Category Archives: News

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Rankings, Week 14

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Top four hold positions; Alabama falls to No. 8

Heading into the conference championship games, LSU remained the No. 1 team followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia in the same order as last week. All four teams easily won their games during Rivalry Week. LSU claimed 29 first-place votes, Ohio State 16 and Clemson one.

Alabama’s close loss at Auburn cost the Crimson Tide three spots, dropping them to No. 8. The other losers among poll members were Minnesota (to Wisconsin) and Michigan (to Ohio State). Minnesota dropped to No. 14 after absorbing its second loss of the season, and Michigan dropped completely out of the poll after getting blitzed by Ohio State. Memphis entered the poll at No. 16.

Utah, Oklahoma and Baylor, in that order, moved into slots 5-7 after all posting impressive victories.

The SEC led all conferences with five teams in the poll, followed by the Big Ten with four. The Big 12 and Pac-12 had two each. The ACC, American and Independents had one each.

  • GAMES THIS WEEK
  • No. 1 LSU vs No. 4 Georgia in Atlanta;
  • No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Wisconsin in Indianapolis;
  • No. 3 Clemson vs. Virginia in Charlotte;
  • No. 5 Utah vs. No. 13 Oregon in Santa Clara (Friday);
  • No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Baylor in Arlington, TX;
  • Cincinnati at No. 16 Memphis.

Week 14: games played through Nov. 30, 2019 

TEAM POINTS FIRST-PLACE VOTES LAST WEEK’S RANK
1. LSU (12-0) 717 29 1
2. Ohio State (12-0) 705 16 2
3. Clemson (12-0) 645 1 3
4. Georgia (11-1) 578 4
5. Utah (11-1) 543 6
6. Oklahoma (11-1) 513 7
7. Baylor (11-1) 399 10
8. Alabama (10-2) 374 5
9. Florida (10-2) 359 9
10. Wisconsin (10-2) 296 14
11. Auburn (9-3) 284 16
12. Penn State (10-2) 252 11
13. Oregon (10-2) 200 13
14. Minnesota (10-2) 142 8
15. Notre Dame (10-2) 127 15
16. Memphis (11-1) 54 N/A

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Michigan (33), Boise State (15), Iowa (13), Cincinnati (4), Texas (3).

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Monday of the 2019 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 8. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings.

ABOUT THE FWAA: The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information visit www.footballwriters.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Rankings, Week 13

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Top five unchanged; Utah moves up to No. 6

The top five spots in the poll remained unchanged from a week ago with LSU, Ohio State, Clemson Georgia and Alabama holding the same order. All of those five teams, except idle Clemson, won home games on Saturday.

Oregon was upset at Arizona State and fell from No. 6 to No. 13. Penn State lost at No. 2 Ohio State, but dropped only two spots to No. 11. Utah won at Arizona, moving up two slots to take over the No. 6 spot from Oregon. The same 16 teams were once again back in the poll.

The Big Ten and SEC led all conferences with five teams each. The Big 12 and Pac-12 had two each. The ACC and Independents had one each.

GAMES THIS WEEK

  • Texas A&M at No. 1 LSU
  • No. 2 Ohio State at No. 12 Michigan
  • No. 3 Clemson at South Carolina
  • No. 4 Georgia at Georgia Tech
  • No. 5 Alabama at No. 16 Auburn
  • Colorado at No. 6 Utah
  • No. 7 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
  • No. 14 Wisconsin at No. 8 Minnesota
  • Florida State at No. 9 Florida
  • No. 10 Baylor at Kansas
  • Rutgers at No. 11 Penn State
  • Oregon State at No. 13 Oregon
  • No. 15 Notre Dame at Stanford

Week 13: games played through NOVEMBER 23, 2019

TEAM POINTS FIRST-PLACE VOTES LAST WEEK’S RANK
1. LSU (11-0) 727 38 1
2. Ohio State (11-0) 693 7 2
3. Clemson (11-0) 648 1 3
4. Georgia (10-1) 579 4
5. Alabama (10-1) 552 5
6. Utah (10-1) 482 8
7. Oklahoma (10-1) 470 7
8. Minnesota (10-1) 353 11
9. Florida (9-2) 341 10
10. Baylor (10-1) 283 13
11. Penn State (9-2) 253 9
12. Michigan (9-2) 227 12
13. Oregon (9-2) 220 6
14. Wisconsin (9-2) 171 14
15. Notre Dame (9-2) 123 15
16. Auburn (8-3) 72 16

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Memphis (25), Cincinnati (18), Iowa (8), Boise State (5), Texas (5), Oklahoma State (1).

