NEWS RELEASE

NFF Contacts:
Phil Marwill, director of communications
Mobile: 917.579.4256
Email: pmarwill@footballfoundation.com

National Football Foundation Proudly Announces the

2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class
16 of the nation’s best and brightest collegiate football players each win $18,000
postgraduate scholarships as part 52nd NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.
DALLAS, October 28, 2010 – Recognized by the organization as one of the strongest classes in the history of
the storied NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Program, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of
Fame (NFF) announced today the 2010 recipients of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Selected from a
nationwide pool of 121 semifinalists from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, the 16 class members are:

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE POSITION SCHOOL GPA MAJOR

SAM ACHO DE TEXAS 3.55 BUSINESS
ANTHONY CASTONZO OT BOSTON COLLEGE 3.45 BIOCHEMISTRY
BEN CHAPPELL QB INDIANA 3.70 ACCOUNTING
ALEX GROSS LB COLUMBIA 3.58 SOCIOLOGY
OWEN MARECIC FB / LB STANFORD 3.47 HUMAN BIOLOGY
GREG MCELROY QB ALABAMA 3.83 BUSINESS MARKETING
MIKE MOHAMED LB CALIFORNIA 3.43 BUSINESS
TRAVIS NISSLEY LB BUCKNELL 3.96 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ISAAC ODIM RB MINNESOTA DULUTH 3.85 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
CHRISTIAN PONDER QB FLORIDA STATE 3.73 FINANCE
DEREK SHERROD OT MISSISSIPPI STATE 3.54 BUSINESS
NATE SOLDER OT COLORADO 3.51 BIOLOGY
CHRIS STEWART OG NOTRE DAME 3.54 HISTORY
SCOTT TOLZIEN QB WISCONSIN 3.50 CONSUMER AFFAIRS
BEN WARTMAN HB SAINT THOMAS (MINN.) 3.89 FINANCE
STEFEN WISNIEWSKI OG PENN STATE 3.91 SECONDARY EDUCATION

“We are ecstatic about the quality of this year’s remarkable National Scholar-Athlete Class. They stand as a
testament to our mission of building leaders through football,” said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell.
“From top to bottom, this group has established itself as one of the greatest in the 50-plus years of this program,
boasting an impressive array of academic and athletic achievements. We look forward to presenting each of them
an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship to further their education, as there are no limits to what these young men
will accomplish following their football careers.”

The NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is the first initiative in the history to award
scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. This
year’s class members finds themselves in good company, as past National Scholar-Athletes include former NFL
standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin
(Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club,
home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and
Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA), Doug Flutie (Boston College)
and Danny Wuerffel (Florida).

“The 2010 National Scholar-Athlete Class represents all that is right about college football,” said NFF
Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell winner) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-
Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “They have balanced practice with difficult majors like mechanical
engineering and biology. They’ve also taken their passion for helping others beyond their local communities,
taking medical and mission trips overseas to help those less fortunate than themselves. They are prime role
models for future generations of young men in this country.”

Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and one of the 16 will be announced as the
recipient of the 21ST William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, which recognizes an individual as
the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. Renamed last fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of
Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the
award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. A total distribution of
$300,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Highlights

• 3.65 Average GPA
• 14-of-16 Team Captains
• 15-of-16 Academic All-Conference Athletes (one player attending an independent school)
• 13-of-16 All-Conference Athletes (one player attending an independent school)
• Four ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Selections (Acho, Odim, Wartman, Wisniewski)
• Five All-America Picks (Castonzo, Odim, Solder, Wartman, Wisniewski)
• Two Conference Players of the Year (Gross, Odim)
• Seven Members of Nationally Ranked Teams (Marecic, McElroy, Odim, Ponder, Sherrod, Tolzien,
Wartman)
• One Member of a National Championship Team (McElroy)
• Three Members of Conference Championship Teams (Acho, McElroy, Wisniewski)
• Two Members of National Playoff Teams (Odim, Wartman)
• Five Members Currently Working on Postgraduate Studies (McElroy, Ponder, Sherrod, Solder, Stewart)
• Five Members Participating in Overseas Relief Efforts and/or Mission Trips (Acho, Solder, Stewart,
Wartman, Wisniewski)
• 12 Offensive Players (Castonzo, Chappell, Marecic, McElroy, Odim, Ponder, Sherrod, Solder, Stewart,
Tolzien, Wartman, Wisniewski)
• Five Defensive Players (Acho, Gross, Marecic, Mohamed, Nissley)

