Community Champions Nominated for Allstate’s 30th AFCA Good Works Team®

Tim Tebow: These college football players ‘embody the spirit of a true champion’

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NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 21, 2021 – Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced today nominees for the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, the 30th year of this storied recognition. Sports information directors – from divisions across the nation – nominated 109 student-athletes with stories of exemplary community service, alongside their academic dedication and impact on and off the field.

“I am inspired by these future community leaders and their dedication to improving the world around them. Despite their already busy schedules, these young men have stepped up as champions for change after an unprecedented year,” said Terrance Williams, general manager and executive vice president of Allstate agency sales and the newest member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team selection committee. “Allstate takes great pride in our partnership with the AFCA, and we are honored to recognize these players and highlight their stories, which too often tend to go unnoticed.”  

This year’s candidates include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders and community champions. These nominees have volunteered to build homes, mentor underprivileged kids, aid in COVID-19 relief efforts, as well as advocate against domestic violence and racial injustice.

“Each year, I am amazed by the caliber of these nominees because their philanthropic efforts continuously raise the bar for how we should all be champions of our communities. I am humbled to help tell their stories, and they should be proud to have been nominated for such a prestigious award,” said Tim Tebow, two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member. “These players embody the spirit of a true champion.”

Selection Process and Panel

The final 22-member team and honorary coach are selected by a voting panel of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and journalists. They look for players who demonstrate exceptional leadership on and off the football field.

In addition to Tebow and Williams, the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team selection panel members are: Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team); Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998); Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001); Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002); Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State, 1999); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star) and Paul Myerberg (USA Today); 2021 AFCA President and Northwestern University Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald; and 2001 AFCA President and current Athletic Director at Virginia Union University Joe Taylor.

Public Voting Phase

After the final team members are announced in September, fans can cast their vote for this year’s Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain through the official page on ESPN.com. Fans can use #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels to join the conversation throughout the season.

“The AFCA has proudly partnered with Allstate to honor football student-athletes who volunteer their time and energy to give back,” AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry said. “These nominees serve as examples to their fellow student-athletes and members of their community, proving that selfless acts will enrich the lives of people they know and don’t know, acting as a true champion would.”

Nomination Criteria

Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most coveted community service awards in college football. From the 109 nominees, the final roster of 23 award recipients will bring together 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach. To be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.

The 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominees are:


Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

NameSchool
Anders CarlsonAuburn University
Byron Hanspard Jr.Baylor University
Donte HarringtonBoise State University
James EmpeyBYU
Darien RencherClemson University
CJ BrewerCoastal Carolina University
Jake BoboDuke University
Tariq SpeightsEastern Michigan University
Camren McDonaldFlorida State University
Juanyeh ThomasGeorgia Tech
Brock PurdyIowa State University
Ali GayeLSU
Alex MolletteMarshall University
Reed BlankenshipMiddle Tennessee State University
Austin WilliamsMississippi State University
Isaiah MooreNC State University
Joe SpivakNorthwestern University
Harry MillerOhio State University
Jordan YoungOld Dominion University
Mac BrownOle Miss
Andrzej Hughes-MurrayOregon State University
Sean CliffordPenn State University
Ikenna EnechukwuRice University
Tysyn ParkerSan Jose State University
Shaine HaileySMU
Re-al MitchellTemple University
Keldrick CarperTexas A&M University
Tyler VittTexas State University
Tony Bradford Jr.Texas Tech University
Wilson BeaverstockUAB
Shea PittsUCLA
Bubba ArslanianUniversity of Akron
Jordan SilverUniversity of Arkansas
Michael SaffellUniversity of California
Brian KeatingUniversity of Connecticut
Zachary CarterUniversity of Florida
Nakobe DeanUniversity of Georgia
Michael MarcheseUniversity of Illinois
Kaevon MerriweatherUniversity of Iowa
Kenneth HorseyUniversity of Kentucky
Levi LewisUniversity of Louisiana
Derek DorseyUniversity of Louisville
Preston BradyUniversity of Memphis
Clay JamesUniversity of Miami
Andrew VastardisUniversity of Michigan
DeAngelo CarterUniversity of Minnesota
Tyler BadieUniversity of Missouri
Adrian MartinezUniversity of Nebraska
Jermaine LedbetterUniversity of Nevada
Myron Tagovailoa-AmosaUniversity of Notre Dame
Jeremiah HallUniversity of Oklahoma
Cal AdomitisUniversity of Pittsburgh
Keith GallmonUniversity of South Alabama
Jaylin DickersonUniversity of South Carolina
Mo HasanUniversity of Southern California
Lavel DumontUniversity of Toledo
Chris PaulUniversity of Tulsa
Dalton KincaidUniversity of Utah
Wayne TaulapapaUniversity of Virginia
Race PorterUniversity of Washington
Brandon BowlingUtah State University
Elijah McAllisterVanderbilt University
Brock HoffmanVirginia Tech
Ty HardimonWake Forest University
Dallas HobbsWashington State University
Jarret DoegeWest Virginia University
Mike CaliendoWestern Michigan University

Combined Divisions (FCS, D-II, D-III & NAIA)

NameSchool
Austin PhillipsAshland University
Jack McDonaldAustin Peay State University
Jaran RosteBethel University (Minn.)
Max GonzalesColorado State University-Pueblo
Payton HarrellDakota State University
Chibuike OdoDavidson College
Deven OsborneDixie State University
Ben SolomonEastern Illinois University
Alnazir BlackmanFairleigh Dickinson University
Thomas Downs Jr.Franklin and Marshall College
Eric WilsonHarvard University
Alexander AnschutzHillsdale College
Arthur PinckneyMarist College
Matthew CorinnaMassachusetts Maritime Academy
Malik MarshallMillsaps College
Philip GreenMinot State University
Justin SzubaMonmouth University
Troy AndersenMontana State University
Cooper Von SeggernMorningside College
Jessie MalitNorth Carolina Central University
James KaczorNorth Dakota State University
Noah Van’t HofNorthwestern College
Shane QuinOhio Wesleyan University
Dylan DittmanPeru State College
Vincent McDonaldRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Zachary BarcoSaint Augustine’s University
Cole PetersonSouth Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Brock FloydSouthern Arkansas University
Cam BorgesSpringfield College
Jamaal ThompsonTennessee Tech University
Alex ShillowTexas A&M University-Commerce
Angelo PetracciThe College of Wooster
Hunter RodriguesUC Davis
Jay SegalUniversity of Saint Francis
Benjamin SokupUniversity of Sioux Falls
DeValon WhitcombUniversity of South Dakota
Seth BickettUniversity of St. Thomas (Minn.)
Drayton ArnoldUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Nate YencerUniversity of Wisconsin-Platteville
Julius WilkersonWayne State University
Ian BarrWestminster College
Alex CrehanWilliam Penn University

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.

The SEC leads all conferences with 76 selections to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team since it began in 1992. The SEC is followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with 46 selections and the Big 12 Conference with 38 selections. Georgia is in first place with 20 honorees to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The Bulldogs are followed by Kentucky with 16 honorees. Super Bowl XLII, XLVI and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams, respectively.

About the AFCA

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”

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