April 20, 2009
The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas will present its Distinguished Texan Award to former Baylor head coach and College Football Hall of Famer Grant Teaff at its first banquet on April 22 at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.
The Distinguished Texan Award, the group's most prestigious honor, honors an outstanding person who has maintained a lifetime of interest in the game of football and who, over a long period of time, has been a leader and a significant contributor to the betterment of the game.
"Grant Teaff has devoted his entire adult life to ensure the future of football and its ability to develop the leadership skills in the young men who play the game," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "In his role leading AFCA, he has become one of the most influential and insightful voices in our sport, and we are proud to announce that he'll be the first recipient of the gridiron club's Distinguished Texan Award."
Teaff served as head coach at McMurry College (1960-65) and Angelo State University (1969-71) prior to his 21-year career at Baylor. Immediately following his retirement in 1992, Teaff became executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, a position he still holds today. He has served on the NFF Board of Directors, was named vice-chair of an NCAA committee investigating gambling on college campuses and created the American Football Coaches Foundation (AFCF). During his 30-years as a head coach, Teaff tallied a 170-151-8 record, claiming two Southwest Conference Championships with Baylor and leading them to eight bowl games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2006, Teaff was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award at the AFCA Convention in Dallas.
In addition, 32 North Texas high school and five college scholar-athletes will also be honored at the banquet. Fox Sports NFL Analyst Daryl "Moose" Johnston, a former fullback at Syracuse and then a standout with the Dallas Cowboys during three of their Super Bowl championships, will deliver the keynote address while award-winning sportscaster Scott Murray will emcee the event.
For more information on tickets and/or banquet sponsorship opportunities, please contact Club President Mark Ball at 972-429-2400 or via email at beth.smith@wylieisd.net.
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., 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 scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings.