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Monday of the 2019 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 8. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings.

ABOUT THE FWAA: The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information visit www.footballwriters.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

Digital Postcard No. 12: The FWAA’s 1990 All-America Team

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Ed. Note: This is the 12th in the series of digital postcards commemorating 75 years of the FWAA All-America Team.  The first FWAA All-America Team was published in 1944 during World War II and is the second longest continuously published team in major-college football.) 

In 1990, “The Simpsons” made its television debut … 42-year-old George Foreman knocked out Gerry Cooney in two rounds … Larry Bird’s streak of 71 made free throws ends … Pete Rose spent five months in federal prison for cheating on his taxes … George Steinbrenner steps down as Yankees owner … Jerry Lewis’ 25th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raised over $44 million … “LA Law” won an Emmy Award … “Goodfellas” starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta is released.

A national title shared by Colorado (writers’ poll) and Georgia Tech (coaches’ poll) gave the impetus to the formation of the Bowl Coalition … The Buffaloes (11-1-1) won the controversial “Fifth Down Game” over Missouri when they were mistakenly given an extra play which enabled them to beat the Tigers … FWAA  All-America, BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, won the Heisman Trophy and the Outland Trophy went to Miami’s Russell Maryland … Colorado’s star was running back Eric Bieniemy … Georgia Tech’s only All-American was defensive back Ken Swilling … Notre Dame was represented on the FWAA All-America Team by defensive lineman Chris Zorich, linebacker Michael Stonebreaker and kick returner Raghib Ismail.

Missouri-Colorado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ

COTTON BOWL NUGGET

Nobody dreamed there would be that much distance between No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Miami. A Hurricane defense anchored by Outland Trophy recipient Russell Maryland and linebacker Maurice Crum allowed “The U” to blow the Longhorns out of their own backyard, 46-3. Quarterback Craig Erickson threw for 272 yards (17 of 26) and four touchdowns to lead the assault. Texas fumbled twice and quarterback Peter Gardere was intercepted three times – one of which was returned for a touchdown.

1990 FWAA Selectors

  • Lenn Robbins, The National
  • Dan Foster, Greenville News
  • Gary Long, Miami Herald
  • Paul Borden, Arkansas Gazette
  • John Hadley, Freelance
  • Bob Hammel, Bloomington Herald-Times
  • Dick Rosetta, Salt Lake Tribune
  • Gene Wojciechowski, Los Angeles Times
  • Bill McGrotha, Tallahassee Democrat

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Rankings, Week 12

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LSU, Ohio State, Clemson still top three; Georgia moves up to No. 4

LSU, Ohio State and Clemson remained the top three teams in that order for a second straight week. The same 16 teams were ranked in the poll for a third straight week.

Georgia moved up to No. 4 after beating Auburn, edging past Alabama, which also won on the road at Mississippi State. Oklahoma won a big road game at Baylor and moved up only one slot to No. 7. Minnesota fell four spots to No, 11 after losing at Iowa.

The Big Ten and SEC led all leagues with five teams each. The Big 12 and Pac-12 had two each. The ACC and Independents had one each.

GAMES THIS WEEK

  • Arkansas at No. 1 LSU;
  • No. 9 Penn State at No. 2 Ohio State;
  • No. 3 Clemson is idle;
  • Texas A&M at No. 4 Georgia;
  • Western Carolina at No. 5 Alabama;
  • No. 6 Oregon at Arizona State;
  • TCU at No. 7 Oklahoma;
  • No. 8 Utah at Arizona;
  • No. 10 Florida is idle;
  • No. 11 Minnesota at Northwestern;
  • No. 12 Michigan at Indiana;
  • Texas at No. 13 Baylor;
  • Purdue at No. 14 Wisconsin;
  • Boston College at No. 15 Notre Dame;
  • Samford at No. 16 Auburn.

