Press Release Courtesy National Football Foundation
IRVING, Texas (Sept. 1, 2016) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 2016 schedule for the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments®, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education.
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in each inductee’s Hall of Fame experience. During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each inductee returns to his alma mater to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many inductees cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and hear the crowd roar their name.
“Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate achievement in our sport, and the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute tradition allows us to bring each inductee back to their alma mater for a truly memorable experience in front of their home crowd fans,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We look forward to celebrating the storied careers of this year’s inductees with the tens of thousands of fans who will witness an on-campus salute this year.”
This year’s class of inductees, who will be inducted at the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and forever immortalized at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, includes: Marlin Briscoe (Nebraska Omaha), Derrick Brooks(Florida State), Tom Cousineau (Ohio State), Randall Cunningham (UNLV), Troy Davis (Iowa State), William Fuller (North Carolina), Bert Jones (LSU), Tim Krumrie (Wisconsin), Pat McInally (Harvard), Herb Orvis (Colorado), Bill Royce (Ashland [Ohio]), Mike Utley(Washington State), Scott Woerner (Georgia), Rod Woodson (Purdue)and coaches Bill Bowes(New Hampshire) and Frank Girardi (Lycoming [Pa.]).
Currently Scheduled 2016 NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes,
Presented by Fidelity Investments
(Chronological Order)
| DATE | INDUCTEE | SCHOOL
(YEARS PLAYED/COACHED) |
OPPOSING TEAM |
| Sept. 10 | Coach Bill Bowes | New Hampshire (1972-98) | Holy Cross |
| Sept. 10 | Bill Royce | Ashland (Ohio) (1990-93) | Wayne State (Mich.) |
| Sept. 22 | Marlin Briscoe | Nebraska Omaha (1964-67) | Special Event |
| Oct. 1 | Troy Davis | Iowa State (1994-96) | Baylor |
| Oct. 1 | Scott Woerner | Georgia (1977-80) | Tennessee |
| Oct. 8 | Tom Cousineau | Ohio State (1975-78) | Indiana |
| Oct. 15 | Herb Orvis | Colorado (1969-71) | Arizona State |
| Oct. 15 | Mike Utley | Washington State (1985-88) | UCLA |
| Oct. 22 | Coach Frank Girardi | Lycoming (Pa.) (1972-2007) | Lebanon Valley (Pa.) |
| Oct. 22 | Bert Jones | LSU (1970-72) | Mississippi |
| Oct. 29 | Derrick Brooks | Florida State (1991-94) | Clemson |
| Oct. 29 | Tim Krumrie | Wisconsin (1979-82) | Nebraska |
| Nov. 5 | William Fuller | North Carolina (1981-83) | Georgia Tech |
| Nov. 12 | Rod Woodson | Purdue (1983-86) | Northwestern |
| Nov. 19 | Pat McInally | Harvard (1972-74) | Yale |
| TBD | Randall Cunningham | UNLV (1982-84) | TBD |
The 2016 season marks the seventh season that Fidelity Investments will serve as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education.
Other highlights of the sponsorship include Fidelity becoming the first presenting sponsor in the history of the organization’s prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The awards were first presented in 1959, and Fidelity became the presenting sponsor in 2011. The program currently provides each member of the class with an $18,000 scholarship, distributing an average total of $300,000 each year to the nation’s top scholar-athletes. The program has awarded more than $10.9 million to 816 individuals since its inception. At the start of the 2014 season, Fidelity became the presenting sponsor of the William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, which recognizes one member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the country.
Fidelity also helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011 as the program’s presenting sponsor. The program recognizes the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the schools with a member of the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. As part of the initiative, the NFF presents each of the faculty representatives with a plaque and a $5,000 check from Fidelity to support the academic support services for student-athletes at each school. The salutes have recognized 76 FARs since the program’s inception and Fidelity has made a total of $380,000 in donations.
Marcus “Mook” Washington is the host of Making The Cut. Follow Mook on Twitter: @mtcwithmook and IG: MTCWithMook
