Touchdown Machine Scores Off the Field

DALLAS, October 13, 2008 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that Brandon Walker, a talented two-way player at William Penn High School in York, Pa., has been named the September National Student-Athlete of the Month for Play It Smart, the NFF's highly successful mentoring program targeted at student-athletes in underserved communities. Selected from more than 10,000 participants in the program, Walker maintains a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and has helped guide his team to a 6-0 record, leading them in tackles and scoring with 15 touchdowns. John Moroney, the academic coach at William Penn High School, nominated Walker for his dedication to the program's ideals of citizenship, scholarship and athletic achievement. "Brandon is not only a role model to the student- athletes here at William Penn, but he is a role model to all students," said Moroney, who has worked with Walker since his freshman year. "I have worked with students for the past 42 years, and I must say I that I have not seen anyone who is so driven by determination to give 150% to his sport, his community, and his education." A brief review of Walker's leadership positions illustrates why the selection committee chose him for the honor. A senior and a two-year team captain for the Bearcats, Walker also serves as president of the William Penn Student Council and president of The New Hustle, a mentoring program that works to improve high school graduation rates for African- American and Hispanic males. "Brandon Walker will be an ambassador for the Play It Smart program for many years to come," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "We're thrilled to recognize him and, by extension, his teammates and coaches from the William Penn High School football program. They have a fabulous program, which is focused on developing their student-athletes into the future leaders of our country, and we applaud their efforts." Playing both ways, Walker averages 6.69 yards per carry at fullback and ranks No. 8 in Pennsylvania for points scored on the season with 76 points, including his 12 touchdowns. At linebacker, he leads the team in tackles this year and his totals from last year included 88 tackles and 7 sacks. Named First Team All-County on both sides of the ball and Second Team All-State, Walker has attracted attention from some of the best football programs in the country, including Army, Tennessee, UConn, Harvard, and Vanderbilt. "In my 11 years of coaching, I have never had a junior as a team captain," said William Penn head coach Matt Ortega. "His leadership qualities are apparent in his offer from Army. Army doesn't want kids who lack leadership on and off the field." Enrolled at Penn State York Campus as part of a dual program, Walker uses AP courses to balance out his schedule. Excelling in all his courses with math and history ranking as his favorite subjects, Walker aspires to be a school psychologist, and he credits Play It Smart with helping him focus on his future. "It [Play It Smart] encourages me to understand that opportunities are out there if you set your goals and work toward them," Walker said. Each month the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame honors one student-athlete from its Play It Smart program as its National Student- Athlete of the Month. Winners are selected from nominations received by academic coaches from the more than 150 schools across the country. At the end of the school year the "Student-Athlete of the Year" will be selected from the monthly winners to be honored at the NFF's Annual Play It Smart National Conference. With major financial support from a broad-coalition of school districts, corporations, individuals and organizations, including the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the Play It Smart program achieved dramatic results that include: 95% of seniors graduating high school, compared to 76% of their peers; 80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 63% of their peers; Participants completing more than 55,000 hours of community service annually; Participants earning more than $8 million a year in scholarships; and 270-plus graduates earning places among the elite collegiate ranks during the 2008 season on Division I rosters. Launched in 1998 and proven as one of the most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the nation, Play It Smart currently partners with more than 150 schools in 82 different cities throughout the country. The program has shown that sports, when coached in the proper environment, can be used as an effective tool for significantly enhancing the academic performance and goal-setting practices of its participants. Play It Smart fulfills its mission by facilitating the hiring and training of "Academic Coaches" who work at high schools in underserved communities during the entire school year. The year-round Academic Coaches teach participants how to transfer the life skills learned on the playing field and apply them in the classroom and the community for success throughout their lives. Academic Coaches build on the positive peer pressure of the team and a participant's interest in football by utilizing a set of guiding principles and tactics, which are designed to make academic achievement the norm. Tactics include one-on-one goal setting meetings, career and life skills sessions, mandatory study halls, SAT/ACT prep classes, community service projects and other team building events. The success of the program requires the full support of a team's head coach, who must lend his full authority with his players to the efforts of the Academic Coach, as well as the support of the school's administration, especially the principal, the head of guidance, and the athletics director. About Play It Smart Created by The National Football Foundation as an educational program, Play It Smart has changed the lives of more than 25,000 at risk student-athlete since its launch in 1998. The program's mission is to help student-athletes take responsibility for their futures through lessons learned on the playing field, in the classroom, and in service to others. At the heart of the program is a year-round academic coach, an official member of a team's staff, who serves as a direct link to the classroom by helping players and the team set and achieve their academic and personal development goals during the entire school year. Learn more at www.PlayItSmart.org About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame: Founded in 1947 with 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 in South Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Play It Smart, the NFF-FWAA Football Forum, the NFF Gridiron Clubs of New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF awards the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.