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National Football Foundation: 🏈 A Longhorn Legend Joins The Podcast!

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What do we have included in this week’s National Football Foundation Footballetter?
🏈 Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald tells his ‘I Played’ story
🏈 A Texas Longhorn legend joins the podcast
🏈 And much more!
College football players are members of the greatest fraternity in the world. Check out the National Football Foundation’s ‘I Played’ roster and submit your story to join today!
‘I PLAYED’ ROSTER
SHARE YOUR ‘I PLAYED’ STORY
Members who recently submitted their ‘I Played’ story:
  • Todd Baldwin, VMI — President and Founder, Red Leg Brewing Company
  • Robert Hampton, Boston University — Retired Teacher, Jersey City Board of Education
  • Tom Welter, Nebraska — COO, Empower Brands
Name: Pat Fitzgerald
College: Northwestern
Now: Head Coach, Michigan State
Accomplishments: NFF College Football Hall of Famer from Northwestern and NFF Board of Trustees Member

YouTube video by National Football Foundation
I Played: Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) | Life Lessons Through Football
There are good things happening all over the game of football. The National Football Foundation has asked individuals to share an example of something they see happening within our sport that is good for the game. Here is one example of what makes the sport so meaningful!
. . .

“At Ohio, one emphasis we have on the team is volunteering. A lot of the guys will go down to the local elementary school and read books with kids. We’ve had opportunities to go to hospitals and to visit local patients. Athens, Ohio is a tight-knit community and the guys are super involved.”
 
— Parker Navarro, 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist

YouTube video by National Football Foundation
Derrick Johnson on Going to Texas, the LB History Wearing #11 & What the Game Means to Him
In the most recent episode of the Good in the Game podcast, Derrick Johnson — NFF College Football Hall of Famer, Texas Longhorn legend, and the all‑time leading tackler in Kansas City Chiefs history — sits down with host LaVar Arrington for one of the most powerful conversations ever on Good in the Game.

From growing up in a football family in Waco, to becoming the most dominant linebacker in Big 12 history, to overcoming adversity in the NFL, DJ breaks down the mindset, discipline, and legacy that shaped his life on and off the field.

The 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame ballot has been revealed
In case you missed it, the National Football Foundation has announced the names on the 2027 Ballot under consideration for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame!
The 2027 ballot includes 80 players and nine coaches from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from the NCAA divisional and NAIA ranks.
CLICK HERE to see the 2027 NFF Hall of Fame ballot.
Through football, C.J. Ham learned ‘to serve’
Duluth News Tribune
Read Story
Wan’Dale Robinson gives back with clinic for young athletes
Spectrum News 1
Read Story
How Sam Rapoport Helped Girls’ Flag Football Take Off in the U.S.
Women’s Health
Read Story
  • D.D. Bowie, who played collegiately at Ole Miss and Jackson State, passed away June 5. He was 27.
  • Bobby Crockett, who played collegiately at Arkansas from 1963-65, won a national championship with the Razorbacks in 1964 and earned All-American status in 1965, has passed away. He was 83.
  • Paul Ellen, who broadcasted Auburn Athletics for almost a half century and set the stage for some of the greatest moments in school history, has passed away. He was 75.
  • Howard Freese, who played collegiately at Columbia in the 1960s, passed away May 28. He was 84.
  • Jim Gobble, who played collegiately at South Carolina and participated in the Shrine Bowl, passed away on February 6. He was 80.
  • Ronald Maltony, who played collegiately at Purdue and earned All-Big Ten status from 1958-60, passed away May 10. He was 89.
  • Mike Purzycki, who played collegiately at Delaware and later served two terms as the mayor of Wilmington, has passed away. He was 80.
  • Jack Ruch, who played collegiately at Delaware in the late 1960s, passed away on May 29. He was 78.
  • Bill Schmidt, who played collegiately at Blinn Junior College and Texas A&M in the 1960s, passed away May 27. He was 81.
  • Nic Smith, a defensive lineman on the Kentucky football team, has passed away. He was 20.

Join the Celebration of College Football’s Greatest Legends — December 8, 2026

YouTube video by National Football Foundation
Join the Celebration of College Football’s Greatest Legends — December 8, 2026
SECURE YOUR TICKET!
July 23-25 — NFF Campbell Trophy¼ Summit at Stanford University
September 23 — Announcement of the 2026 NFF Campbell Trophy¼ Semifinalists
October 21 — Announcement of the 2026 NFF Campbell Trophy¼ Finalists
December 8 — 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at Bellagio Resort & Casino
December 8 — Announcement of the winner of the 37th NFF William V. Campbell Trophy¼
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