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate
student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding
football ability as a first team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The 121
semifinalists for the award were announced on Sept. 30 (names listed on the following page), and the class is
selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of
media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

The 2010 National Scholar-Athlete Class will be honored at the 2010 NFF Annual Awards Dinner December 7 at
the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. The event will also include the induction of the 2010 College Football
Hall of Fame Class and the presentation of several major awards, including the organization’s highest honor, the
Gold Medal, to American icon Bill Cosby and the Distinguished American Award to renowned journalist and
author Tom Brokaw.
 NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS CANDIDATES
Football Bowl Subdivision
Air Force - Kevin Fogler
Alabama - Greg McElroy
Army - Carson Homme
Ball State - Ian McGarvey
Baylor - Derek Epperson
Boston College - Anthony Castonzo
BYU - Mitch Payne
California - Mike Mohamed
Colorado - Nate Solder
Colorado State - Eric Peitz
Florida State - Christian Ponder
Georgia - Kris Durham
Illinois - Anthony Santella
Indiana - Ben Chappell
Iowa - Julian Vandervelde
Kansas State - Corey Adams
Louisiana at Lafayette - Grant Fleming
Marshall - Lee Smith
Maryland - Travis Baltz
Middle Tennessee State - Phillip Tanner
Minnesota - Adam Weber
Mississippi State - Derek Sherrod
Navy - Joe Buckley
Nebraska - Adi Kunalic
Northern Illinois - Mike Krause
Northwestern - Stefan Demos
Notre Dame - Chris Stewart
Ohio State - Bryant Browning
Oregon - Jordan Holmes
Penn State - Stefen Wisniewski
Purdue - Kyle Adams
Rutgers - Teddy Dellaganna
SMU - Pete Fleps
South Carolina - Garrett Chisolm
Stanford - Owen Marecic
Syracuse - Derrell Smith
TCU - Curtis Clay
Tennessee - Daniel Lincoln
Texas - Sam Acho
Texas A&M - Michael Hodges
UCLA - Daniel Rees
Utah - Zane Taylor
Vanderbilt - John Stokes
Washington State - Chima Nwachukwu
Western Michigan - Phil Swanson
Wisconsin - Scott Tolzien
Wyoming - Chris Prosinski
- INDIVIDUAL BIOS FOR THE 2010 NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS ON FOLLOWING PAGES -
Football Championship Subdivision
Albany - Chris Blais
Austin Peay State - Bradley Williams
Brown - Kyle Newhall-Caballero
Bucknell - Travis Nissley
Colgate - Greg Sullivan
Columbia - Alex Gross
Dartmouth - Tanner Scott
Dayton - Brandon Wingeier
Delaware - Pat Devlin
Drake - Dan Clinton
Eastern Kentucky - Logan O'Connor
Holy Cross - Bill Edger
Marist - Terrence Turner
Montana - Andrew Selle
Montana State - Jordan Craney
Nicholls State - Patrick Dolan
Norfolk State - Anthony Taylor
North Dakota - Ty Boyle
North Dakota State - Drew Hushka
Northern Arizona - Michael Herrick
Northern Colorado - Timothy McGraw
Sacramento State - Peter Buck
Saint Francis - Scott Lewis
South Dakota State - Conrad Kjerstad
Southern Utah - Tysson Poots
Towson - Yaky Ibia
Yale - Jesse Reising
Youngstown State - Stephen Blose
Division II
Ashland (Ohio) - Joe Horn
Bentley (Mass.) - Jared Kawadler
Clarion (Pa.) - Nick Sipes
Concordia (Minn.) - Hayden Vavra
East Stroudsburg (Pa.) - Matt Freed
Eastern New Mexico - Nathan Uland
Hillsdale (Mich.) - Phil Doerfler
Minnesota-Duluth - Isaac Odim
Newberry (S.C.) - Matt Holmes
Slippery Rock (Pa.) - C.J. Bahr
St. Cloud State (Minn.) - Joe Winandy
Wayne State (Mich.) - Matthew Faulkner
Division III
Augustana (Ill.) - Robert Wood
Bethel (Minn.) - Andrew Johnson
Bluffton (Ohio) - Aaron Wladischkin
Case Western Reserve (Ohio) - Zach Homyk
Centre (Ky.) - Kevin Harman
Christopher Newport (Va.) - Kenneth Hall
Cornell (Iowa) - Kyle Tierney
Dubuque (Iowa) - Michael Zweifel
Hampden-Sydney (Va.) - Will Riggenbach
Ithaca (N.Y.) - David Ahonen
Mount Union (Ohio) - Sam Kershaw
Occidental (Calif.) - Alex Wertheimer
Rhodes (Tenn.) - Andrew Meier
Rowan (N.J.) - Matt Hoffman
Saint John's (Minn.) - Jeff Gilbertson
Saint Thomas (Minn.) - Ben Wartman
Trine (Ind.) - Tyler Terry
Trinity (Conn.) - Michael Galligan
Union (N.Y.) - Andrew Trochanowski
Ursinus (Pa.) - Joseph Galie
Wartburg (Iowa) - Andrew Creary
Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) - Nathan Harmotto
Washington in St. Louis (Mo.) - Brandon Brown
Wisconsin-Eau Claire - Ben Shea
Wisconsin-Stevens Point - Jake Swank
Wisconsin-Whitewater - Aaron Rusch
Wittenberg (Ohio) - Jeremy Block
NAIA
Bethel (Tenn.) - John Graham
Carroll (Mont.) - Mike Waldenberg
Cumberland (Tenn.) - Todd Holman
Dakota State (S.D.) - Josh Windsor
Morningside (Iowa) - Marshall Tuttle
Ottawa (Kan.) - Fielding Brenner
Cumberlands (Ky.) - Madison McCalmon
 BIOS FOR THE 2010 NATIONAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS MEMBERS
(In alphabetical order)

