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The new College Football Hall of Fame opened Aug. 23 in Atlanta to rave reviews Inside: Profiles of the 2014 College Football Hall of Fame inductees presiDent’s message From Steve Hatchell, NFF President & CEO Welcome to the latest issue of the Footballetter . We hope that you’re enjoying the 2014 college football season, which marks several historic milestones for our sport. We have ushered in the new College Football Playoff (CFP), and the season will culminate with four teams vying to play in the national title game on Jan. 12, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. We announced early this year that we’ll reveal the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Class as part of the festivities in Arlington, and we want to thank everybody at the CFP Committee, especially CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock, for using the title game’s national stage to help us promote the game’s greatest legends. The start of the season also witnessed the opening of the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The state-of-the-art building defies description, and media and fans alike have described the experience of visiting the Hall with rave reviews. The completion of the project creates a special moment for our sport, providing us all with a powerful platform for promoting every - thing right about our game. The team in Atlanta, led by College Football Hall of Fame President & CEO John Stephenson, deserves huge credit for making this vision a reality. We give you a glimpse of some of the exhibits on the following pages, and we hope you’ll be inspired to be one of the projected 500,000 annual visitors. Inside the magazine, we also take a look at the Hall’s newest inductees in advance of their Dec. 9 induction at the 57th Annual NFF Awards Dinner in New York City. We hope that you will enjoy reading about their accomplishments, which are simply astounding. Their collective accomplishments include multiple consensus and unanimous First-Team All-American honors, four conference players of the year, four NFF National Scholar-Athletes, five bowl game MVPs and nine first- round NFL draft picks and lots more. NFF Historian Dan Jenkins, who never fails to delight with his prose, has sent us his latest insights on the game’s greatest passers, and we proudly share his latest missive with you. We also profile two key new relationships with Fidelity Investments and the New York Athletic Club, who are both taking on new roles in supporting the William V. Campbell Trophy . As you read the Footballetter, we encourage you to remember the valuable role football has played in your life, and we ask you to think about how you can give back to our sport. This organization is yours. Reach out to us with your ideas. Connect with your local chapter. Get involved. Become a member at www.football - foundation.org/membership . Thank you for your continued support, passion, creativity and interest. Respectfully, Steve Hatchell NFF President and CEO 2014-15 Key Dates special notes • Oct. 30: Announcement of the 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented A special thanks to Steve Richardson, the former sports journalist with the Dallas by Fidelity Investments — Irving, Texas Morning News and the current executive director of the Football Writers Association • Dec. 8: The Asa S. Bushnell Cup Presentation to the Ivy League Football Players of America, who wrote the Hall of Fame bios in this issue of the Footballetter. An of the Year at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel — New York City accomplished author, Richardson’s latest book, “100 Things to Do in Dallas-Fort • Dec. 9: NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, at the Waldorf Worth Before You Die” was released in February 2014. Astoria Hotel — New York City • Dec. 9: 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel — New York Please consider including the NFF in your annual gift planning. To learn more about City making a financial gift, please contact NFF Director of Finance Sue Tuggle at 972- • Dec. 9: 25th presentation of the William V. Campbell Trophy , presented by Fidelity 556-1000 or by email at [email protected] . The NFF is a 501(c) (3) Investments and hosted at the NYAC, to the nation’s top scholar-athlete at the tax-exempt organization, and your financial contribution may be eligible for tax Waldorf Astoria Hotel — New York City benefits based on your individual circumstances. • Dec. 9: Induction of the 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel — New York City The photos of Hall of Famers and in the story by Dan Jenkins were obtained from their • Jan. 1: 10th Annual NFF National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl — respective universities. The photo rights are reserved by their respective owners. New Orleans • Jan. 8: NFF Leadership Hall of Fame Induction Dinner — Dallas On the cover, the façade of the new College Football Hall of Fame with inset photos. • Jan. 9: Announcement of the 2015 College Football Hall of Fame Inductees — Dallas 1. The Clark Atlanta University Marching Band. 2. Hall of Famers Danny Wuerffel • Jan. 10: FCS National Championship Game at Toyota Stadium — Frisco, Texas (Florida), Art Shell (Maryland Eastern Shore), Tracy Ham (Georgia Southern) and • Jan. 12: Inaugural College Football Playoff Championship at AT&T Stadium — Kevin Butler (Georgia). 