NFF Establishes Three New Postgraduate Scholarships
Trio of donor groups at Texas universities help launch NFF postgraduate scholarship endowments.
IRVING, Texas (Sept. 17, 2015) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame proudly announced a new initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to promote and support the scholar-athlete ideal. The announcement included the news that three groups of donors have each raised the funds to endow NFF postgraduate scholarships at three universities in Texas, specifically:
“The postgraduate scholarships provided by the NFF are really important because they play the critical role of focusing young men on what’s next,” said Robertson. “The donors behind these endowments all believe that education is vital, and they got involved because they want to ensure that the top football student-athlete at each of these schools gets a chance to attend graduate school. Focusing each endowment on a specific football program will make it more dramatic, hopefully fostering a desire among everybody on the team to compete for these scholarships with the same fire that they all exhibit on the field.”
The NFF will collaborate with each school to annually select the top student-athlete on the football team from the pool of players who are in their last year of eligibility. The players will be evaluated based on their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community. The NFF pioneered the concept of postgraduate scholarships in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, becoming the first organization in history to bestow postgraduate scholarships based on a player’s combined achievements.
“The NFF is extremely excited about this new chapter in our efforts to promote the scholar-athlete ideal, and we are extremely grateful to board member Corby Robertson and all the donors who have stepped forward as leaders to make this happen,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The NFF scholarship programs have a rich history of inspiring the next generation, and today’s announcement will provide each of the schools and their respective head coaches an important tool for motivating their players to achieve excellence in all aspects of their lives. It’s a great model, and we hope that other donors around the country will join forces to endow scholarships at their respective alma maters.”
NFF Scholarship at Houston Baptist UniversityThe NFF scholarship at Houston Baptist University will provide an important tool for the young program, which completed its first season just two years ago in 2013. One of the 38 programs to have launched football since 2010, the Huskies compete in the Southland Conference. Support for the scholarship is being provided by Houston Baptist University, led by President Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr., and the Cullen Trust for Higher Education.
NFF Bill Yeoman Scholarship at the University of HoustonThe scholarship at the University of Houston is named for Hall of Fame coach Bill Yeoman, who coached the Cougars from 1962-86, building a young program into one of the best in the nation, including four Southwest Conference Championships and 11 bowl berths. The donors providing support for the scholarship include the Cullen Trust for Higher Education and the John M. O’Quinn Foundation.
NFF Darrell K Royal Scholarship at the University of TexasThe scholarship at the University of Texas is named for Hall of Fame coach Darrell K Royal, who coached the Longhorns from 1957-75, including three national championships, 12 Southwest Conference Championships and 16 bowl berths. The donors providing support for the scholarship include David S. Ballew, Marvin and Linda Bendele, the Cullen Trust for Higher Education, Susie and Don Evans, College Football Hall of Fame member Chris Gilbert (Texas), The Lee and Joseph D. Jamail Foundation, Steve & Dee Dee Massey, Mike A. Myers, Interim University of Texas Men’s Athletics Director and 1968 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Michael W. Perrin (Texas), NFF Board Member Chris Plonsky, Barbara and Corbin J. Robertson Jr. and Charlie Talbert.
The NFF school-specific postgraduate scholarships represents the latest addition to the NFF scholarship efforts. The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, created the foundation for the organization’s efforts in 1959, and the program ccurrently provides each member of the class with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, distributing more than $300,000 each year. The program has awarded more than $10.7 million to 804 individuals since its inception, and since 1990, the NFF has selected one member of the class each year to receive the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the country.
Other elements of the NFF scholarship efforts include the NFF Chapter Network, which annually distributes more than $1 million to high school and college players; the NFF Faculty Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, which annually recognizes the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the schools with a member of the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class; and the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which recognizes all of the nation’s top football student-athletes from all divisions of play who achieved at least a 3.2 GPA throughout their collegiate career.
The new scholarships will be highlighted later tonight at the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame Induction of for renowned lawyer Joe Jamail at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel. The NFF announced the creation of the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame in 2013, and the platform provides the organization with a powerful vehicle for recognizing the country’s most influential individuals who have ascended to the highest levels of success and exhibited the critical leadership qualities that transcend ordinary enterprises. Inductees into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame must exhibit a passion for the NFF’s mission of building leaders through football, and their accomplishments must embody the same qualities in amateur football that define excellence in American life: hard work, discipline, determination, teamwork, integrity and the relentless pursuit to improve.
Trio of donor groups at Texas universities help launch NFF postgraduate scholarship endowments.