SAM ACHO
Defensive End, University of Texas
Community Health – 3.55 GPA
Head Coach: Mack Brown
Athletics Director: DeLoss Dodds

With three NFF National Scholar-Athletes in the last four years and 10 overall, Sam Acho represents the latest in
a long line of football and academic excellence at the University of Texas.

Acho is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 performer, and has been named to UT’s Athletics Directors Honor Roll
six times. In 2009, he was named a First Team Academic All-American by ESPN The Magazine. A two-time
Arthur Ashe Sports Scholarship Award winner, Acho was recently inducted into UT’s Friar Society, the
university’s oldest honor society. He was also recently named one of The Sporting News’ “20 Smartest Athletes.”

On the field, the Dallas native is tied for third in tackles for loss on the nation’s sixth-ranked total defense. As a
junior, Acho led the Big 12 champions with 10 sacks, four fumble recoveries and ranked third on the team with
14 tackles for loss. In 2008, Acho helped Texas to a 12-1 finish and a No. 4 national ranking. Acho ranks among
the nation’s top ten active players with 19.5 career sacks and boasts 123 career tackles, 28 tackles for loss, five
forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

Acho, along with his family, is a veteran of numerous summer medical mission trips to Nigeria. He represented
UT at the 2009 NCAA Leadership Conference and the Big 12 Conference on black student government and
NCAA Football Issues Committee. After a 2009 internship with Target, one of his marketing ideas was advanced
to the company’s CEO.

ANTHONY CASTONZO
Offensive Tackle, Boston College
Biochemistry – 3.45 GPA
Head Coach: Frank Spaziani
Athletics Director: Gene DeFilippo

A four-year starter for the Eagles, Anthony Castonzo has helped Boston College succeed on the gridiron while
still excelling in the classroom, becoming the school’s fifth NFF National Scholar-Athlete and first since 1989.

