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National Football Foundation Announces 2014 Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute Schedule, Moore’s Date is TBD

Aug. 26, 2014. College Football Hall of Fame inductees are set to return to their alma maters to receive a special tribute as they take their places among the greatest of all-time. Former Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore’s “on-campus salute” is to be determined.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) today announced the 2014 schedule for the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans in higher education.

Former Appalachian State University Head Football Coach Jerry Moore - Photo courtesy of ASU
Former Appalachian State University Head Football Coach Jerry Moore – Photo courtesy of ASU

The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program stands as a hallowed tradition that began with the inaugural class in 1951, and to this day the salutes remain the first of numerous activities in each inductee’s Hall of Fame experience. During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each inductee returns to his alma mater to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will remain on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many inductees cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and hear the crowd roar their name.

“Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate achievement in our sport, and the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute tradition allows us to bring each inductee back to their alma mater for a truly memorable experience in front of their home crowd fans,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We look forward to celebrating the storied careers of this year’s inductees with the tens of thousands of fans who will witness an on-campus salute this year.”

This year’s class of inductees, who will be inducted Dec. 9 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and forever immortalized at the new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, includes: Dre Bly (North Carolina), Tony Boselli (Southern California), Dave Butz (Purdue), Shane Conlan (Penn State), Joe Hamilton(Georgia Tech), John Huard (Maine), Darrin Nelson (Stanford), Willie Roaf (Louisiana Tech), John Sciarra (UCLA), Sterling Sharpe (South Carolina),Leonard Smith (McNeese State), the late Derrick Thomas (Alabama), LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU), Wesley Walls (Mississippi) and coaches Mike Bellotti(Chico State [Calif.], Oregon) and Jerry Moore (North Texas, Texas Tech and Appalachian State).

Currently Scheduled 2014 NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, Presented by Fidelity Investments

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The 2014 season marks the fifth season that Fidelity Investments will serve as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education.

Other highlights of the sponsorship include Fidelity becoming the first presenting sponsor in the history of the organization’s prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The awards were first presented in 1959, and Fidelity became the presenting sponsor in 2011. The program currently provides each member of the class with an $18,000 scholarship, distributing a total of $300,000 each year to the nation’s top scholar-athletes. The program has awarded more than $10.4 million to 787 individuals since its inception.

Fidelity also helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011 as the program’s presenting sponsor. The program recognizes the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the schools with a member of the annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. As part of the initiative, the NFF presents each of the faculty representatives with a plaque and a $5,000 check from Fidelity to support the academic support services for student-athletes at each school.