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FROM STAFF REPORTS

JOHNSON CITY – The Mountain Empire Chapter of the National Football Foundation has announced that its annual awards banquet is Saturday, May 8, 2021, at 9:30 am at the DoubleTree Hotel in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Ten elite student-athletes from its member schools will be recognized, and $5,000 in college scholarships will be awarded.

Prominent college coaches from Emory & Henry College (Coach Curt Newsome), Tusculum University (Coach Jerry Odom), Carson Newman University (Coach Mike Clowney), and East Tennessee State University (Coach Randy Sanders) have been invited to speak at the event.

One football senior from each area university will be honored for achievements both on and off the field.

The John Robert Bell Coach’s Award and James Cradic Official’s Award will be presented to a legendary coach and football official, who will subsequently be inducted into the NFF Mountain Empire Football Hall of Fame.

High School Scholar-Athletes to be recognized include:

Eli Presswood (Cloudland)
Zane Whitson (Dobyns-Bennett)
Parker Hughes (Elizabethton)
Roger Ward (Hampton)
Elijah Ayers (Happy Valley)
Shannon Wohlford (John Battle)
William Nottingham (Sullivan Central)
Tyler Fugate (Sullivan North)
Bryson Snyder (Tennessee High)
Evan Huff (Unicoi County)

The National Football Foundation Scholarship Program awards more than $1.3 million annually and has distributed nearly $30 million since its inception in 1959.

In the seven years since our local chapter’s inception, we have had the privilege to recognize nearly 74 football student-athletes & awarded over $31,000 in scholarships.

About the National Football Foundation & College 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.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million, and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future.

Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.