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5/27: Talkin' with the Ol' Ball Coach

5/27: Talkin' with the Ol' Ball Coach

Good in the Game 5/27

May 27, 2025

Good morning, football fans! Congratulations to NFF College Football Hall of Fame member Bo Jackson (Auburn) and NFF National Scholar-Athlete and NFF William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist DeMeco Ryan (Alabama) on their induction into the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame — learn more here!

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, host LaVar Arrington sits down with his former head coach in the pros, the ol' ball coach Steve Spurrier. Coach chats about how he got into coaching, being the only living member of the college football hall of fame to be inducted as a player and coach and what went wrong during his time in Washington D.C. as head coach of the Redskins.

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.

The National Football Foundation (NFF) and Texas Tech Athletics jointly honored Brian Shannon, the University's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), with a celebratory NFF Faculty Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments on May 20.

The event featured remarks from Shannon, Texas Tech Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt, Fidelity Investments Vice President and Managing Director Jason Bleeker, and NFF Director of Events Courtney Archer.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Brian Shannon’s honor!

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.

Upper Left: The NFF Howie Vandersea State of Maine Chapter held its scholar-athlete banquet May 18, honoring 16 standouts.

Upper Right: Barrington High School senior Will DiGiacomo (middle) pictured with Barrington High School head coach Sandy Gorham (left) and assistant coach Jim Anderson (right) was selected as a member of Golden Dozen Team by the NFF Emo DiNitto Rhode Island Chapter on May 5. DiGiacomo will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The chapter awarded $9,000 in scholarships at the event.

Lower Right: Tristan Rosenberg of Southington High School was among the scholar-athletes recognized at 59^th NFF Doc Boisoneau Northern Connecticut Chapter event May 18 at the Aqua Turf Country Club in Plantsville, CT. Rosenberg will play at Duquesne in the fall.

Lower Left: Kevin Roche of Darien HS was recognized as a scholar-athlete by the NFF Desantis-McDougall/Fairfield County on May 4. He was congratulated by NFF Desantis-McDougall/Fairfield County Chapter President John Barbarotta. Roche, a 6-foot-9 tight end, will play at Georgia Tech in the fall.

Seeding for next season’s College Football Playoff will be more straightforward — teams will be seeded strictly on where they are ranked, according to an announcement made last week.

📰: College Football Playoff shifts to straight seeding model, no automatic byes for top league champs
^{Associated Press}

📰: ‘It’s OK to ask for help’: Ryan Day champions mental health
^{10TV WBNS}

📰: Purdue football’s Devin Mockobee opens checkbook to thank hometown youth football league
^{Lafayette Journal & Courier}

Tommy Reamon, who led Fort Scott to consecutive NJCAA National Championship games and finished his collegiate career as a running back at Missouri before playing for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, has passed away. He was 73.

Randy Crowder, a First Team All-American in 1973 for the Penn State Nittany Lions, has passed away. He was 72.

Jim Irsay, the longtime owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts who started working for the then-Baltimore Colts as a ballboy when he was a teenager after his father took over the team in 1972, has passed away. He was 65.

Lynn Amedee, who quarterbacked at LSU and was named the outstanding player of the 1963 Cotton Bowl before spending more than 30 years in the coaching ranks, has passed away. He was 83.

Brian Williams, who played three seasons at safety for Texas A&M from 2019-2021, has passed away. He was 24.

Name: Michael Palmer
High School: Cocoa Beach High School (Cocoa Beach, Fla.)
College: Central Florida
Now: CEO, Nona Scientific

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

June 2 — 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot released

June 17 — NFF Team of Distinction announced

July 24-26 — Campbell Trophy Summit at Stanford University

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