4/8: "Football is more than just a game..."

Good in the Game 4/8

April 08, 2025

Good morning, football fans! Caitlin Clark is thinking about taking a page out of Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders’ book — the WNBA superstar wants to play flag football in the Olympics!

Photo: Morehead State Athletics

Name: Nick Feldman
High School: Oconto High School (Oconto, Wis.)
College: Morehead State University (2004-08)

How has football changed your life?

“Football is more than just a game; it’s a powerful teacher that has profoundly shaped who I am today. From the first time I stepped onto the field, I knew this sport was different. It wasn't just about physical prowess; it was about something much deeper—teamwork, camaraderie, and the pursuit of excellence.

Through football, I learned the true meaning of teamwork. Competing every day for the same position with my teammates, I discovered the delicate balance between competition and camaraderie. We pushed each other to our limits, yet we celebrated each other’s successes and supported each other through failures. This bond, forged on the field, is unlike anything else I’ve experienced. It’s a connection that sets you apart, embedding within you a sense of confidence and humility that is rare in this world.

Work ethic is another invaluable lesson football taught me. The daily grind, the early morning practices, one more rep, one more route, the relentless pursuit of improvement—all of these instilled in me a discipline that has carried over into every aspect of my life. Football taught me that success isn’t handed to you; it’s earned through hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to your goals.”

Share your football story with us! We want to know what football means to you, the lessons you learned, and the opportunities it provided.

The award-winning NFF Future For Football initiative continues to receive accolades for its impressive work as stewards of the game — “Ways to Play: Football is for Everyone” has been named a 2025 Webby Award honoree in the Video — Sports category!

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.

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, host LaVar Arrington sits down with Jeff Galloway, head coach of the Hemet Bulldogs, the high school team that was recently named the 2025 recipient of the NFF Hatchell Cup. LaVar and Coach Galloway chat about coaching high school ball, teaching kids life lessons through football and what the game has meant to him in almost 30 years as a coach.

NFF chapters continue with a busy slate of events across the country, celebrating the best scholar-athletes from their respective regions. 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.

Clockwise from the upper left corner. Caption 1: The NFF Utah Chapter honored 13 scholar-athletes March 25. Former Oregon star and 2025 College Football Hall of Fame electee Haloti Ngata (fourth from the left) and former Utah State star Nick Vigil (fifth from the left) claimed the Contribution to Amateur Football Award and Distinguished American Award, respectively. Legendary Utah high school coach Bill Jacobsen (far right) was also honored with an Outstanding Service to High School Football Award. Caption 2: Morristown HS linebacker Ryan Myers, joined by his parents, was among the 2025 scholar-athletes recognized by the NFF Greater Morris County (NJ) Chapter. Caption 3: The NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter honored Preston Tarpley of Gunter HS as its 2025 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Tarpley is joined by his head coach, Jake Fieszel, and NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas President Gerald Brence. Caption 4: Leicester HS running back Jack Ledbetter addresses the crowd after being recognized as an NFF Scholar-Athlete by the Joseph R. Mewhiney Central MA Chapter.

Photo: Sacramento State Athletics

Sacramento State is movin’ on up — the Hornets plan to file an application with the NCAA to transition from the FCS to the FBS in football as an independent!

Mike Bilbow, who helped to launch the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta and spent many years working in the Georgia athletic department as the Assistant Athletic Director of Digital & Production, has passed away.

Anthony DiVincenzo, who played football at Princeton in the early 1960s before serving as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1963-65, has passed away. He was 84.

Ray Seals, who played eight seasons in the NFL from 1989-1997 after not having played college football, has passed away. He was 59.

Dean Wells, who holds the Kentucky single-game record for sacks with five against Indiana in 1992, has passed away. He was 54.

John Vella, an All-American at USC in 1971 who also won the 1970 College World Series with the Trojan baseball team, has passed away. He was 74.

Phil Klingsmith, III, a former president of the Faculty Senate at Western Colorado University, passed away March 22. He was 75.

Cedric Dempsey, who served as the athletics director San Diego State, Houston and Arizona before becoming the NCAA president from 1994-2002, passed away April 5. He was 92.

In the wake of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles this past January, NFF Board Member and Arizona Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill rallied his team to host the Vikings-Rams wild-card playoff game at State Farm Stadium.

Bidwill’s operational staff quickly addressed a long list of unknowns, staging the first-ever relocated NFL Playoff game. Tasks included transforming State Farm Stadium with the branding of their archrival Rams, including shipping 200 gallons of paint from Mississippi and dispatching two team planes to evacuate 350 players, coaches, staff, families —plus six dogs and two cats— from LA. The Cardinals addressed countless logistical challenges to stage the event in less than 72 hours.

Click here for a short documentary recently produced about the effort.

April 16 — NFF Hampshire Honor Society announced

May 29 — 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot released

June 17 — NFF Team of Distinction announced

July 22 — Campbell Trophy Summit Curtain Raiser

You’re receiving this email from the National Football Foundation in partnership with Sport & Story. If you’d like to unsubscribe from the Good in the Game Newsletter, which replaces the NFF’s Down & Distance, you can easily do so below and it won't affect anything related to your current communication preferences with the National Football Foundation.