NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Hosts 16th Annual Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet
In addition to recognizing ten influential people in football, the chapter also honors four collegiate and 34 high school scholar-athletes.
Pictured: 2025 NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athletes including such notables as: former Dallas Cowboys great, Bob Lilly, FOX4 sportscaster, Mike Doocy, President/CEO of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Steve Hatchell, legendary sportscaster, Scott Murray, legendary Highland Park High School football coach, Randy Allen, President of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence, Celina High School head football coach, Bill Elliott, Vice Presidents of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Scott Smith and Gary Peek.
DALLAS, Texas (Apr. 7, 2025) – The NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, the north Texas chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Inc., held their 16th annual awards banquet on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at the Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria. The chapter honored 10 major award winners and a total of 38 scholar-athletes including four collegiate and 34 high school football players. These players were recognized for their performance on the football field, excellence in the classroom, and service in the community. Scott Murray, 2021 Distinguished Texan Award winner and legendary sportscaster, served as the emcee for the 16th year.
Major Award Winners
Distinguished Texan Award (Bob Lilly): Super Bowl Champion player with the Dallas Cowboys over 14 seasons; member of the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fames; Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
Pictured: President of Murray Media, Scott Murray, legendary Cowboys player, Bob Lilly, and president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence.
Legends Award (Randy Allen): Legendary Highland Park high school football coach with 460 wins and four state championships (2005, 2016, 2017, and 2018)
Media Person of the Year (Mike Doocy): Primary sports anchor for Fox4 DFW for over 30 years and host of "Free 4 All" and "Sports Sunday"
Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football (James Craft): Founding member of the Clearview Foundation supporting the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas and other charities
Steve Storie Official of the Year (Scooter Asel): Former Texas high school football player and official who gained recognition for his contributions to the sport
College Coach of the Year (Rhett Lashlee): Southern Methodist University head football coach
6A High School Coach of the Year (Ray Gates): North Crowley High School head football coach and 2024 Conference 6A Division 1 state champion
Picture: President of Murray Media, Scott Murray, North Crowley Head Football Coach, Ray Gates, and President of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence.
4A High School Coach of the Year (Bill Elliott): Celina High School head football coach and 2024 Conference 4A Division 1 state champion
3A High School Coach of the Year (Jake Fieszel): Gunter High School head football coach and 2024 Conference 3A Division 2 state champion
Picture: President of Murray Media, Scott Murray, Gunter High School Head Football Coach, Jake Fieszel, and President of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence.
TAPPS DII High School Coach of the Year (Aaron Beck): All Saints’ Episcopal School (Fort Worth) head football coach and 2024 TAPPS Division II state champion
NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athlete of the Year
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year was awarded to Preston Tarpley from Gunter High School where he served as captain and was a key player on Gunter’s third state championship team in a row for Coach Jake Fieszel.
Besides football, Tarpley plays basketball, runs track and plays golf. He scored 1,430 on the SAT, carries a 4.6 GPA, and is the class valedictorian. Tarpley is a local market volunteer, a member of the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Senior Buddies and the outreach program.
Tarpley was selected to the Elite Academic All-State team and Oklahoma University gave him their Academic Excellence Award. He plans on attending either Southern Methodist or Texas A&M University this fall.
Pictured: 2024 Scholar Athlete of the Year, Cooper Peach of Arlington High School, Arlington Head Football Coach, Scott Peach, 2025 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Preston Tarpley of Gunter High School, Gunter Head Football Coach, Jake Fieszel, and president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence.
Scott Murray Community Service Award
Pictured Right: President of Murray Media, Scott Murray, Hudson Dalton, and president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence
Hudson Dalton, of All Saints’ Episcopal School (Fort Worth), was the recipient of the 2025 Scott Murray Community Service Award for his dedication to serving others.
Dalton was 1st Team All District, a captain for Coach Aaron Beck, and a major part of their state championship team. He carries a 3.85 GPA and is recognized as Academic All-State, National Honor Society and the Young Men’s Service League.
Dalton has performed over 100 hours of community service working with the Tarrant County Food Bank and Special Olympics. He is very involved in his church, and he loves fishing and hiking. He plans on attending Marist University this fall.
Army Black Knight Award
The Army Black Knight Award was presented to Easton Pulliam of Lone Star High School in Frisco.
Pulliam was a captain and First Team All-State Linebacker on Coach Jeff Rayburn’s team this year. He has been on the A-Honor Roll during his entire time in high school, in the Top 5% of his graduating class, carries a 5.08 GPA, and selected as 1st Team Academic All-State by the THSCA.
Pulliam was a member of the Rangers Impacting the Community program where he volunteered to go to elementary schools to read. He is a member of Hope Fellowship and plans to study engineering and play football at Angelo State University.
Pictured: NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas board member, Ryan Brence, Easton Pulliam of Lone Star High School, and president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence.
Passion Grants Foundation Award
The Passion Grants Foundation Award and a $2,500 college scholarship were presented to Hayden Meyer of Granbury High School for his essay regarding his passion to help others. The award was sponsored by the Passion Grants Foundation.
Meyer was a two-year captain for Coach Bobby Allison at Granbury where he played quarterback. He carries a 4.3 GPA and is ranked in the top quarter of his class. Meyer was Academic All- District his Junior year and was selected by the THSCA as 1st Team Academic All-State his Senior year.
Meyer volunteers for the Wake for Warriors program that focuses on teaching wounded veterans to wake surf. He is on the Student Leadership Council and involved with DECA. He enjoys reading, finance and philosophy, and will play football at Houston Christian University this fall.
Pictured: NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas board member, Gary Peek, Hayden Meyer of Granbury High School, and president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas, Gerald Brence
Collegiate Scholar-Athletes
The NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas recognized four collegiate scholar-athletes at the awards banquet. Collegiate candidates were selected from universities around north Texas based on their athletic accomplishments, academic performance, and leadership in the community.
Pictured: Brady Dygert (Austin College), Jonathan McGill (Southern Methodist University), Gerald Brence (president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas), Jayden Hill (University of North Texas), and Chase Curtis (Texas Christian University).
Click here to see a full list of award winners and honorees from the 16th Annual Gridiron Club of Dallas Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet.
About NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas
Founded in 2008, the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas (www.nffdallas.org) is one of 120 nationwide chapters of the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame (www.footballfoundation.org). The NFF is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. NFF programs include Future For Football, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. Click here to join the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas chapter.
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Media Contact
Gary Peek
gpeek@nffdallas.org
972.465.0173