 Week 12: games played through november 16, 2019

TEAM POINTS FIRST-PLACE VOTES LAST WEEK’S RANK
1. LSU (10-0) 729 40 1
2. Ohio State (10-0) 690 5 2
3. Clemson (11-0) 649 1 3
4. Georgia (9-1) 579 5
5. Alabama (9-1) 534 4
6. Oregon (9-1) 482 6
7. Oklahoma (9-1) 454 8
8. Utah (9-1) 430 9
9. Penn State (9-1) 349 10
10. Florida (9-2) 319 12
11. Minnesota (9-1) 241 7
12. Michigan (8-2) 202 14
13. Baylor (9-1) 199 11
14. Wisconsin (8-2) 147 15
15. Notre Dame (8-2) 117 16
16. Auburn (7-3) 72 13

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Memphis (25), Cincinnati (23), Iowa (9), Texas A&M (3), Boise State (2), Iowa State (1).

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Monday of the 2019 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 8. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings.

ABOUT THE FWAA: The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information visit www.footballwriters.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

Steve Ellis Memorial Scholarship Fund

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The FWAA’s Beat Writer of the Year Award is named for the late Steve Ellis, the Tallahassee Democrat’s long-time Florida State beat writer who died 10 years ago this month.

Friends of Steve, including Bob Ferrante of theOsceola.com, are trying to raise $5,000 to endow a scholarship in Steve’s memory.

Click on the link below to learn more about the campaign and to make a contribution if you would like.

https://spark.fsu.edu/Project/724/Steve-Ellis-Memorial-Scholarship-Fund?fbclid=IwAR3SuWiTKlmClf4GqXkKWZdmtBQDPBhT5UwlOdbwynPWCbSHF1f87LftLaE

Digital Postcard No. 11: The FWAA’s 1987 All-America Team

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(Ed. Note: This is the eleventh in the series of digital postcards commemorating 75 years of the FWAA All-America Team.  The first FWAA All-America Team was published in 1944 during World War II and is the second longest continuously published team in major-college football.) 

In 1987…..Plans for Disneyland Paris were announced…First Starbucks outside Seattle opened in Vancouver and Chicago…The Dow closed over 2,000 for the first time…Pound of bacon sold for $1.80…..The Simpsons cartoon first appeared….Platoon won Best Picture…Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame….President Ronald Reagan gave his tear down the Berlin Wall speech.

On the 1987 FWAA All-America team, Syracuse quarterback Don McPherson was named first team as the Orangemen grabbed the Lambert Trophy as the best team in the East and claimed a berth in the Sugar Bowl. The FWAA’s Coach of the Year was also from Syracuse, Dick MacPherson. Miami (Florida) won the national championship, edging Oklahoma, 20-14, in the Orange Bowl behind a defense led by FWAA All-America Daniel Stubbs. Air Force’s Chad Hennings claimed the 1987 Outland Trophy. Other stars of the FWAA All-America team were South Carolina’s Sterling Sharpe, Oklahoma’s Keith Jackson, Florida State’s Deion Sanders and Michigan State’s Lorenzo White.

COTTON BOWL NUGGET:

Notre Dame’s Tim Brown, an FWAA All-America as a returner, led the Fighting Irish into the Cotton Bowl where they dropped a 35-10 decision to Texas A&M.  Brown, a Dallas native, was the first Irish Heisman Trophy winner to play in a bowl game and third Heisman Trophy winner to play in the Cotton Bowl in four seasons. He returned the opening kickoff 37 yards and caught a touchdown pass for a 7-0 Irish lead, before the Aggies took over in the second half.

Tim Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T67HDocsEY 

Your 1987 FWAA Selectors

  • Lee L. Richards, Eastern Football Magazine
  • Bill Millsaps, Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • Jack Hairston, Gainesville Sun
  • Melanie Hauser, Houston Post
  • Tom Shatel, Kansas City Star-Times
  • Bob Pille, Chicago Sun-Times
  • Bob Hammond, Laramie Daily Boomerang
  • Bob Hurt, Arizona Republic
  • Gordon White, New York Times

Viti named 2019 Armed Forces Merit Award recipient

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Armed Forces Merit Award

FORT WORTH, Texas — Army West Point coach and military veteran Mike Viti has been selected as the eighth recipient of Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Coordinated by the staff at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group within the realm of the sport of football.”

Brant Ringler, executive director of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, and Matt Fortuna, FWAA president, announced Monday during a teleconference that Viti was selected from a list of 38 nominations (33 individuals and five programs) as the 2019 recipient by a seven-person committee made up of FWAA members and Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl officials.