Castonzo, a native of Hawthorn Woods, Ill., is a three-time Academic All-ACC performer. He was named to the
2009 ESPN The Magazine All-District team. The biochemistry major is also a Rhodes Scholar nominee.

Named a team captain prior to his senior season, Castonzo was a consensus preseason All-American in 2010.
The 2009 SI.com Honorable Mention All-American has started all 48 games of his career, and has been named
an All-ACC player three times. Castonzo was productive from the onset of his career, becoming the first true
freshman to start on the offensive line for Boston College in a decade and qualifying for the College Football
News All-Sophomore team a year later. In 2009, Castonzo aided tailback Montel Harris to rank among the top
ten rushers in the country with 1,457 yards.

Castonzo spends his free time visiting children at the Franciscan Hospital for Children and at Camp Harbor View
in Boston. He also participates at the local YMCA and is active in the student pen-pal program.
 BEN CHAPPELL
Quarterback, Indiana University
Accounting – 3.70 GPA
Head Coach: Bill Lynch
Athletics Director: Fred Glass

The Hoosiers’ two-year starter at quarterback, Ben Chappell leads the Big Ten in passing and is on pace to
become the most prolific quarterback in the history of Indiana University football.

Chappell has been selected to three Academic All-Big Ten teams, and he was also named to the 2009 ESPN The
Magazine All-District team. In 2009-10, the Bloomington, Ind., native received the Big Ten Distinguished
Scholar Award.

Chappell ranks among IU’s top ten in passing yardage, completions, completion percentage, passing
touchdowns, total offense, 300-yard games and 200-yard games. In 2009, Chappell became the first quarterback
in IU history to complete greater than 60 percent of his passes in a single-season, connecting on 60.4 percent of
his throws. This season, Chappell has connected on 184-of-278 passes for 2,137 yards with 17 touchdowns and
has been named a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. For his career, he has completed 533 passes
for 6,093 yards and 38 touchdowns.

A member of the 2010 AFCA Good Works Team, Chappell has organized team visits to Riley’s Children’s
Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club since 2008. He also volunteered at the Coach Hep Indiana Cancer
Challenge and the Monroe County Youth Football League. The accounting major was chosen as the football
representative on IU’s Student Athletic Committee and served as a DARE program speaker.

ALEX GROSS
Linebacker, Columbia University
Sociology – 3.58 GPA
Head Coach: Norries Wilson
Athletics Director: Dianne Murphy

One of the best defenders in the Ivy League, Alex Gross is described as “one of the finest young men and
student-athletes we’ve had at Columbia” by athletics director Dr. Dianne Murphy. Gross is the fourth NFF
National Scholar-Athlete from Columbia University and the first since 2004.

Gross, a sociology major, has earned a spot on the Dean’s List three times. In 2008, the Kettering, Ohio native
was an Academic All-Ivy League selection.

As an All-Ivy League selection in 2008, Gross led the league in tackles with 101 stops. He ranked 20th in the
FCS with 10.1 tackles per game. As a freshman in 2007, Gross was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week four
times en route to earning Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors. Gross’s four Rookie of the Week honors rank
second in Ivy League history. For his career, Gross has totaled 206 stops, including 12.5 tackles for loss, five
sacks and two interceptions. In 2010, Gross leads the Lions and the Ivy League with 75 tackles. The two-time
team captain was named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 11 when he claimed 11 tackles,
a forced fumble and an interception return for a 69-yard score in Columbia’s 42-28 win over Lafayette.

An active volunteer at St. Francis Youth Center, Gross took part in the center’s Christmas party and spring sports
clinic. He also collected items for Toys for Tots and delivered meals to Padre Pio Homeless Shelter.
Additionally, Gross helped support youth literacy and female empowerment through Shakespeare’s Sister
Company.
 OWEN MARECIC
Fullback / Linebacker, Stanford University
Human Biology – 3.47 GPA
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh
Athletics Director: Bob Bowlsby

Believed to be the only current two

- way player in the Football Bowl Subdivision, Stanford University’s Owen
Marecic was described as “the perfect player” by Sports Illustrated’s Kelli Anderson thanks to his versatility on
both sides of the ball.

