Volume One Issue two May, 2007 Drew Brees, Rosevelt Colvin to Highlight June 21st Honors Dinner; Tickets Now on Sale Former Purdue football stars Drew Brees and Rosevelt Colvin will be football ability, performance and attitude, and 20 percent leadership and back in the Lafayette area on June 21 to help the Northwest Indiana citizenship. All 16 nominees will be recognized at the Honors Dinner, Chapter of the National Football Foundation stage its third annual where the scholarship winner will be announced and a large trophy will NFF Honors Dinner, “Celebrating Our Legends III,” at the Purdue be presented.” Memorial Union Ballrooms. The chapter has approximately $4,000 already identified for this year’s The event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction scholarships and stipends. “That dollar amount will go up,” says Vrug- reception that also serves as an autograph session. A buffet dinner fol- gink. “We are seeking tax-deductible scholarship contributions from our lows at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. members, the business community and the general public. Also, as our Ticket orders are now being received. Prices are $30 each for NFF membership grows the dollars made available to us for scholarships go members and students, $240 for a table of eight, $40 per person for up. For every 50 members, the national office returns $500 to us for local non-NFF member adults and $320 for a table of eight for non-mem- scholarships. Our membership has grown from 50 in the fall of 2004 bers. when we received our charter to more than 250 this spring, already mak- ing this the largest chapter in Indiana.” Brees, now the All-Pro quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, will discuss his remarkable year and season, sign autographs, and present The mission of the NFF is to advance amateur football at the local, state the chapter’s Drew Brees Mental Toughness Award to his former and national levels, providing grassroots support in a variety of ways. teammate, Colvin, who is now a standout linebacker for the New In addition to the scholarships, Vruggink says the local chapter has gotten England Patriots. involved with youth football programs, helping to provide about $3,000 The local NFF chapter will present four other major awards at the in financial assistance in Rossville and Attica within the last two years. dinner. Retiring Purdue President Martin Jischke will be honored with “Our intent is to help improve the quality of the programs and to make the NFF’s Gold Medallion while Distinguished American Award will the experience more enjoyable for the young players and coaches,” says be given to Henry Rosenthal, a former owner of WASK radio station Vruggink. and long-time Purdue play-by-play announcer. The Outstanding Con- Another immediate benefit of having a local chapter is to provide voting tribution to Amateur Football Award will be presented to Dr. Robert support for regional nominees in the selection process for the College Hagen of Lafayette Orthopaedic and Sportsmedicine Clinic while the Football Hall of Fame, where many fans and supporters feel Purdue is Scholar Athlete of the Year Award will be presented to one of 16 high underrepresented. Prior to Mike Phipps’ selection last year, just six for- school seniors. mer Boilermaker players, including three who actually completed their The Scholar Athlete of the Year will receive a scholarship of at least collegiate careers elsewhere, had been inducted into the Hall of Fame, $3,000 for use next year in college. Two other finalists will receive at according to Bart Burrell, the chapter president and himself a former least $2,000 each while every nominee will receive a minimum sti- Boilermaker. pend of $250 to be used for textbooks or study supplies. In the previ- The Northwest Indiana Chapter is one of 120 regional chapters (five in ous two years of this award, the chapter has distributed funds ranging Indiana) in the National Football Foundation. The others are in Evans- from $500 to $4,000 to each of 15 scholar athletes. Nomination forms ville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and South Bend. It is hoped that the were sent to the head football coaches at the 30 football-playing high Northwest Indiana chapter will eventually expand to the shores of Lake schools in the expanding 13-county region (Benton, Carroll, Cass, Michigan and cover points in between. Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Jasper, Newton, Pulaski, Starke, Tippeca- noe, Warren and White) that the chapter currently represents. The tax-deductible membership dues are $40 per year or $99 for three years, payable to the National Football Foundation. Interested parties “We have 16 outstanding nominees for this award this year,” says Jim may contact Vruggink via email at [email protected] or by phone at Vruggink, Purdue’s director of special projects for university relations 765-494-2086 to receive a membership order form or information about and intercollegiate athletics who also serves as the volunteer execu- the Honors Dinner and partnerships. tive director of the NFF chapter. “The Scholar Athlete of the Year is selected based 40 percent on academic achievement, 40 percent (Honors Dinner and HOF order form is included in the following page.) • 320 DEHART ST., WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47906 • 765.494.2086 • www.FootballFoundation.com Building Leaders Through Football Make Your Plans To Help Honor Mike Phipps at July 21 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Dinner In South Bend Former Purdue quarterback Mike Phipps will be enshrined into He went on to enjoy a 12-year career in the NFL, throwing 55 TD the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., on July passes and 10,506 yards passing for the Cleveland Browns and 21st and your Executive Board is trying to organize a large del- Chicago Bears. egation from the Northwest Indiana Chapter to attend. A total of seven players and four head coaches with Boilermaker The dinner and enshrinement program will be held at the South experience have now been inducted. Bend Convention Center, near the Hall of Fame, and ticket prices “One of the chapter’s most important goals is to assist Purdue in sup- are $150 each, although our chapter may qualify for a reduced porting former players and coaches who deserve to be in the College rate if we sell a large enough quantity of tickets. Football Hall of Fame,” says Purdue Head Football Coach Joe Tiller, “Helping to get one of our former players elected into the Hall who like several members of his staff, is also a charter member of of Fame is a huge accomplishment for our chapter,” says Bart the local chapter. Burrell, chapter president. “Prior to Phipps getting in last year, it Phipps’ selection to the Hall is proof positive that there is strength had been 16 years since a former Purdue player was chosen – that in numbers. The Northwest Indiana Chapter is now the largest in was Leroy Keyes in 1990.” Keyes is now an assistant director of Indiana and among the largest in the country. With each member the John Purdue Club and a charter member of the local chapter. qualified to have a vote in the selection process, more deserving Phipps, a three-year starting quarterback (1967-69), led the Boil- Boilermakers should be inducting in coming years. Mark Herrmann, ermakers to three consecutive 8-2 seasons, defeating rival Notre Otis Armstrong, Lawrence Burton and Dave Butz remain on the Dame each year. He was a first-team All-American his senior sea- district ballot. son and finished his career with 37 touchdowns and 5,423 yards The July 21 dinner highlights a three-day Hall of Fame celebration passing, which were all-time Purdue highs when he graduated. in South Bend, most of which features activities for the general public. NFF HONORS DINNER & COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEMENT DINNER ORDER FORM June 21 Honors Dinner tickets for non-NFF members: _____ X $40 each = $ _____ June 21 Honors Dinner tickets for NFF members/students#: _____ X $30 each = $ _____ June 21 Honors Dinner autograph football: _____ X $50 each = $ _____ June 21 Honors Dinner tables of eight*: _____ X $320 each = $ _____ (or $240 each for members) July 21 Hall of Fame Enshrinement tickets _____ X $150 each = $ _____ TOTALS: _____ = $ _____ *NFF members get price break & priority seating; #Student rate applies thru college age. (Please make checks and money orders payable to National Football Foundation and respond by June 7 to receive priority seating.) Name _______________________ Company Name _______________________ Address _____________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________ Email Address ______________________ Phone _________________________ Mike Phipps If you have questions or can help with sponsorship or advertising sales or by providing items for the silent auction, please contact Jim Vruggink by email ([email protected]) or phone (765-494-2086). RETURN TO: NFF Dinners 320 Dehart Street West Lafayette, IN 47906 Chapter Members Can “Earn” Incentives Members of the Northwest Indiana Chapter have the opportunity to “earn” or “offset the costs” of their NFF memberships and tickets to NFF events. The executive board of the chapter has agreed to allow each dues-paying member a 10 percent credit of new memberships and sponsorships that he or she raises in support of the chapter. In other words, when a member signs up a new member for the $40-per-year or $99-for-three years or a sponsorship, the current member gets 10 percent of that credited toward his/her next dues payment or NFF event tickets. All existing members have the opportunity to “sell” sponsorships ranging from $100 each to $5,000 each for advertising and scholarships for the annual Honors Dinner in June.