NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter Announces 2023 Honorees
Pictured: Last year's NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter Scholar-Athletes.
Chapter will honor five collegiate and 51 high school scholar-athletes alongside DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis during the chapter’s 14th Annual Awards Banquet on March 19.
DALLAS, Texas (Mar. 16, 2023) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter announced today the honorees who will be recognized for their accomplishments during the chapter's 14th Annual Awards Banquet this Sunday, March 19, at 6 p.m. CT at the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria.
The chapter will honor five collegiate scholar-athletes and 51 high school scholar-athletes from the region, with one high school player being named as the top scholar-athlete and receiving national recognition as a member of the NFF Team of Distinction. Also headlining the honorees is High School Coach of the Year, Claude Mathis, who guided DeSoto High School to the 2022 UIL Class 6A Division II state title.
Award-winning sportscaster Scott Murray, who was the recipient of the chapter's 2021 Distinguished Texan Award, will emcee for the 14th consecutive year.
"We have the privilege of honoring another group of remarkable high school and collegiate scholar-athletes who not only excel on the football field, but also in the classroom and in their communities," said NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter president Gerald Brence, a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor and current assistant football coach at McKinney Christian Academy. "We are also looking forward to honoring Coach Claude Mathis and our other major award winners who have all made a lasting impact on the game and the area."
The college and high school candidates were selected based on their athletic accomplishments, academic performance, and leadership in the community. The high school honorees will enroll in the fall at a prestigious list of institutions, including Ivy League schools, state universities and the service academies, with many continuing to play football at the next level.
2022 High School Coach of the Year
Claude Mathis, DeSoto High School
Other Major Awards
Distinguished Texan Award: Sonny Dykes, TCU head football coach
Legend Award: Tim Buchanan, legendary football coach and athletic director who led the programs at Florence, Killeen Ellison, The Colony, A&M Consolidated, and Aledo high schools
Media Person of the Year: Bill Jones, KTVT sports anchor and reporter
Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award: Stan Sharp
2023 NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Collegiate Scholar-Athletes
Greg Blaser - Texas Wesleyan
Emari Demercado – Texas Christian University
Tyler Hanes - Austin College
Fernando Piedra - Midwestern State
Ben Redding - Southern Methodist University
2022 NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas High School Scholar-Athletes
Daniel Adenugba - Arlington Sam Houston
Ryan Allen—Mansfield Lake Ridge
Matthew Amaya - West Mesquite
Bryson Baggett- Dallas Woodrow Wilson
Bardia Barati - Carrollton Ranchview
Jace Berry - Ennis
Blair Brennan - Episcopal School of Dallas
Stephen Brock - Dallas Carter
Alixzandur Brown - Mesquite Poteet
Evan Bullock - Anna
David Chavez - Dallas Samuell
Timad Cotton - Dallas Spruce
Jason Cueto - Dallas Bryan Adams
Demarion Dewberry - Tyler High School
Aldrin Alvarado Dominguez - Dallas Thomas Jefferson
Gage Ellis - Boswell
Landon Farris - Argyle
David Fiefia - Euless Trinity
Caus Frazier - Dallas Roosevelt School of Innovation
Jaquarius Gordon - Dallas Conrad
Cameron Hammond - Colleyville Heritage
Garrett Hubbard - Arlington High School
Glen Jackson - Dallas Molina
Nathaniel Jimenez - Richardson High School
Darious Johnson - Dallas Madison
Mason Johnson - Lewisville High School
Carson Klein - Lake Highlands
Reed Malphurs - Dallas Hillcrest
Henry Mankin - Arlington Heights
Braden Manners - Keller Central
Tyler Manoy - Mesquite High School
Cameron Martin - Dallas Jesuit
Max Moeller - Aledo
Robert (RJ) Moilan - Western Hills High School
Jacob Mumy - Prosper High School
Joseph Oluwayemi - Dallas North Dallas
Carlos Eduardo Orozco - Carrollton R.L. Turner
Elijah Prince - Plano East
Dalan Ramsey - Dallas Seagoville
Criston Reed - Dallas Lincoln
Kemaj Robinson - Dallas Skyline
Dominic Rodriguez - Dallas Sunset
Adam Rourke - Highland Park
Emilio Sanchez - McKinney Christian Academy
Brittan Snider - Rockwall Heath
Mark Spangler - The Covenant School of Dallas
Evan Stein - Frisco Lone Star
Jarvis Turner - Dallas Wilmer-Hutchins
Colin Wanek - Plano Senior High
Dermot White - Plano West
Brock Winsett - Allen
Tickets for the event can be purchased online by clicking here.
Click here to join the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter. Along with providing a rebate that supports the chapter's initiatives, membership benefits include a vote in the annual College Football Hall of Fame election, an exclusive NFF branded t-shirt and a membership certificate. Those that opt for a three-year or lifetime membership will also receive an NFF travel mug.
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.
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Media Contact
Gary Peek
gpeek@nffdallas.org