Mike Viti

“Coach Viti has distinguished himself as a collegiate football player, an Army veteran and now as a coach,” said Ringler. “More importantly, Coach Viti has given of himself with his work with Legacies Alive in support of families of our nation’s fallen heroes.”

Fortuna added, “Coach Viti joins a list of remarkable individuals and programs that have been recipients of the Armed Forces Merit Award. He has been successful in each phase of his life as a player and coach at Army West Point, along with his service in the military and his support of Legacies Alive. With so many deserving individuals and programs, it is difficult to honor only one recipient annually.”

Viti, who is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Army West Point football, co-founded Legacies Alive (LA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The mission of the Legacies Alive is to strengthen and support the Gold Star families of our nation’s fallen heroes and brings national awareness to the life and character of all service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Viti oversees the strategic and executive direction of the organization.

“Legacies Alive has allowed me to passionately honor the sacrifice and service of my heroes,” said Viti. “The interactions I have had with their Gold Star Families are some of the most powerful and influential experiences I have had in my life. It has inspired me to continue to connect our mission with more Americans so that our country’s sons and daughters forever connect the freedoms and liberties they are afforded, with the sacrifice and service our fallen and their families.”

As a student-athlete at Army West Point (2004-2007), Viti earned four varsity letters and was a team captain. As a fullback used primarily as a blocker, he carried the ball 91 times during his career for 321 yards and three scores while catching 30 passes for 198 yards. Viti also served as a Regimental Commander during his senior year.

Following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy in 2008, Viti was stationed in Oklahoma and Colorado after being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He served with the 4th Infantry Division as well as the 214th Fires Brigade. He served in combat in Afghanistan where he was a platoon leader in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Viti has earned a bronze star and a combat action badge.

After retiring from the military as a captain, Viti embarked on Mike’s Hike For Heroes, a cross country trek where he walked one kilometer for every service member killed in action in the global war on terror. He concluded the walk covering 7,100 kilometers or 4,400 miles beginning in Washington and wrapping up at the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA in Baltimore, Md.

Robert Morris University president Dr. Chris Howard was named last November as the seventh recipient. A 1991 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Dr. Howard was a Rhodes Scholar and received the 1990 Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award in the nation presented to a senior college football player. He currently serves on the selection committee for the College Football Playoffs.

Nate Boyer of the University of Texas, Austin was the initial recipient in 2012. Other recipients were Brandon McCoy of the University of North Texas in 2013, Daniel Rodriguez from Clemson University in 2014, Bret Robertson of Westminster College (Fulton, Mo.) in 2015 and Steven Rhodes from Middle Tennessee State University in 2016.

Kansas State and its football team were honored in November 2017 as the sixth recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award for the university’s partnership with the United States Army that created a bond between the school’s athletic department and the Iron Rangers at Fort Riley.

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 16 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event, an esports event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and Tampa, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA, http://www.sportswriters.net) consists of the men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. Founded in 1941, the membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards and an All-America team. Through its website, the FWAA works to improve communication among all those who work within the game. The FWAA also sponsors scholarships for aspiring writers and an annual writing contest. Behind the leadership of President Matt Fortuna of The Athletic, Executive Director Steve Richardson and a board of veteran journalists, the FWAA continues grow and work to help college football prosper at all levels. There are now over 1,400 members.

Media Contacts

FWAA-NFF Super 16 Rankings, Week 11

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LSU strengthens hold on No. 1

LSU takes the top spot for a second straight week after defeating previously unbeaten No. 2 Alabama on the Crimson Tide’s home field. The Tigers received 42 of a possible 46 first-place votes. The 46-41 loss dropped Alabama from No. 2 to No. 4.  Ohio State and Clemson both moved up to the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

The other major development in the poll was Minnesota’s upset of Penn State. With the victory, the Golden Gophers jumped from No. 13 to No.7. Previously unbeaten Penn State fell to No. 10. Otherwise, the same 16 teams remained in the poll from last week with minor movements.

The SEC and Big Ten each had five teams in the poll.  The Big 12 and Pac-12 had two teams each. The ACC and Independents had one each.

