Ole Miss Football vs Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on November 29th, 2014 in Oxford, MS.
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss junior tight end Evan Engram is among the nominees for the 2015 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, announced recently by Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association.
For 24 years, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has recognized college football players from across the country who exemplify a superior commitment to community service and volunteerism. Last year, Ole Miss’ Deterrian Shackelford was team captain of the 11-man Football Bowl Subdivision team.
Engram, a preseason All-American and a two-time All-SEC tight end, has a special heart for mentally and physically challenged individuals. He’s volunteered with the Oxford-Lafayette Special Olympics and has spent time with adults at the North Mississippi Regional Center and children at the C.M. Scott Center in Oxford. The Powder Springs, Georgia, native has also participated in Reading with the Rebels, a program in which Ole Miss student-athletes spend time reading with local elementary students and talking to them about the value of education. He has made several appearances at local schools, stressing to students the importance of good health and education. He has served as a camp counselor for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes football camp. He has also benefited from Ole Miss team trips to Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson and a local nursing home.
Since its inception in 1992, the good works team highlights the “good” taking place off the football field. This year’s group of 197 student-athletes nominated for this award by their respective colleges and universities are able to balance academics and athletics while remaining committed to helping others and bettering their communities.
“For the third year in a row, we have received a record-breaking number of Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® nominees, an indication that the bar continues to be raised for the character on display in college football,” said Jim Haskins, Executive Vice President, Allstate Brand Distribution and a member of the 2015 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel. “Allstate is proud to join the AFCA in recognizing this amazing group of student-athletes for the positive impact they are making on their communities.”
While remarkable on the field performances are praised each weekend, these individuals’ off the field accomplishments far exceed touchdowns and tackles. From traveling overseas to support third-world countries to raising thousands of dollars for kidney cancer research, these remarkable student-athletes have utilized their minimal free time in an impactful way, earning them national recognition.
“It’s very rewarding to see another record-setting year of nominees for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®,” AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff said. “With Allstate’s help, this has become one of the most prestigious awards in college football, and one of the most important because it highlights some of the best student-athletes in the country who not only excel on the football field, but in their community service as well.”
Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September. From the nominees submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their schools, a special voting panel consisting of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and prominent college football media members will select the 2015 Good Works Team.®
The 2015 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel includes: former Good Works Team® members Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Bruce Feldman (Fox Sports), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star); current AFCA President and University of Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville; 1987 AFCA President and former head coach at Brigham Young University LaVell Edwards; and Jim Haskins, Executive Vice President, Allstate Brand Distribution.
Once the final team members are announced in September, fans are encouraged to visit the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® website on ESPN.com, featuring profiles and images of the players, for the opportunity to vote for the 2015 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain.
In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and the AFCA, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
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