University of North Carolina Athletics
Dinges Finalist For NFF Scholar-Athlete Honor
September 13, 2017 | Football
IRVING, Texas --- The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the names of the 35 finalists for the 2017 NFF Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards, which will honor one young man from each of the country's five regions as the best and the brightest for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens at the high school level. North Carolina freshman Jack Dinges, a native of Atlanta who played at the Marist School, is among the finalists.
The finalists all graduated from high school in 2017 and are now playing college football. A national committee will select the five honorees, who will be announced Oct. 4.
"The NFF Chapter Network continues to grow and excel, and their work this year has allowed us to identify these 35 exceptional high school scholar-athletes who have clearly established themselves among the best in the nation," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "It will be a difficult task to select one from each region as the absolute best. Each possesses incredible talent in all facets of their lives, and it is a tremendous honor for us to highlight their accomplishments."
With 120 chapters and more than 12,000 members, the NFF Chapter Network impacts more than 500,000 student-athletes at 5,000 high schools in 47 states each year. The centerpiece of their efforts are the annual chapter awards banquets, which recognize more than 3,500 of the nation's top scholar-athletes and distribute more than $1 million in scholarships.
The five NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes selected from the finalists list below will travel to New York City to be honored during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the New York Hilton Midtown. First bestowed in 1991, the NFF Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards have become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement.
During the past 26 years, 115 student-athletes have been recognized as NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes, and this year will mark the 27th class of honorees. Past NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes have gone on to hold various titles, including president, CEO, vice president, lawyer, NFL player, orthopedic surgeon, senior partner and financial analyst, among others. Recent recipients include Andrew Luck (2008, former Stanford and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback), Andrew Rodriguez (2008, Army West Point linebacker and winner of the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy®), Josh Rosen (2015, current starting quarterback at UCLA) and Weston Steelhammer (2013, First Team All-Mountain West defensive back at Air Force).
Other notable past recipients include Todd Helton (1992, former Tennessee quarterback and retired Colorado Rockies first baseman), Drew Henson (1998, former Michigan quarterback and professional football and baseball player), Bobby Hoying (1991, former Ohio State quarterback and winner of the 1995 William V. Campbell Trophy®) and Jon Stinchcomb (1998, former Georgia and NFL offensive lineman). Five NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes have gone on to win NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, for their accomplishments in college. They are Giovanni Carmazzi (1995, Hofstra), Hoying, Eion Hu (1993, Harvard), Rodriguez and Stinchcomb.
Following the Dec. 5 luncheon, the five 2017 recipients will attend the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, also at the New York Hilton Midtown, as honored guests where they will meet many of the game's greatest legends and current college stars. As the culmination of the regular season, the evening event provides the stage for the induction of the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments; the bestowing of the 28th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments, to college football's top scholar-athlete; and the recognition of the 2017 NFF Major Award recipients.
The finalists all graduated from high school in 2017 and are now playing college football. A national committee will select the five honorees, who will be announced Oct. 4.
"The NFF Chapter Network continues to grow and excel, and their work this year has allowed us to identify these 35 exceptional high school scholar-athletes who have clearly established themselves among the best in the nation," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "It will be a difficult task to select one from each region as the absolute best. Each possesses incredible talent in all facets of their lives, and it is a tremendous honor for us to highlight their accomplishments."
With 120 chapters and more than 12,000 members, the NFF Chapter Network impacts more than 500,000 student-athletes at 5,000 high schools in 47 states each year. The centerpiece of their efforts are the annual chapter awards banquets, which recognize more than 3,500 of the nation's top scholar-athletes and distribute more than $1 million in scholarships.
The five NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes selected from the finalists list below will travel to New York City to be honored during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the New York Hilton Midtown. First bestowed in 1991, the NFF Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards have become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement.
During the past 26 years, 115 student-athletes have been recognized as NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes, and this year will mark the 27th class of honorees. Past NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes have gone on to hold various titles, including president, CEO, vice president, lawyer, NFL player, orthopedic surgeon, senior partner and financial analyst, among others. Recent recipients include Andrew Luck (2008, former Stanford and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback), Andrew Rodriguez (2008, Army West Point linebacker and winner of the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy®), Josh Rosen (2015, current starting quarterback at UCLA) and Weston Steelhammer (2013, First Team All-Mountain West defensive back at Air Force).
Other notable past recipients include Todd Helton (1992, former Tennessee quarterback and retired Colorado Rockies first baseman), Drew Henson (1998, former Michigan quarterback and professional football and baseball player), Bobby Hoying (1991, former Ohio State quarterback and winner of the 1995 William V. Campbell Trophy®) and Jon Stinchcomb (1998, former Georgia and NFL offensive lineman). Five NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes have gone on to win NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, for their accomplishments in college. They are Giovanni Carmazzi (1995, Hofstra), Hoying, Eion Hu (1993, Harvard), Rodriguez and Stinchcomb.
Following the Dec. 5 luncheon, the five 2017 recipients will attend the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, also at the New York Hilton Midtown, as honored guests where they will meet many of the game's greatest legends and current college stars. As the culmination of the regular season, the evening event provides the stage for the induction of the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class; the presentation of the 2017 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments; the bestowing of the 28th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments, to college football's top scholar-athlete; and the recognition of the 2017 NFF Major Award recipients.
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