  • GAMES THIS WEEK:
    No. 1 LSU at Mississippi;
  • No. 2 Ohio State at Rutgers;
  • No. 3 Clemson at North Carolina State;
  • No. 4 Alabama at Mississippi State;
  • No. 5 Georgia at No. 13 Auburn;
  • Arizona at No. 6 Oregon;
  • No.7 Minnesota at Iowa;
  • No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 11 Baylor;
  • UCLA at No. 9 Utah;
  • Indiana at No. 10 Penn State;
  • No. 12 Florida at Missouri;
  • Michigan State at No. 14 Michigan;
  • No. 15 Wisconsin at Nebraska;
  • Navy at No.16 Notre Dame

Week 11: games played through November 9, 2019

TEAM POINTS FIRST-PLACE VOTES LAST WEEK’S RANK
1. LSU (9-0) 732 42 1
2. Ohio State (9-0) 688 3 3
3. Clemson (10-0) 648 1 4
4. Alabama (8-1) 571 2
5. Georgia (8-1) 521 6
6. Oregon (8-1) 457 7
7. Minnesota (9-0) 436 13
8. Oklahoma (8-1) 382 8
9. Utah (8-1) 359 9
10. Penn State (8-1) 321 5
11. Baylor (9-0) 310 11
12. Florida (8-2) 289 10
13. Auburn (7-2) 202 12
14. Michigan (7-2) 138 14
15. Wisconsin (7-2) 87 16
16. Notre Dame (7-2) 66 15

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Cincinnati (29), Memphis (11), Boise State (4), Texas A&M (4), SMU (1).

ABOUT THE FWAA-NFF SUPER 16 POLL: The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by long-time partners, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and the National Football Foundation (NFF). Voters rank the top 16 teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and the results will be released every Monday of the 2019 season; the individual votes of all members will also be made public. The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3 (to account for Labor Day games), and the final poll will be released Sunday, Dec. 8. The pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a program designed by Sports Systems to compile the rankings.

ABOUT THE FWAA: The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information visit www.footballwriters.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork.

Digital Postcard No. 10: The FWAA’s 1984 All-America Team

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(Ed. Note: This is the tenth in the series of digital postcards commemorating 75 years of the FWAA All-America Team.  The first FWAA All-America Team was published in 1944 during World War II and is the second longest continuously published team in major-college football.) 

Digital Postcard 1984

In 1984….Terms of Endearment won Best Picture….The Soviet Union boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles…Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA….Jeopardy began its syndicated series with Alex Trebek…President Ronald Reagan was re-elected in a landslide…The average home that year in the U.S. cost $21,600.00…The original Apple Macintosh PC was on sale for $2,500.00.

Boston College’s Doug Flutie was the quarterback on the FWAA’s 1984 All-America Team by virtue of his 48-yard “Hail Mary Pass” for a touchdown that beat defending national champion Miami, Fla., 47-45, on the last play of the Eagles’ final regular-season game.  Mississippi Valley State wide receiver Jerry Rice, who later would go on to stardom in the NFL, was a member of the FWAA team despite playing in Division I-AA (FCS).

Big-name linemen dotted the team: Pittsburgh’s Bill Fralic, Virginia Tech’s Bruce Smith (the 1984 Outland Trophy winner) and Oklahoma’s Tony Casillas. Texas defensive back Jerry Gray, a two-time selection, and Georgia’s Kevin Butler, one of two kickers in the College Football Hall of Fame, were other big names on the team. BYU and Coach LaVell Edwards swept the FWAA’s Grantland Rice and Coach of the Year Awards.

Flutie Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3ykWbu2Gl0

COTTON BOWL NUGGET:

Flutie followed up the Miami thriller by directing a 45-28 Boston College victory over Houston on Jan. 1, 1985. Flutie was the seventh Heisman Trophy winner to play in the Cotton Bowl game. Defensive lineman Mike Ruth, a Boston College junior in 1984, claimed the Outland Trophy in 1985.

Your 1984 FWAA Selectors

  • Gordon White, New York Times
  • Wilt Browning, Greensboro News & Record
  • Alf Van Hoose, Birmingham News
  • Jack Gallagher, Houston Post
  • Tom Shatel, Kansas City Star-Times
  • Kaye Kessler, Columbus Dispatch
  • Dick Rosetta, Salt Lake City Tribune
  • Murray Olderman, Newspaper Enterprise Association
  • Pat Harmon, Cincinnati Post

Armed Forces Merit Award 2019 finalists revealed

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FORT WORTH, Texas — Five individuals have been named as finalists for the 2019 Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Armed Forces Merit Award

The announcement of the 2019 recipient will be made via a 10 a.m. (CT) teleconference next Monday (November 11) on Veteran’s Day by Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Executive Director Brant Ringler and FWAA President Matt Fortuna.

