Columbus Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to Holds 62nd Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet Presented by The Davis Foundation
Contact: Katie Logan
logan.katie@gmail.com
(614) 562-3994
For Immediate Release
COLUMBUS, OH The Columbus Chapter of The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame hosted its 62nd annual Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet on Monday, February 6, 2023, at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University. Awards were given to the top high school and college football scholar-athletes in the central Ohio area. 14 high school scholar-athletes were presented with John H. McConnell and Worthington Industries Foundation Scholarships to further their educations. Isaac Carter of Grove City High School was given the Maggied-Romanoff award as the top scholar athlete of the group.
Collegiate scholar-athletes from Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein, Capital, Denison, Ohio Dominican and Kenyon also received recognition. Ian Riddle of Ohio Wesleyan was chosen by the board to be awarded a post-graduate scholarship.
The Ohio Gold Award was presented to Ohio State head football coach, Ryan Day. This is the most prestigious honor that the chapter presents annually to a former player, coach, administrator or person who has had a positive impact on amateur football in Central Ohio. Previous Ohio Gold recipients include Joey Galloway, Troy Smith, Orlando Pace, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, Woody Hayes, Earle Bruce, John Cooper, Gene Smith, Chris Spielman, Ann Hayes, Jim Tressel, A.J. Hawk and John Hicks, among others.
The annual Larry Larson High School Coaches Award was presented to longtime central Ohio high school football coach, Buddy White. Longtime central Ohio play-by-play announcer, Randy Rhinehart received the chapter’s media award.
The Tyson Gentry Courage Award was presented to Ohio State receiver Kamryn Babb, who was also the scholar-athlete nominee from Ohio State. Established in 2009 and presented annually to a player, coach staff member or fan whose actions best demonstrate the qualities of courageous leadership shown by Tyson Gentry.
2022 College Football Hall of Fame enshrine Mike Doss was recognized during the evening. Attendees also heard from former Buckeye captain, Dr. Simon Fraser, as part of the “Where Are They Now?” segment. Dr. Fraser is now a vascular surgeon with OhioHealth in Columbus.
“This was a special evening recognizing yet another exceptional group of scholar-athletes in central Ohio,” said Katie Logan, president of the Columbus Chapter. “Year after year, we are reminded of how many young, future leaders we have in our community. Celebrating them, along with some incredible coaches, former players and media members made for an unforgettable evening.”
About the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame
The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame is a member-supported, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the future of amateur football at local, state and national levels. The Foundation, with its chapters, annually awards nearly $1 million in scholarships to over 3,000 high school and college student athletes for continuing education. Learn more about the Columbus Chapter by visiting: www.nffcolumbus.com.
