3/4: From College Football To NASCAR

Good morning, football fans! Here’s a must-read for anyone interested in the under-appreciated world of sports communications — The Rice Thresher has written about communications veteran Chuck Pool!

Hatchell Cup recipients head to Dallas!

In early February, Hemet High School (CA) was named as the 2024-25 recipient of the NFF Hatchell Cup, presented by Bob's Steak & Chop House. This past week, officials from Hemet traveled to Dallas for a celebratory dinner at Bob’s, a lunch with former TCU coach Gary Patterson, a tour of Globe Life Field, and to collect a $10,000 donation from Bob’s to support the Hemet football program.

Presented since the 2021 season, the Hatchell Cup recognizes the top high school football team in the nation for excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community.

CLICK HERE to read more about Hemet High School, winners of this year’s Hatchell Cup!

Join us to celebrate college football legends such as Montee Ball, Graham Harrell, Michael Strahan, Michael Vick and many, many more at one of the sport's grandest traditions — the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas — Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at the iconic Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

The highlight of the Awards Dinner will be the induction of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class, where 18 legendary players and four acclaimed coaches take their place amongst the greatest of all time. The inductees proudly represent every region of the country, 28 collegiate institutions, 11 conferences, and seven decades.

NFF Chapters Recognize The Best In Their Communities

NFF chapters across the country have been busy celebrating scholar-athletes, with several hosting their annual banquets in February. Collectively, the network will award more than $1 million in local scholarships this year while recognizing 3,500 high school and college student-athletes. Spanning 120 chapters in 47 states, the NFF Chapter Network serves as the heartbeat of a nationwide effort to promote amateur football and instill leadership, sportsmanship, and academic excellence among young players.

The movement traces back to 1954, when the Cincinnati Club first discussed forming NFF chapters. Today, more than 12,000 passionate members continue that legacy, dedicated to Building Leaders Through Football. Together, they host more than 300 events annually, reaching 500,000 football players at 5,000 high schools.

Pictured above (clockwise from top left): The NFF Collier County Chapter (Naples, FL) awarded $56,500 in scholarships on Feb. 8. NFF Columbus Chapter Board Member and Emcee Jeff Logan presents Ohio State Co-Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach Brian Hartline with the Ohio Gold Award, the chapter’s highest honor. The Schuylkill/Pottsville County Chapter held its 64th banquet on Feb. 10, recognizing 14 scholar-athletes. The NFF TD Club of Houston hosted its 26th annual Hellas Construction High School Scholar-Athlete Luncheon on Feb. 19, honoring 25 student-athletes and awarding $15,000 in scholarships. Top honorees included (L-R): Josh Tang (1st place, Grand Oaks HS), Cole Mansour (2nd place, Lamar HS), and Henry Omanga (3rd place, Strake Jesuit HS).

A Hall of Famer bids adieu

The NFF congratulates Coach Jimmy Johnson, a 2012 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, on his retirement from Fox Sports after being part of the network’s NFL coverage for 31 years. Johnson led programs at Oklahoma State and Miami (FL), winning a national title with the Hurricanes in 1987. He also coached in the pros, earning induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. As a player, he won a national title with the 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks.

From the Gridiron to Tech Sales: How a Campbell Trophy Semifinalist Used AI to Elevate His Career

Zoltán Meskó, a 2009 NFF Campbell Trophy semifinalist and former Michigan and NFL punter, gained valuable insights at last summer’s Campbell Trophy Summit. Already leveraging AI in his highly successful tech sales career, Meskó discovered new ways to enhance its use during a session with Stanford Business professor Jeremy Utley. The discussion sparked a game-changing shift in Meskó’s approach, inspiring him to continually ask, “Could it...?” At Utley’s request, Meskó shared his experiences with AI and the Summit in a post, which can be read here.

2024 NFF Hall of Fame inductee Tim Couch sat down with LaVar Arrington in the most recent episode of the Good in the Game Podcast to discuss his work ethic on and off the field, sacrificing for the good of the team, and what the game of football means to him. You won’t want to miss their conversation!

“It’s scary when a 280-pound man is running down on kickoff about to take your head off, but it’s a little different when a 3,500-pound car is coming at you at 50 mph.”

Former college football players are flocking to NASCAR pit crews — the Atlanta Journal Constitution has the scoop in the video above!

📰: What’s In a title?: The swift evolution of college football’s general managers
^{Sports Business Journal}

📰: How new tech is empowering Madden, College Football
^{Electronic Arts}

Joe Fusco, a 2001 College Football Hall of Fame inductee who coached Westminster (PA) to four national titles, passed away Feb. 22. He was 87.

One of the most successful coaches in NAIA history, Fusco had a lifetime association with Westminster. He was an All-West Penn Conference (WPC) offensive guard on the football team from 1957-59, assistant coach from 1968-71, head coach from 1972-1990, and director of athletics from 1985-99.

Read more about the life and legacy of Coach Fusco by clicking here.

Mason Alexander, a Pittsburgh football commit who had enrolled early this semester and joined the Panthers on campus, has passed away in a car accident. He was 18.

Sean Wallace, who played and coached at Southern University, has passed away after a longtime battle with stage four pancreatic cancer. He was 52.

Lou Prato, a 1959 Penn State alumni, distinguished journalist, author and historian of Penn State University, passed away at the age of 87 on Tuesday, February 25.

J.J. Joe, who quarterbacked at Baylor from 1990-93, was a 2006 inductee of the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame and a color analyst for the Bears for the past 21 years, has passed away. He was 54.

Mike Spruill, a three-year letterman at Rice from 1969-71 and a native Houstonian, has passed away. He was 75.

Richard Osborne, who starred at tight end at Texas A&M in the 1970s before spending four seasons in the NFL, has passed away. He was 71.

Joe Moglia has driven a cab in New York City. He had a successful stint as the CEO of TD Ameritrade. He won five games as the head football coach at Coastal Carolina in 2018.

The Athletic recently profiled Moglia, who spoke at last year’s 7th Annual Campbell Trophy Summit on the campus of Stanford University.

📰: How ‘spiritual soundness’ led Joe Moglia from Wall Street CEO to college football head coach
^{The Athletic}

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