Annual Awards Dinner

Throughout the football season, records are broken, titles are won, and champions are made, but perhaps the most bountiful memories are supplied by the magnetic December dinner, which annually fills the Grand Ballroom of New York City's Waldorf-Astoria.

Since 1958, over 1,500 of the game's most enthusiastic supporters have gathered each year to witness this showcase and honor those who embody the spirit of the game: dynamic business, military and community leaders; national scholar-athletes; and former greats of the game who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

This black-tie affair is a homecoming for the football fraternity as the audience is graced with former and current coaches, Hall of Famers from yesteryear and generous supporters of the Foundation and its mission.

Several awards are presented every year at the Dinner. They include the Gold Medal, the highest award the Foundation bestows, the Distinguished American Award, 15 National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and the highlight of the evening - the induction of the Hall of Fame Class.

Of the nearly $1 million that the Foundation awards annually, over $300,000 is set aside during this grandeur event for scholar-athletes, who are awarded $18,000 postgraduate scholarships, with many receiving more depending on the area of study. Also that evening, the winner of the Draddy Award, the highest academic award in the country presented to a senior football player, is revealed for the first time and is the recipient of a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.

The 50th Annual Awards Dinner is slated for December 4, 2007, at the Waldorf-Astoria. For more information on how to attend or to purchase tickets, please call 972-556-1000 or contact Director of National Events Will Rudd at wrudd@footballfoundation.com.