In the classroom, Marecic, a human biology major, was named to the Academic All-Pac-10 Second Team as a
junior. The Tigard, Ore., native was also a 2009 ESPN The Magazine All-District team selection.

A two-way player at fullback and linebacker, Marecic is a three-time Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 player at
fullback. In 2009, Marecic paved the way for Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart , who set Stanford’s
single-season rushing record with 1,871 yards. In Stanford’s 37-14 win at Notre Dame on Sept. 25, Marecic
carried for a one-yard touchdown and, 13 seconds later, returned an interception 20 yards for another score. He
was the first college football player to score a touchdown on offense and defense in the same contest since 2006.

Marecic, who wears his hair long to later donate it to Locks of Love to benefit cancer patients, studied knee
infections during a summer internship at Stanford Hospital and also participated in a Cardiothoracic Surgery
Laboratory internship. He has donated his time to the Second Mile program and served as a camp counselor at a
local YMCA.

GREG MCELROY
Quarterback, University of Alabama
Business Marketing – 3.83 GPA
Head Coach: Nick Saban
Athletics Director: Mal Moore

Greg McElroy, already a national champion, is now the University of Alabama’s sixth NFF National Scholar-
Athlete. After graduating in three years, McElroy is working on a graduate degree while leading the No. 7
Crimson Tide in its national title defense.

A Rhodes Scholar nominee, McElroy is a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree. The Southlake, Texas,
resident has qualified for the Dean’s List four times and the President’s List twice. One of The Sporting News’
“20 Smartest Athletes,” he was named Alabama’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Marketing and earned
the Marketing Senior Gold Certificate.

En route to leading Alabama to its 13th national title in 2009, McElroy was named Most Valuable Player of the
SEC Championship Game in a 32-13 defeat of No. 1 Florida. McElroy, who claims a 21-1 record as a starter,
currently ranks fourth nationally with a 150.42 career pass efficiency rating. In 2009, McElroy directed an
offense that gained more yards from scrimmage than any other in the 118-year history of Alabama football while
finishing with the lowest interception percentage in school history and second-lowest in SEC history. This
season, McElroy has completed 137-of-194 passes for 1,781 yards with 11 touchdowns and was recently named
a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist.

McElroy has volunteered with Read Across America, Habitat for Humanity, the West Alabama Food Bank and
Hospice of West Alabama. Since 2007, he has been a member of the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee and is also a member of the UA Athletics and Academics Committee.
 MIKE MOHAMED
Linebacker, University of California
Business – 3.43 GPA
Head Coach: Jeff Tedford
Athletics Director: Sandy Barbour

A three-year letterman for the Golden Bears, Mike Mohamed will finish his career as one of the most
accomplished defenders in the history of the University of California football program.

Mohamed, a three-time First Team Academic All-Pac-10 honoree, earned a spot on ESPN The Magazine’s All-
District team. He was named the Athletics Student of the Month for October 2009 by the University of
California. Mohamed has also claimed internships with Cornish & Carey commercial real estate and UBS
Financial Services, Inc.

Mohamed garnered First Team All-Pac-10 honors last season after leading the conference with 112 tackles. In
2008, Mohamed earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 honors by posting 87 tackles, six tackles for loss, three
sacks and three interceptions. Currently, he ranks second on the squad with 44 tackles while also accumulating
two tackles for loss, one interception and one forced fumble. Mohamed ranks as the Golden Bears’ active leader
with 289 tackles and seven interceptions in 45 career games. Mohamed’s 289 career stops place him fifth among
the school’s all-time leading tacklers.

A member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, he has twice served as SAGE mentor for elementary school
children in Berkeley and Oakland, and he served as a volunteer reader at Glenview Elementary School.
Mohamed has coached as a volunteer at the All Skills Football Camp and served meals at a drug rehabilitation
center for adolescents.

TRAVIS NISSLEY
Linebacker, Bucknell University
Mechanical Engineering – 3.96 GPA
Head Coach: Joe Susan
Athletics Director: John Hardt

As the second NFF National Scholar-Athlete in school history and first since 1992, Travis Nissley stands among
the greatest student-athletes ever to play at Bucknell University.

