsity football in coming years... Florida State honored Wounded Warriors Program members Mark McDuffie, Chris Lynch and Michael Taylor during last week's game against Virginia Tech in Tallahassee for their sacrifices... North Texas students voted to increase student athletics fees in hopes of breaking ground on a new stadium in Denton, Texas, as soon as 2009... Troy QB Levi Brown's 391 passing yards last weekend against North Texas are the most ever for a Troy quarterback in head coach Larry Blakeney's 18 seasons at the helm... The final EA Sports NCAA Football '09 Challenge presented by Coke Zero exhibit stopped at last Saturday's Cincinnati- Connecticut contest... Actors Ryan Merriman, Aidan Quinn and Andie MacDowell will star in "The 5th Quarter," following the life of Jon Abbate, then a junior linebacker for Wake Forest, after the death of his 15-year- old brother... Texas A&M-Commerce defeated East Central (Texas) in the inaugural Harvey Martin Classic in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson received a contract extension through the 2011 season... Lin Dawson has been selected as director of athletics at Grambling... Big Ten Conference commissioner Jim Delany had his contract extended through June 30, 2013.

Former U.S. House of Representatives member and Tulsa standout Steve Largent became the eighth student-athlete in the history of Golden Hurricane football to have his jersey retired... 1991 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Will Furrer will be honored for his football and off-field accomplishments on Nov. 6 when his alma mater Virginia Tech hosts Maryland on ESPN. He currently is president of IF Marketing and Advertising in Austin, Texas... Miami (Fla.) honored its 1983 national championship team last weekend during its game against Wake Forest... Ohio State's Tyson Gentry has been nominated for the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award... Northern Illinois' Keenan Blarark and 2006 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Oklahoma's Carl Pendleton have received NACDA McLendon Minority graduate school grants for 2008-09... Arkansas football standouts Martine Bercher, Jr. , R.C. Thielemann and Jarrell Williams join Arkansas grad, NFF member and NFL referee Walt Coleman of Little Rock, Ark., as the newest members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in Little Rock... Maryland added M Club Foundation executive director David Diehl, football stalwart Darryl Hill and Maryland State Sen. Mike Miller (for meritorious service) to its athletics hall of fame last Friday... Current Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville and late Alabama assistant coach/ longtime associate AD Sam Bailey join football standouts Bobby Evans and Sammy Furo as inductees into the Southern Arkansas Hall of Fame...1983 Ohio State captain Kirk Lowdermilk was honorary Silver Anniversary captain for last week's OSU-Penn State clash in Columbus, Ohio... The NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame has added Eric Davis of Jacksonville State and Rod Smith of Missouri Southern to its legendary group. Induction will be part of the Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II NCAA Championship banquet in Florence, Ala., on Dec. 12.

To commemorate its 75th anniversary, the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC) is leaving a legacy gift of $2.5 million to the South Florida community. The gift has been matched by the City of Miami, which is partnering with the OBC to construct a high school football stadium and other facilities at Moore Park, the site of the first Palm Festival, predecessor of the FedEx Orange Bowl... The Western Athletic Conference and San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl officials announced a contingency agreement that will affect the 2008 and '09 bowl games. The contract stipulates that if the bowl's agreement with the Pacific-10 Conference does not yield a bowl eligible team (six or more wins), then the bowl will get a team from the Western Athletic Conference in either or both years... The Big 12 Conference and Chick- fil-A have selected the Fall Community of Champions from each of the 12 schools with honors being based on community service, leadership, scholarship, and sportsmanship.

CBS has extended its coverage of the Army-Navy game through the 2018 season. The contest will be moved to the second Saturday in December starting in 2009 to signify the end of regular-season play for FBS annually... FSN Southwest captured five regional Emmy Awards from the Lone Star Chapter of the National Television Academy in judging by national peer panels... The New England Sports Network (NESN) and Atlantic Coast Conference have embarked on additional broadcast and regional coverage agreements... The Real Winning Edge sports reality show will debut on selected Fox network stations in the near future with inspiring stories about student-athletes overcoming major odds to succeed... Chattanooga has signed a marketing, promotional and broadcast agreement with Learfield Sports Properties.

Gene Hickerson, 73, All-SEC standout at Ole Miss, died last week in Cleveland, Ohio... Craig Fertig, 66, former standout USC quarterback and head coach at Oregon State, passed away... Robert T. Becker, 73, who oversaw tremendous athletics growth and success as athletics director at Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), died in Naples, Fla.

Key NFF Dates

Oct. 29: 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Announcement
Dec. 9: NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria - New York, N.Y.
Jan. 5, 2009: National Hall of Fame Salute at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz.
Jan. 9, 2009: Presentation of MacArthur Trophy to BCS champion - Miami, Fla.

