9/9: Making An Impact On Sundays

Good in the Game 9/9

September 09, 2025

Good morning, football fans! Have you submitted your “I Played” story yet?

Former NFF National Scholar-Athletes/William V. Campbell Trophy finalists were making an impact all across the NFL during Week 1! A total of 37 former honorees appeared on NFL rosters, with an additional five players on practice squads.

🏈 CLICK HERE to see the list.

For the eighth year, the National Football Foundation has released its annual list of current student-athletes at all levels of the game who have already earned their undergraduate degrees, underscoring the game's commitment to academic achievement and reinforcing the belief that football develops leaders. 

🏈 CLICK HERE to see the list.

The National Football Foundation Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes Presented by Fidelity Investments — A Hallowed Tradition Stretching Back to 1951!

. . .

Darrin Smith — linebacker, Miami (Fla.)

Photo: Miami Athletics

Darrin Smith was honored during Miami (FL)’s home game on Sept. 6 with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute. L-R: Sebastian the Ibis; Fidelity Product Area Leader Amanda Morrow-Jensen; NFF Director of Special Projects Hillary Jeffries; Smith’s mother, Naomi; Smith; his wife, Kimberly; and Miami VP and Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich.

Ohio State sticks at the top of the Week 2 FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll, earning 52 of 56 first place votes! The top-five is rounded out by No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Oregon.

In the latest episode of the Good in the Game Podcast, host LaVar Arrington sits down with two longtime members of the Villanova Wildcats, former head coach and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Andy Talley and current head coach Mark Ferrante. The guys discuss Coach Ferrante playing for Coach Talley and coaching under him at Nova, as well as Coach Talley's initiative to create a registry with collegiate athletics to recruit blood stem cell and marrow donors.

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.

It’s a new era for ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ after the retirement of the legendary Lee Corso. It’s an era ESPN has long been prepared for.

Gary Autry Moore Jr., who played collegiately at North Texas State from 1959-61 and later won more than 400 games as a Texas high school football coach, has passed away. He was 86.

Larry Glueck, who played collegiately at Villanova and spent three seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears before moving into coaching, including a stint as head coach at Fordham from 1986-93, has passed away. He was 83.

Don Morrison, who played tackle at UT-Arlington and was a fourth round pick of the New Orleans Saints in the 1971 NFL Draft, has passed away. He was 75.

Name: Kevin Plank
College: University of Maryland (1991-95)
Now: Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer, Under Armour, Inc.

How has football impacted your life?
“Between high school, prep school and college, I knew about 50-60 friends who were now playing in the NFL. I had this network that had been built through the game of football. The lessons I learned on the football field model the way we run the company today.”

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

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September 24 — Announcement of the 2025 Campbell Trophy® Semifinalists

October 22 — Announcement of the 2025 Campbell Trophy® Finalists and the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments

December 9 — 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino

December 9 — Announcement of the winner of the 36th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy® during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas

January 19, 2026 — CFP National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

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