Nissley, who hails from Mount Joy, Pa., was named the Patriot League’s Football Scholar-Athlete of the year in
2009. He was also the recipient of the Charles F. White Memorial Prize for Scholar Athletes. With a near-perfect
GPA, the mechanical engineering major has also qualified for the Tau Beta Pi honor society and has also been
involved in research investigating surface preparation on the fatigue life of cold-sprayed aluminum samples.

After working his way into the starting lineup two games into the 2009 season, Nissley finished second on the
squad with 93 tackles, which placed sixth among all Patriot League defenders. For his career, Nissley has
recorded 226 tackles (114 solo), five tackles for loss, nine passes defended and two interceptions in 40 career
games and 21 starts.

A member of the Player’s Value Committee, Nissley is an annual volunteer for Toys for Tots and has
participated in the National Marrow Donation program. The Bucknell Classics Club member has also coached
flag football for Manheim Central Youth League and has served as an assembly technician for Pik Rite vegetable
harvesting equipment over the last two summers.
 ISAAC ODIM
Running Back, University of Minnesota Duluth
Mechanical Engineering – 3.85 GPA
Head Coach & Athletics Director: Bob Nielson

One of the most decorated players in the history of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Isaac Odim is arguably
one of the best scholar-athletes in all of the NCAA’s Division II.

Named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference All-Academic Team in 2009, Odim garnered a place on
ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-America First Team. The four-time Dean’s List honoree was the recipient
of the BendTec Academic Scholarship and the L. Alden Kendall Alumni Academic Scholarship. The mechanical
engineering major has been inducted into the Mortar Board National Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi National
Engineering Honor Society and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

With 106 carries for 796 yards and 17 touchdowns, Odim paces the ground attack for the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs.
He currently ranks fifth in Division II with 132.67 rushing yards per game and leads the nation in scoring with 19
points per game. He was named to a school-record five different All-American teams last season and was a
Harlon Hill Trophy finalist. Odim pushed UMD to the 2008 national championship while setting the school’s
single-season records with 1,638 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. He bettered those marks in 2009,
accumulating 1,808 yards and 29 scores. The team captain holds virtually every single-game, single-season and
career record in UMD history.

The Rochester, Minn., native serves as Vice President of the Tau Delta Chapter of the Mortar Board National
Honor Society and the Corresponding Secretary of the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society.

CHRISTIAN PONDER
Quarterback, Florida State University
Finance – 3.73 GPA
Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher
Athletics Director: Randy Spetman

Believed to be the only player in the FBS currently working toward a second master’s degree, Florida State’s
Christian Ponder has distinguished himself as one of the all-time elite leaders on the field, in the classroom and in
the community.

Ponder, a native of Colleyville, Texas, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in finance in just two and a half
years. He received an MBA in May 2010 and is now working towards a master’s in sports management. He is a
four-time ACC Honor Roll member and has twice been selected to the Academic All-ACC team.

Last season, Ponder was named an Honorable Mention All-ACC pick, selected as a finalist for the Wuerffel
Trophy and a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Manning awards. As a junior, he ranked sixth all-time in the ACC
by producing 321.8 yards of total offense per game. This season, he has captained the No. 16 Seminoles to the
top of the ACC Atlantic Division by connecting on 110-of-182 passes for 1,187 yards with 12 touchdowns and
has been named a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist. Overall, Ponder ranks among the top ten Florida
State signal callers with 522 completions on 848 attempts for 6,015 yards for 41 touchdowns.

Ponder leads all Florida State athletes in community service hours performed and was named one of the ACC’s
Top Six Service Award winners. A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he has volunteered his time
with the United Way, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Children’s Miracle Network, Leon County
Animal Shelter and Tallahassee Boy’s Town to name a few.
 DEREK SHERROD
Offensive Tackle, Mississippi State University
Business – 3.54 GPA
Head Coach: Dan Mullen
Athletics Director: Scott Stricklin

A three-year letterman, Derek Sherrod has helped propel Mississippi State University into the national spotlight
while also setting an example for younger students and excelling academically. He is the school’s third NFF
National Scholar-Athlete and the first since 1989.