3. Several of the iconic trophies displayed in the Hall. Arlington, Texas www.footballfoundation.org 2 October 2014 a TribuTe To JohN ToNer NFF Footballetter John Toner presents Drew Brees (Purdue) with his John Toner joins fellow board members during an NFF Annual Awards John Toner, NFF Vice Chairman from 2000 to 2008 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award in 2000. Dinner, L-R: Jack Lengyel, Mike Cleary, John Toner and Archie Manning. Former NFF Vice chairmaN JohN ToNer Passes away ohn Toner, a leading figure in college athletics for more than five decades when the All-American and Hall of Fame QB Harry Agganis arrived at BU, Toner J and a former National Football Foundation (NFF) vice chairman, passed switched to defense, playing safety and linebacker. away Sept. 23 in Savannah, Ga. He was 91. Toner, who claimed the NFF After his BU football career, Toner stayed on as a graduate student and as - Distinguished American Award in 1986, served in numerous prominent positions sistant coach to Buff Donelli. In 1954, Toner left BU, starting a three-year stint during his illustrious career, including head football coach at Connecticut, ath - as the head football coach at New Britain (Conn.) High School. In 1955 and 1956 letics director at Connecticut, NCAA president, NACDA president and assistant his New Britain teams went undefeated with only a 1956 tie to mar a perfect coach at Columbia. record. “John Toner stood as a giant among athletic administrators, and the mere In 1957, Donelli left Boston University to take the head coaching job at Colum - mention of his name meant integrity and respect,” said NFF Chairman Archie bia University, replacing Hall of Fame coach Lou Little. Donelli immediately re - Manning. “He brought immediate credibility to the efforts of the National Foot - cruited Toner as an assistant. At Columbia, Toner participated on the coaching ball Foundation, and he served on the NFF board with extreme passion and staff that guided the Lions to the 1961 Ivy League Championship, which was enormous impact. He put the scholar-athlete first, and his opinions and actions captained by NFF Board Member Bill Campbell. He served as an assistant at Co - helped shape the NCAA and the college football landscape for decades.” lumbia from 1957-1965, and his impact at Columbia still resonates today. John Toner joined the NFF board of directors in 1988, and he took on the role In 1966, Toner became the 21st head football coach at the University of of NFF vice chairman in 2000, serving in that capacity until 2008 and subse - Connecticut. He coached for five seasons, and in his third season he added quently becoming an emeritus member until his passing. In recognition of his director of athletics to his responsibilities. In his last three seasons as football stature and the high esteem that his name carried, the NFF established the coach, his Huskies tied for two Yankee Conference championships, and he John L. Toner Award in 1997, annually honoring an outstanding athletics director finished his coaching career in 1970 by winning the Yankee Conference title who demonstrated superior administrative abilities, especially in the area of outright. college football. The list of past recipients includes some of the most admired When Toner relinquished his football coaching duties to become the fulltime names in athletics administration, and their acceptance speeches universally director of athletics, his first task was to hire his football replacement. Toner paid tribute to the award’s namesake, citing the personal significance of receiv - hired Bob Casciola, who would later serve as the president of the National Foot - ing an award that carried the name of a revered mentor. ball Foundation. Toner also hired Hall of Fame basketball coaches Geno Au - “John Toner was a good friend and supporter long before I arrived at the Na - riemma (women’s baskeball) and Jim Calhoun (men’s basketball). He was tional Football Foundation,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “And that responsible for Connecticut becoming a founding member of The Big East Con - trust only grew as we served together on the NFF Board. His insights and guid - ference in 1979, and he oversaw the funding and construction of Gampel Pavilion. ance helped frame the direction of our organization during the past two During his tenure as the top administrator at Connecticut from 1969 until decades, and he provided critical counsel on numerous occasions, especially as 1987, Toner became one of the most respected leaders in the field.

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