Tyler ButlerIRVING, Texas (Sept. 30, 2024) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that several former players from The Ohio State University have permanently endowed the NFF Woody & Anne Hayes Scholar-Athlete Award. The group of friends and former players raised the funds as a tribute to the late College Football Hall of Fame Coach Woody Hayes, who headed the Buckeye program from 1951-78, and his wife Anne.
at Penn State in 1976.
The $18,000 post-graduate scholarship will be awarded each year to one member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. Distributed to the nation’s top scholar-athletes since 1959, the annual class is also recognized as finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented to college football’s top scholar-athlete. The recognition of the National Scholar-Athlete Class and the announcement of the Campbell Trophy® will take place at the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
“The establishment of the Woody & Anne Hayes Scholar-Athlete Award is a remarkable tribute, honoring the legacy of one of college football’s most legendary coaches,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The connection between a coach and his players is profound, and we are thrilled that Coach Hayes’ former players have chosen to highlight the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program as a meaningful way to celebrate that bond.”
Coach Hayes (click for his full bio) guided Ohio State to a share of five national titles and 13 Big Ten crowns, achieving an impressive career record of 239-72-10 (75.9%), which includes his head coaching tenures at Denison (OH) and Miami (OH). The group of former players chose to make this announcement today to align with the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Ohio State football team, which will be honored Oct. 5 in Columbus during the Buckeyes’ game against Iowa.
“From Heisman Trophy winners to walk-ons, from coaches and trainers to team managers, a wide range of contributors came together to honor Coach Hayes and his wife Anne’s legacy,” said Mark George, a member of the Buckeye program from 1974 to 1978. “Coach Hayes always encouraged us to ‘pay forward,’ and the effort to endow an NFF scholarship in his and her name stands as a powerful testament to their lasting influence. It reflects not only the impact he had on all of us, but also our shared commitment to fulfilling his wish for us to leave things better than we found them.”
Coach Hayes mentored six NFF National Scholar-Athletes from 1964-75, and Ohio State has produced 22 NFF National Scholar-Athletes, the second-highest number among all schools: Arnold Chonko (1964), Willard Sander (1965), David Foley (1968), Rex Kern† (1970), Randy Gradishar† (1973), Brian Baschnagel (1975), James Laughlin (1979), Joseph A. Smith (1982), John Frank (1983), David Crecelius (1984), Mike Lanese (1985), Joseph Staysniak (1989), Gregory Frey (1990), Gregory W. Smith (1992), Joey Galloway (1994), Bobby Hoying* (1995), Greg Bellisari (1996), Ahmed Plummer (1999), Craig Krenzel* (2003), Brian Robiskie (2008), Jacoby Boren (2015), and Jordan Fuller (2019). *NFF Campbell Trophy recipient. †College Football of Fame Inductee.
The NFF Woody & Anne Hayes Scholar-Athlete Award becomes the 21st endowment within the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, and Hayes becomes the ninth College Football Hall of Fame coach to have an endowment established in his name, joining Bob Blackman, Bobby Bowden, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Robert Neyland, Eddie Robinson, Darrell K. Royal, Bo Schembechler and Bill Yeoman. Click here for the full list of other endowments.
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments were introduced in 1959 as the first program ever to award a postgraduate scholarship based on a player’s combined achievements in academics, athletics, and community service. In 1990, the NFF added the William V. Campbell Trophy®, selecting one member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class as the absolute best in the nation. The program has awarded $12.6 million to 922 top athletes since its inception, and it currently distributes around $300,000 each year. Click here for more information.
