Tanner named to AFCA Good Works Team
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 4:32 pm
Tanner, a two-time academic all-district winner, earned the team's Terry Whiteside award in the spring for his excellence in academics, athletics, strength training, community, and campus. The Dallas, Tex., native led the Blue Raiders in rushing and scoring in 2008 while also garnering National Offensive Player of the Week honors. Tanner is one of just 52 student-athletes nominated from the Football Bowl Subdivision and the only representative from the Sun Belt Conference. He and Memphis' Dominik Riley are the only FBS players on the list from Tennessee. With their unselfish acts, such as volunteering at orphanages in Kenya, building a reliable water source for villagers in Kabul, tutoring disadvantaged youth, and visiting elderly patients in nursing homes, Allstate AFCA Good Works Team((R)) nominees distinguish themselves among the more than 50,000 student-athletes participating in the sport at all four-year collegiate institutions through off-the-field accomplishments. "Allstate and the AFCA have created a partnership of common interests and both organizations are proud to honor the off-the-field achievements of college football players and at all levels," said Guy Hill, vice president of sales and service for Allstate. "Allstate shares a genuine commitment to the community with these 106 student-athletes, and we encourage them to continue their benevolent efforts." The total of 106 nominations submitted by sports information directors across the country on behalf of their teams surpasses all previous single-season nominee totals in the 18-year history of the award. The 2009 class of nominees represents 41 states, including Washington, D.C., and 45 college athletic conferences. From these nominees, a special voting panel consisting of former Good Works Team ((R)) members and prominent college football media members will be responsible for selecting two 11-player Good Works Teams((R)) - one composed of players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and a combined team representing players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA. College Football Hall of Fame member and ESPN broadcast personality Lou Holtz will return as program spokesperson and serve as a member of this year's voting panel. The 2009 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Teams((R)) voting panel includes: Allstate vice president, Guy Hill; former Good Works Teams((R)) members Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team), Mewelde Moore (Tulane, 2003 team), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Dennis Dodd (CBSSports.com), Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Kelly Whiteside (USA Today), Ivan Maisel (ESPN.com), Lou Holtz (ESPN); current AFCA president and San Jose State University head coach Dick Tomey; and 1996 AFCA president Fisher DeBerry, former head coach at the United States Air Force Academy. The following players have been nominated for consideration to be included among the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams(R): Football Bowl Subdivision (Div I-A) Arizona Sate University - Mike Nixon Auburn University - Walter McFadden Ball State - Brandon Crawford Baylor University - Joe Pawelek Boise State University - Richie Brocke l Brigham Young University - Jan Jorgensen Central Michigan University - Dan LeFevour Clemson University - Xavier Dye Colorado State University - Adrian Martinez Duke University - Kevin Jones Indiana University - Jammie Kirlew Kansas State University - Jeron Mastrud Louisiana State University - Lyle Hitt Middle Tennessee State University - Phillip Tanner Northern Illinois University - David Bryant Northwestern University - Andrew Brewer Ohio University - Lee Renfro Ohio State University - Kurt Coleman Oregon State University - Taylor Kavanaugh Pennsylvania State University - Stefen Wisniewski Rutgers University - Billy Anderson San Jose State University - Travis Jones Temple University - Dominique Harris University of Akron - Alex Allen University of Alabama - Javier Arenas University of Arkansas - D.J. Williams University of Central Florida - Rocky Ross University of Florida - Tim Tebow University of Georgia - Jeff Owens University of Houston - Case Keenum University of Iowa - Julian Vandervelde University of Kansas - Darrell Stuckey University of Kentucky - Alfonso Smith University of Memphis - Dominik Riley University of Michigan - Zoltan Mesko University of Missouri - Kurtis Gregory University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Roy Helu, Jr. University of North Carolina - Kyle Jolly University of Notre Dame - Jimmy Clausen University of Oklahoma - Sam Bradford University of Pittsburgh - Adam Gunn University of South Carolina - Mauricus Brown University of Texas - Austin - Jordan Shipley University of California-Los Angeles - Derrick Coleman University of Texas-El Paso - Cameron Raschke U.S. Air Force Academy - Nick Charles U.S. Naval Academy - Ross Pospisil Virginia Tech - Tyrod Taylor Wake Forest University - Benjamin Wooster West Virginia University - Reed Williams University of Wisconsin - Chris Maragos Western Michigan University - Tim Hiller
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