Every week, the National Football Foundation highlights the people, stories and moments that demonstrate football's impact beyond the field.
Restock the Fireworks!
Offense was on full display during Week 1 of the college football schedule, with AP Top 25 teams averaging over 47 points per game against their opponents. The lone ranked vs. ranked matchup — No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville — saw 63 points scored in the second half alone, with the Rebels’ Lucas Carneiro kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Week 2 is also set to deliver some fireworks, with Top 25 matchups like No. 1 Ohio State at No. 5 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 16 Michigan, conference showdowns like No. 13 Alabama at Kentucky and Arizona at No. 14 BYU and rivalry matchups like No. 25 Missouri at Kansas and Iowa State at No. 22 Iowa!
Our plans are set for this coming weekend!
NFF Updates highlights news and events connected to the National Football Foundation and celebrates individuals who have been honored by the organization.
Thirty-one former NFF National Scholar-Athletes/William V. Campbell Trophy® finalists appear on active NFL rosters, with an additional four players on injured reserve and five players on practice squads as the 2026 regular season begins this week. Click here to read more.
Congratulations to 2015 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee Jim Tressel, who was enshrined in Ohio State’s Ring of Honor last weekend. Tressel coached the Buckeyes from 2001 to 2010 and led the program to the 2002 national championship.
NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee and two-time national champion head coach Urban Meyer will be inducted into the Florida Football Ring of Honor during the Oklahoma game on Nov. 7. He will join fellow NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductees Wilber Marshall, Emmitt Smith, Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Jack Youngblood, whose names have been immortalized inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Roger Goodell, a member of the National Football Foundation Board of Trustees since 2015 and a 2013 recipient of the NFF Gold Medal, has received a contract extension to continue as NFL commissioner through the 2030 season. Goodell took over the top job in 2006 with the NFL generating roughly $6.5 billion in annual revenue, a figure that now approaches $25 billion, nearly a fourfold increase in 20 years. He is pictured here at the 56th NFF Annual Awards Dinner with General Ray Odierno, the 38th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, who accepted the 2013 NFF Distinguished American Award that evening.
Zach Terrell, the 2016 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy recipient who quarterbacked Western Michigan to an undefeated season and the 2016 MAC title, has been named a 2026 inductee into the WMU Athletics Hall of Fame. Currently a general manager with the Zeigler Automotive Group in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Terrell maintained a 3.66 GPA as a finance major while becoming the Broncos’ all-time leading passer with 12,104 yards.
Chris Petersen — head coach, Washington
Jim Margraff — head coach, Johns Hopkins (MD)
The late coach Jim Margraff was honored during a Johns Hopkins home game on Sept. 5. L-R: Fidelity Investments SVP Doug Poore, NFF Director of Communications Philip Marwill, Margraff’s wife, Alice; son, James; daughter, Megan; sister, Jan Elliot; and Johns Hopkins Athletics Director Jennifer Baker.
Join the Celebration of College Football’s Greatest Legends — December 8, 2026
College football players are members of the greatest fraternity in the world. Check out the National Football Foundation’s ‘I Played’ roster and submit your story to join today!
Members who recently submitted their ‘I Played’ story:
Tom Welter, Nebraska — COO, Empower Brands
Jeffrey Fette, West Virginia — Construction code enforcement, City of Hardeeville, S.C.
Alex Ofodile, Oregon — Sales rep, Riddell
“Football has been one of the most influential forces in my life, shaping not only the way I approach challenges but also the person I have become. From the very beginning, the game taught me discipline, hard work, and perseverance. Those long practices, early mornings, and moments of exhaustion showed me that success doesn’t come easily — it comes from consistency, sacrifice, and the determination to keep moving forward even when it would be easier to stop.”
— Alex Ofodile
Come see Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis on Dec. 8 at the
Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for his induction!
From the moment he arrived in Columbus, James Laurinaitis' sideline-to-sideline range set him apart, propelling him into the ranks of the most decorated defenders in college football history. The Wayzata, Minnesota, native now becomes the 29th Buckeye inducted into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame.
A three-time First Team All-American, Laurinaitis earned consensus honors in 2006 and 2008 and unanimous recognition in 2007, when he captured the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. He also claimed the 2006 Nagurski Trophy as the nation's most outstanding defensive player; was a finalist for the Lombardi and Bednarik awards in 2008; and received the 2008 Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Be there with us as we induct James Laurinaitis into the NFF College Hall of Fame on December 8 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas!
Tony Ortega still gets letters from past scholar-athletes with stories of the successes they have gone on to achieve. After 15 years as president of the NFF Pasadena-San Gabriel Valley Chapter, he could fill filing cabinets full of all those success stories.
Ortega, who retired from his position in July, says hearing those stories is one of the highlights of joining a local NFF chapter.
"One of the joys I have is hearing from the alums who were scholar-athletes," Ortega said in an interview with the NFF. "They have obviously gone on to tremendous different kinds of careers and fields. When you see those kids, whether they go into football or not, it's special to see them flourish."
Stay tuned for more news regarding the latest football participation numbers, schools adding college football, graduates playing college football and the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner!
September 23 — Announcement of the 2026 NFF Campbell Trophy® Semifinalists
October 21 — Announcement of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments/ NFF Campbell Trophy® Finalists
December 8 — 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino
December 8 — Announcement of the winner of the 37th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy®
December 8-9 — The SBJ Intercollegiate Athletics Forum at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
January 25, 2027 — CFP National Championship at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada
Here are stories the NFF is reading this week as we gear up for another memorable college football season!
America Needs Its Boys to Play Football
The Wall Street Journal
How ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ made the road home
Sports Business Journal
What does a college football national title do to a fan base that expected nothing? Ask Indiana
The Athletic
Bismarck State, Coastal Georgia, and Valley City State Adding Women’s Flag Football
Collegiate Flag Football
Kippy Brown, the first Black quarterback at the University of Memphis who later served as an assistant coach for three different head coaches at Tennessee, has passed away. He was 71.
Arthur Marshall, who played collegiately at Georgia and played in the NFL with both the Denver Broncos and New York Giants, has passed away. He was 57.
Duane Nutt, an All-American quarterback at SMU during the 1955 season, passed away August 14. He was 92.
Alphonso Smith, the ACC record holder at Wake Forest for interceptions with 21 as a Demon Deacon and a 2025 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee, passed away September 2. He was 40.
Matt Suhey, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards at Penn State before winning a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears in 1985, passed away September 5. He was 68.
Willie Washington, the long-time athletic director at Benedict College (S.C.) who oversaw the return of Tiger football to campus, passed away August 31. He was 79.
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