|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
BIG 12 CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYSJuly 22, 2013Matthew SignDALLAS, TEXAS THE MODERATOR: We're going to have Matthew Sign, the Chief Operating Officer of the National Football Foundation. Matthew is going to make some comments. Matthew, welcome. MATTHEW SIGN: Thank you very much. Good morning. Welcome, everybody, to Dallas, Texas. On behalf of our chairman, Archie Manning, our president and CEO, Steve Hatchell, the board of directors, and the over 12,000 members of the National Football Foundation, it's an honor and privilege to be with you here today. Let me first thank Big 12 commissioner and NFF board member Bob Bowlsby, Bob Burda, Ed Stewart, and the entire Big 12 Conference staff and the ten members of the Big 12 for their staunch support of the National Football Foundation's programs and initiatives that preserve the past, promote the present, prepare the future, and protect the game. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to be here with you today. I also want to thank FWAA executive director Steve "Tiger" Richardson, president Chris Dufresne, and the entire membership for getting behind what we do. And a quick congratulations to Dick Weiss, who will receive the FWAA's Burt McGrane Award at the upcoming Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies in Atlanta on August 28th. Organizations like the Big 12 and the Football Writers have allowed the NFF to greatly enhance the strength of our collective voice while actively building a stronger national platform that resonates locally, regionally, and nationally with administrators, educators, coaches, and media. For over 60 years, the National Football Foundation has firmly believed in the leadership building qualities of football and have sought to provide a strong voice for the promotion of amateur football while highlighting the long‑term ability to produce tomorrow's leaders. We have an expansive agenda and many initiatives that serve the game. Of utmost important to the National Football Foundation is the promotion of the football scholar‑athlete such as presentation of the William V. Campbell Trophy to the nation's top scholar‑athlete. Past Big 12 winners have included Texas Dallas Griffin and Sam Acho. Last year Alabama center Barrett Jones captured the award. While being a four‑year starter and two‑time All‑American, he carried a perfect 4.0 GPA in accounting. Our other programs include the Hampshire Honor Society which recently recognized over 800 student‑athletes, and the National Football Foundation National Scholar‑Athlete Awards presented by Fidelity Investments, which awards the top 16 scholar‑athletes in college football with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The player must carry a 3.2 GPA, be a starter, and be in their last year of eligibility. Last year's recipients including Texas Tech's Cody Davis and Baylor's Nick Florence. Annually, the NFF awards over $1.3 million in scholarships to high school and college players across the country. On December 10th at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, we will induct 14 Legends into the College Football Hall of Fame, including Baylor quarterback Don Trull, Oklahoma linebacker Rod Shoate, and Texas defensive back Jerry Gray. Former West Virginia coach Frank Cignetti will be inducted into the divisional Hall of Fame class at the enshrinement in August. Since 1869 over 4.8 million have played college football, only 934 players have ever been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, meaning.01 percent ever get in. As a reminder, you have to be a First‑Team All‑American and be nominated by your institution. The NFF increases awareness and promotes the game through Monday's Chalk Talk, This Week in College Football History, the weekly release of the BCS standings, and the annual presentation of the MacArthur Bowl to the national champion. Earlier this month, we released our annual report on colleges and universities adding football. Since 2008, 56 schools have added football, 12 this year alone. The game continues to grow in importance across the country, and the popularity is undeniable. The National Football Foundation also hosts the Winter Meetings of the college football officials led by Rogers Redding. The NFF continues to expand our reach and influence through a nationwide chapter system that reaches over 4,800 high schools and over 500,000 high school football players through 122 chapters nationwide. With chapters in Austin, Dallas, Lubbock, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, the Big 12 footprint is firmly represented. In September of 2014, the new College Football Hall of Fame will open in Atlanta, Georgia, in an over 90,000‑square‑foot facility, located in Centennial Olympic Park, right next door to the Georgia World Congress Center, the Omni Hotel, the Georgia Dome, the World of Coke, and Georgia aquarium. The facility will be a significant tribute to the game's rich past and its vibrant present. On December 9th and 10th, we'll again honor the past, present, and future of the game at the 56th annual awards dinner, where we'll induct a Hall of Fame class, recognize scholar‑athletes, present the Campbell Trophy, and honor those who have contributed to the game, including Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione, who will receive the John Toner Athletics Director Award. The dinner is the place to connect for the college community as all those administer, play, love, support the game are in attendance at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. In closing, if your travels bring you to the Las Colinas area again, I encourage you to stop by and visit us. The NFF is located directly across the highway from the Big 12 offices, and we're down the street from the new college football playoff office. In closing, thank you, Commissioner Bowlsby, thank you, Big 12, and thank you again for all of your time today. Finally, thank you for helping us build leaders through football. Have a great day. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|