Two of the five individuals for the 2019 Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA were also finalists in 2018 when Robert Morris University president Dr. Chris Howard was announced last November as the seventh recipient.

U.S. Air Force Academy Coach Troy Calhoun and wide receiver Casey Stewart of Shenandoah University lead the list of five individuals named as 2019 finalists after each advanced to the final round of voting in 2018. Calhoun is an Air Force veterans and Steward is a National Guard reservist.

Others 2019 Armed Forces Mert Award finalists are defensive lineman and Marine veteran Alexander Findura of Bloomsburg College of Pennsylvania, defensive lineman and Navy veteran Damian Jackson of the University of Nebraska and Army West Point fullback coach and Army veteran Mike Viti.

The Armed Forces Merit Award’s selection committee is made up of five FWAA members and two representatives from the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. A total of 33 individuals and five programs were nominated for the 2019 award that was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background and/or involvement that has an impact within the realm of college football.”

Dr. Howard, a 1991 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, was a Rhodes Scholar and received the 1990 Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award in the nation presented to a senior college football player. He currently serves on the selection committee for the College Football Playoffs.

Nate Boyer of the University of Texas, Austin was the initial recipient in 2012. Other recipients were Brandon McCoy of the University of North Texas in 2013, Daniel Rodriguez from Clemson University in 2014, Bret Robertson of Westminster College (Fulton, Mo.) in 2015 and Steven Rhodes from Middle Tennessee State University in 2016.

Kansas State and its football team were honored in November 2017 as the sixth recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award for the university’s partnership with the United States Army that created a bond between the school’s athletic department and the Iron Rangers at Fort Riley.

Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA – 2019 finalists

Troy Calhoun

Troy Calhoun is the only coach that knows want it takes to play football at a service academy and then make the transition from the professional level to oversee a program at the Football Bowl Subdivsion level. In 12-plus seasons at Air Force after playing at the academy for four seasons (1985-1988) and then coaching in the National Football League with the Denver Broncos (2003-2005) and Houston Texans (2006), Calhoun is currently fourth in service academy football coaching wins (93) behind Fisher DeBerry (169, 23, seasons, 1984-2006 at Air Force), Earl Blaik (121, 18, 1941-1958 at Army West Point) and Ben Martin (96, 20, 1958-1977 at Air Force).

 

Alexander Findura

Alexander Findura is a junior defensive lineman at Bloomsburg University where he currently leads the team in tackles for losses (11) and is second in solo tackles (26) and third in total tackles (44). In 27 career games, he has amassed 70 total tackles (34 solos) with 17.5 tackles for losses. Findura started his collegiate career at Georgia State where he was redshirted as a freshman in 2011. With a family history of military service (father in the Navy and grandfather an Army veteran), Findura joined the Marines is the summer of 2012.

 

 

Damian Jackson

Damian Jackson has played in only one game at the University of Nebraska but has served as a valuable member of the team. Jackson served as a member of the Navy SEALs for four years after graduating from Shadow Ridge High School in Las Vegas, Nev., in 2010. He was not a member of the football team in high school but did participate in baseball and soccer. In an April 2018 article in Bleacher Report, Adam Kramer quoted then-new Nebraska coach Scott Frost as saying, “I hope he plays a lot, and we’ll let those pieces fall where they may. But I know how valuable he’s going to be regardless of how many snaps he gets. I love having him on this team.”

 

Casey Stewart

Casey Stewart lives a double life. He is a student-athlete at Shenandoah University where he is a co-captain on the Hornet football team, and at the same time, he’s a soldier in the National Guard. As a senior wide receiver, he has caught 46 passes this season for 752 yards and five touchdowns. He currently ranks fourth on Shenandoah’s career reception list with 133 catches and is second in both receiving yards (2,110, 17.0-yard average per catch) and touchdown receptions (26). He earned all-league honors as a junior.

 

 

Mike Viti

Mike Viti, who is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Army West Point football program and fifth overall on staff, co-founded Legacies Alive (LA), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen and support the Gold Star families of our nation’s fallen heroes and brings national awareness to the life and character of all service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Viti oversees the strategic and executive director of the organization.