7/29: Sights and Sounds from the Summit

Good in the Game 7/29

July 29, 2025

Good morning, football fans! How did American tennis star Ben Shelton get to where he is today? Youth football, of course!

Clockwise from upper left: Steve Young is interviewed by Ted Robinson. More than 300 attendees filled the Hauck Auditorium at Stanford. Attendees Tyler Grassman (Buffalo) and Courtney Stephen (Northern Illinois) trade thoughts during a breakout session. Tom Burns (1993 Campbell Trophy winner from UVA) with Terry Baggett (a 2014 finalist from Army West Point) catch up during the reception at The Patio in Palo Alto. The younger participants enjoyed a non-tackle ultimate football game. Several participants enjoy a meal before heading to casino night. Brad Smith (left) and Mark Flynn (right) at the podium.

The Seventh Annual William V. Campbell Trophy® Summit took place July 24-26 at Stanford University in California, serving as vehicle for perpetuating the ethos that helped Bill Campbell, the trophy's namesake, become one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.

"The Summit has been an invaluable experience — not just for the leadership insights and lessons, but for the camaraderie," Steven Tardy, a 1989 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from Rutgers University who now serves as CEO of French & Parrello Associates, a 250-person New Jersey-based engineering and consulting firm, said. "Being able to step away from the constant urgency of running a company and spend time with such accomplished, thoughtful people has been refreshing. The conversations here are foundational and challenge me to think differently about how I lead and how I can keep improving myself and my organization."

🏈 Click here to read more about this year’s NFF Campbell Trophy Summit

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, host LaVar Arrington sits down with Dr. Jen Welter, who made history in 2015 by becoming the first female to coach in the NFL. The wide ranging interview gets into how Dr. Welter got into the game, what drove her to coaching and how difficult it is to be the first and earning the respect of players in the locker room.

Join us to celebrate college football legends at one of the sport's grandest traditions!

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 Monday Morning Quarterback Club of Birmingham, Alabama, a chapter of the National Football Foundation, will present the Nick Saban Legacy Award to coaches David Cutcliffe and the late Pat Dye on Aug. 18 during an event in Birmingham. Lauren Sisler and Rick Neuheisel will emcee, and Nick and Terry Saban will be on hand as the guests of honor. Dye headed programs at East Carolina, Wyoming, and Auburn, and he was inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Cutcliffe led programs at Ole Miss and Duke. Saban is a member of the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class.

CLICK HERE for more information and tickets!

Joey Aguilar had zero offers out of high school and made two stops in junior college before getting a single Division I snap. Now, he’s set to become Tennessee’s starting quarterback.

Bill Gerber, who played offensive line and was the co-captain of the 1985 Wesleyan (CT) team, passed away July 15. He was 60.

Bob Hammel, the legendary journalist with the Bloomington Herald-Telephone and the Herald-Times who claimed the FWAA Bert McGrane Award in 1996, passed away July 19. He was 88.

Bob Williams, who played collegiately at Penn State before a career in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles, has passed away. He was 61.

Name: Ryan Nece
High School: Pacific High School (San Bernadino, Calif.)
College: UCLA

How has football impacted your life?
“Football teaches you things that I think are different than everything else in any other sport…I might be the best offensive player, but I’m not always on the field. I have to cheer for my defensive teammates to do their job so that I can win.”

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

August 11 – FWAA-NFF Super 16 Preseason Poll

August 23 – Week Zero Games

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