Sherrod, who hails from Columbus, Miss., has been named to the Mississippi State University President’s
Scholar List three times. A two
- time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, he has graduated Cum Laude in
business with a focus on financial risk management.

An All-SEC selection in 2009, Sherrod helped pave the way for the Bulldogs to lead the SEC and finish ninth
nationally in rushing with 227.6 yards per game. This season, Sherrod has helped Mississippi State bulldoze its
way to 219.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 15th nationally. He has helped the No. 21 Bulldogs achieve
their most wins since 2007 with four games yet to play. The team captain has started 30 games and appeared in
42 contests for his career.

A four-year member of the M-Club, the student-athlete community service organization, he has spent
considerable time with the youth of Mississippi. He has served breakfast at Sudduth Elementary School,
participated in Sudduth’s Kids Fair and read to local students to promote literacy. He has also organized a
Thanksgiving food drive.

NATE SOLDER
Offensive Tackle, University of Colorado
Biology – 3.51 GPA
Head Coach: Dan Hawkins
Athletics Director: Mike Bohn

After moving from the tight end position to left tackle, Colorado’s Nate Solder quickly became a force on the
Buff’s offensive line, gaining accolades on and off the field.

A native of Leadville, Colo., Solder is a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 selection and was recognized
for having the highest GPA on the CU football team. The Biology major was named a 2009 ESPN The Magazine
All-District pick and was the recipient of the Dean Jacob Van Ek Award for Academic Excellence.

The team captain was named a First Team All-Big 12 selection as a junior and a two-time winner of CU’s Gold
Group Commitment Award for Excellence. He has been the recipient of the Iron Buffalo Award for dedication and
toughness as well as the John Wooten Award for outstanding work ethic. A staple on the offensive line, Solder is
helping the Buffs average more than 350 yards of total offense per game in 2010.

Solder has participated in the Read with the Buffs elementary school program and was named a CU football
ambassador for student government meetings. He has also helped rebuild homes in Italy and spent time with
children at a Guatemalan orphanage.
 CHRIS STEWART
Offensive Guard, University of Notre Dame
History – 3.54 GPA
Head Coach: Brian Kelly
Athletics Director: Jack Swarbrick

The only player in Notre Dame’s storied football history to tackle football and law school simultaneously, Chris
Stewart embodies the phrase working hard and playing hard.

A 2009 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District selection, Stewart finished his undergraduate
studies in History in only three and a half years. He was a member of the History Honors Program and was
inducted into the Phi Alpha Theta honor fraternity.

Stewart entered 2010 with the most career starts on the offensive side of the ball at Notre Dame, starting every
game since 2008. He helped the Irish finish last season as the eighth-best offense in the country, averaging 452
yards per game, and is helping ND passing attack outgain opponents 282.9-232.6 yards per game this season.

Actively involved in numerous outreach efforts, the Spring, Texas, native journeyed to Haiti during his 2009 spring
break to help with the relief efforts following the deadliest earthquake in the nation’s history. He volunteered all
last summer at the South Bend Youth Center and has participated in a fine arts initiative for area children. Stewart
has also visited local children’s hospitals and raised funds for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

SCOTT TOLZIEN
Quarterback, University of Wisconsin
Consumer Affairs – 3.50 GPA
Head Coach: Bret Bielema
Athletics Director: Barry Alvarez

A 2010 finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Wisconsin’s Scott Tolzien has captained the Badgers
into national prominence and a No. 10 ranking in the BCS standings.

Named to Wisconsin’s Dean’s List six times, Tolzien was named a 2009 Academic All-Big Ten selection. With
hopes of obtaining an MBA, the Rolling Meadows, Ill., native was also honored as a Big Ten Distinguished
Scholar last season.