IRVING, Texas (Sept. 17, 2015) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame proudly announced a new initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to promote and support the scholar-athlete ideal. The announcement included the news that three groups of donors have each raised the funds to endow NFF postgraduate scholarships at three universities in Texas, specifically:
- NFF Scholarship at Houston Baptist University
- NFF Bill Yeoman Scholarship at the University of Houston
- NFF Darrell K Royal Scholarship at the University of Texas
“The postgraduate scholarships provided by the NFF are really important because they play the critical role of focusing young men on what’s next,” said Robertson. “The donors behind these endowments all believe that education is vital, and they got involved because they want to ensure that the top football student-athlete at each of these schools gets a chance to attend graduate school. Focusing each endowment on a specific football program will make it more dramatic, hopefully fostering a desire among everybody on the team to compete for these scholarships with the same fire that they all exhibit on the field.”
The NFF will collaborate with each school to annually select the top student-athlete on the football team from the pool of players who are in their last year of eligibility. The players will be evaluated based on their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community. The NFF pioneered the concept of postgraduate scholarships in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, becoming the first organization in history to bestow postgraduate scholarships based on a player’s combined achievements.
“The NFF is extremely excited about this new chapter in our efforts to promote the scholar-athlete ideal, and we are extremely grateful to board member Corby Robertson and all the donors who have stepped forward as leaders to make this happen,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The NFF scholarship programs have a rich history of inspiring the next generation, and today’s announcement will provide each of the schools and their respective head coaches an important tool for motivating their players to achieve excellence in all aspects of their lives. It’s a great model, and we hope that other donors around the country will join forces to endow scholarships at their respective alma maters.”
NFF Scholarship at Houston Baptist UniversityThe NFF scholarship at Houston Baptist University will provide an important tool for the young program, which completed its first season just two years ago in 2013. One of the 38 programs to have launched football since 2010, the Huskies compete in the Southland Conference. Support for the scholarship is being provided by Houston Baptist University, led by President Dr. Robert B. Sloan Jr., and the Cullen Trust for Higher Education.
NFF Bill Yeoman Scholarship at the University of HoustonThe scholarship at the University of Houston is named for Hall of Fame coach Bill Yeoman, who coached the Cougars from 1962-86, building a young program into one of the best in the nation, including four Southwest Conference Championships and 11 bowl berths. The donors providing support for the scholarship include the Cullen Trust for Higher Education and the John M. O’Quinn Foundation.
NFF Darrell K Royal Scholarship at the University of TexasThe scholarship at the University of Texas is named for Hall of Fame coach Darrell K Royal, who coached the Longhorns from 1957-75, including three national championships, 12 Southwest Conference Championships and 16 bowl berths. The donors providing support for the scholarship include David S. Ballew, Marvin and Linda Bendele, the Cullen Trust for Higher Education, Susie and Don Evans, College Football Hall of Fame member Chris Gilbert (Texas), The Lee and Joseph D. Jamail Foundation, Steve & Dee Dee Massey, Mike A. Myers, Interim University of Texas Men’s Athletics Director and 1968 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Michael W. Perrin (Texas), NFF Board Member Chris Plonsky, Barbara and Corbin J. Robertson Jr. and Charlie Talbert.
The NFF school-specific postgraduate scholarships represents the latest addition to the NFF scholarship efforts. The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, created the foundation for the organization’s efforts in 1959, and the program ccurrently provides each member of the class with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, distributing more than $300,000 each year. The program has awarded more than $10.7 million to 804 individuals since its inception, and since 1990, the NFF has selected one member of the class each year to receive the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the country.
Other elements of the NFF scholarship efforts include the NFF Chapter Network, which annually distributes more than $1 million to high school and college players; the NFF Faculty Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, which annually recognizes the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the schools with a member of the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class; and the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which recognizes all of the nation’s top football student-athletes from all divisions of play who achieved at least a 3.2 GPA throughout their collegiate career.
The new scholarships will be highlighted later tonight at the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame Induction of for renowned lawyer Joe Jamail at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel. The NFF announced the creation of the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame in 2013, and the platform provides the organization with a powerful vehicle for recognizing the country’s most influential individuals who have ascended to the highest levels of success and exhibited the critical leadership qualities that transcend ordinary enterprises. Inductees into the NFF Leadership Hall of Fame must exhibit a passion for the NFF’s mission of building leaders through football, and their accomplishments must embody the same qualities in amateur football that define excellence in American life: hard work, discipline, determination, teamwork, integrity and the relentless pursuit to improve.
