Shalala Joins Board of National Football Foundation
Nov. 30, 2010
NEW YORK CITY — The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that Donna Shalala and Roger T. Staubach have joined the organization’s national board of directors. Shalala, the president of the University of Miami (Fla.), and Staubach, a 1981 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee from Navy and the current executive chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, become the latest in a list of impressive leaders to serve on the national board, including Chairman Archie Manning, President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell, Vice Chairman Clayton I. Bennett, Vice Chairman J. Murry Bowden, and Vice Chairman George M. Weiss.
“It’s an honor to welcome Donna Shalala and Roger Staubach to our board,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. “They are clearly two of our country’s most respected leaders, and each has a passion for collegiate athletics. Their combined business acumen and knowledge of issues facing collegiate athletics will greatly aid in the National Football Foundation’s mission of building leaders through football.”
Founded in 1947 with early leadership and support from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and renowned journalist Grantland Rice, the NFF serves as a leading voice in the promotion of amateur football and its ability to develop the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic achievement in America’s young people.
“Adding individuals of this caliber to our national board reinforces our role as a driving force in the promotion of amateur football from border-to-border and coast-to-coast,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “We are pleased to have their counsel and support as we work to promote everything right about our great game.”
Other recent additions to the NFF Board include Troy Aikman, television game analyst for Fox Sports and a 2008 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from UCLA; William “Bill” Battle, the founder of the Collegiate Licensing Company; Scott Blackmun, CEO of the United States Olympic Committee; Timothy Cook, the chief operating officer of Apple Computer; Robert L. Epling, president & CEO of the Community Bank of Florida; P. Scott McKibben, executive director of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses; Jim Nantz, television broadcaster with CBS Sports; and T. Boone Pickens, the founder & chairman of BP Capital.
The NFF programs cover the entire spectrum of amateur football. The College Football Hall of Fame, one of the nation’s premier sports museum, stands as the centerpiece to organization’s efforts, showcasing the accomplishments of the 1,072 legends from all divisions of college football who are immortalized within its walls. The 120 NFF chapters in 47 states reach more than 4,800 high schools and 400,000 football players with more than 1,000 annual events, including coaching clinics, leadership conferences, college nights, media days, and awards banquets.
The NFF is a leader in programs encouraging academic performance by student-athletes. Launched in 1959 with funds donated by Coach Blaik, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Awardsprogram became first initiative in history to distribute post-graduate scholarships based on a player’s academic, athletic and leadership accomplishments. Currently, the program annually distributes $300,000 in highly sought-after post-graduate scholarships to the best from the college gridiron, and since its inception the program has awarded $9.5 million to 740 student-athletes. Combined with the more than $1 million distributed by the NFF chapters, total annual NFF scholarships currently exceed $1.3 million each year. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society recognizes all the college football players from all divisions who maintain a 3.2 GPA or better, and the NFF Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association brings together all of the past recipients to support the NFF’s efforts.
Launched in 1998 and currently in 60 schools in 22 cities, Play It Smart, the NFF’s highly successful mentoring program for at-risk kids, has established itself as one of the most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the country. The program dramatically increases graduation and college enrollment rates while earning countless scholarships for its participants each year.
Major Awards presented by the NFF include the MacArthur Bowl, representing the pinnacle in team achievement and claimed by every college football national champion since 1959; the NFF Gold Medal granted for exceptional contributions to our society and claimed by seven U.S. Presidents and numerous other business titans since 1958; the William V. Campbell Trophy (endowed by HealthSouth), which is bestowed annually on the nation’s top college scholar-athlete since 1990; and numerous other awards designed to promote the good in the game and recognize unique contributions to the sport.
The NFF also plays a prominent role as a resource for the media by releasing the weeklyBowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings; producing the widely acclaimedMonday’s Chalktalk, which provides a weekly compendium of college football news; adding historical perspective to the college football season with This Week in College Football History; and providing access to the wit and wisdom of NFF Historian Dan Jenkins, the celebrated sportswriter and best selling novelist.