2009 BCS Schedule

Jan. 1: Rose Bowl presented by Citi - Pasadena, Calif., ABC
Jan. 1: FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami, Fla., Fox
Jan. 2: Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, La., Fox
Jan. 5: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz., Fox
Jan. 8: FedEx BCS National Championship Game - Miami, Fla., Fox

National Football Foundation Announces 2008 On-Campus Salute Schedule

On-field presentations...an NFF tradition for more than six decades

DALLAS, August 19, 2008 - Archie Manning, chairman of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc. (NFF), recently announced the On-Campus Salute schedule for the NFF's 2008 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) College Football Hall of Fame Class.

PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL YEARS ON-CAMPUS SALUTE DATE
TROY AIKMAN QB UCLA 1987-88 TBA
BILLY CANNON HB LSU 1957-59 Nov. 22 vs. Ole Miss
JIM DOMBROWSKI OT Virginia 1982-85 Aug. 30 vs. USC
PAT FITZGERALD LB Northwestern 1993-96 Oct. 18 vs. Purdue
WILBER MARSHALL LB Florida 1980-83 Sept. 6 vs. Miami (Fla.)
RUEBEN MAYES RB Washington State 1982-85 Sept. 27 vs. Oregon
RANDALL McDANIEL OG Arizona State 1984-87 Sept. 20 vs. Georgia
DON McPHERSON QB Syracuse 1984-87 Nov. 1 vs. Louisville
JAY NOVACEK TE Wyoming 1982-84 Sept. 13 vs. North Dakota State
DAVE PARKS SE Texas Tech 1961-63 Sept. 13 vs. SMU
RON SIMMONS NG Florida St.1977-80 Nov. 15 vs. Boston College
THURMAN THOMAS RB Oklahoma State 1984-87 Nov. 29 vs. Oklahoma (tent.)
ARNOLD TUCKER QB Army 1944-46 Sept. 20 vs. Akron (tent.)

COACHES

JOHN COOPER
Career Record: 192-84-6
Tulsa 1977- 84
Arizona St. 1985-87;
On Campus Salute: ASU-Sept. 20 vs. Georgia
Ohio State 1988-2000;
On Campus Salute: OSU-Oct. 25 vs. Penn State

LOU HOLTZ
Career Record: 249-132- 7
William & Mary 1969-71
N.C. State 1972-75
Arkansas 1977- 83
Minnesota 1984-85
Notre Dame 1986-96;
On Campus Salute: ND- Sept. 13 vs. Michigan
South Carolina 1999-2004

"The On-Campus Salute is not only a unique tradition that allows our Hall of Famers to be honored in front of their home crowds again," said Manning, a 1989 College Football Hall of Fame inductee. "It is also a great opportunity for fans to see some of the most storied players and coaches in the history of their school's football program."

Throughout the football season, each Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) Hall of Fame inductee returns to his school for the special on-field event, where a commemorative plaque is presented to the university for permanent display. Beginning with the Foundation's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1951, the On-Campus Salute has served as the first of numerous highlights in the Hall of Fame experience, giving each inductee one more chance to take the field.

"I was humbled to tears as I shared my halftime salute with many of my teammates, family and friends," said Rex Kern, a 2007 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Ohio State. "To hear the thunderous roar of the fans while standing on the fifty-yard line took me all the way back almost 40 years ago when our teams went 27-2. ... The excitement in the air just reminded me again as to why college football and [my] university are so special to me."

NFF representatives, including staff from the national office and board members like 1986 College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin, who took part in Kern's salute, present the plaque during the ceremony.

"Incorporating our many nationwide constituents, especially our board members, in the On-Campus Salutes allows us to continually build on our efforts to be border-to-border and coast-to-coast," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "The salutes are an important platform for us to expose fans and the media to the NFF's mission and our many initiatives."

The 2008 Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner, held at New York City's historic Waldorf=Astoria Hotel on Tuesday, December 9. The National Hall of Fame Salute at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl follows on January 5, giving the class recognition on a national stage, and events culminate with the College Football Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Festival in South Bend, Ind., July 17- 18.

This year's On-Campus Salute schedule is filled with exciting match-ups, including intrastate rivalries between Florida and Miami on Sept. 6 and Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on Nov. 29; Arizona State hosts preseason No.1 Georgia on Sept. 20; a potential Big Ten title showdown between Ohio State and Penn State on Oct. 25; and the 50th anniversary of Billy Cannon's historic Halloween-night run as LSU takes on Ole Miss on Nov. 22.