Tolzien stands among the nation’s active career leaders in completion percentage (66.86) and passing efficiency
(148.09), ranking fourth and eighth respectively. He set the school’s single-season pass completion (211) record
last season en route to being named a 2009 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten performer. In his first season as a
starter, he led the Big Ten in pass efficiency (143), the third-best mark in school history, and he ranks in UW’s top
ten in all-time career passing yards (4,370). In 2010, he has completed 125-of-174 passes for 1,558 yards and eight
touchdowns while leading Wisconsin to its first win over the nation’s No. 1 team since 1981, a 31-18 win over
conference foe Ohio State.

A 2010 AFCA Good Works Team nominee, Tolzien regularly visits elementary schools and has formed a close
bond with a young boy battling cancer whom he often visits in the hospital and calls on the phone.
 BEN WARTMAN
Halfback, University of Saint Thomas (Minn.)
Finance – 3.89 GPA
Head Coach: Glenn Caruso
Athletics Director: Steve Fritz

One of only two players in Division III to garner First Team All-America honors as well as First Team Academic
All-America laurels in 2009, Ben Wartman is arguably one of the most successful student-athletes in the history of
the University of Saint Thomas.

Hailing from Prior Lake, Minn., Wartman was twice named an Academic All-MIAC selection. The finance major
is also a six-time Dean’s List honoree with plans to obtain a master’s degree in business administration.

Wartman has led the Tommies to a No. 4 national ranking this season, sitting atop the conference standings with an
impressive 8-0 record. In 2009, Wartman helped Saint Thomas to its first NCAA playoff berth in 19 seasons en
route to earning First Team All-America honors. He ranks as only the third player in conference history to gain 300
yards or more in a single game and is on pace to break both the school and conference career rushing records. This
season he has rushed 103 times for 565 yards and seven touchdowns.

In addition to his football prowess, Wartman also plays on the school’s baseball team, which won the Division III
National Championship last season. He coordinated the UST Football for Haiti initiative that raised nearly $1,500
in four days and traveled to Costa Rica to volunteer at Camp Penuel Mission for underprivileged kids.

STEFEN WISNIEWSKI
Offensive Guard, Pennsylvania State University
Secondary Education – 3.91 GPA
Head Coach: Joe Paterno
Athletics Director: Tim Curley

On track to become Penn State’s first three-time Academic All-American, Stefen Wisniewski becomes the 16th
NFF National Scholar-Athlete in Nittany Lions’ rich academic and athletic history.

Enrolled in Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College, Wisniewski has been inducted into PSU’s Spiritus Leoninus
Honor Society for student-athletes. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, the Pittsburgh native received
Second Team Academic All-American accolades in 2008, besting it last season as a First Team honoree.

Wisniewski is a two-time All-Big Ten performer and was named a Third Team All-American in 2009 by
collegefootballnews.com. As the first true freshman offensive lineman to start since 1999, he led PSU to the 2008
Big Ten championship and has been instrumental in Evan Royster’s back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. As a
junior, Wisniewski helped the Nittany Lions become the only Big Ten team ranked in the top five in the conference
in scoring, rushing and passing offense.

Selected to the 2010 AFCA Good Works Team, he has made two mission trips to the Dominican Republic,
providing prayer to the locals and helping to rebuild homes. He is a member of Campus Crusade for Christ and of
the Student-Athlete Advisory Board’s Autism Awareness reading program. Wisniewski has also participated in the
Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute and was the subject of a feature story on the day in the life of a highly
motivated student-athlete in Sports Illustrated Teen.

- NFF -
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, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed
to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and
12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame, Play It Smart, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society,
the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, the NFF Gridiron Clubs of New York City, Dallas, and Los Angeles, and annual
scholarships of more than $1.3 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Bowl, the Campbell
Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings.

ABOUT HEALTHSOUTH
HealthSouth is the nation's largest provider of inpatient rehabilitation services. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto
Rico, HealthSouth serves more than 250,000 patients annually through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care
hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation satellites, and home health agencies. HealthSouth strives to be the health care company of choice for its
patients, employees, physicians and shareholders and can be found on the Web at www.healthsouth.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS ASSOCIATION

The William V. Campbell Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in
1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the
game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member
awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official Web site,
www.NCFAA.org.