Tanner named to AFCA Good Works Team

NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 22 -- Middle Tennessee senior running back Phillip Tanner, a standout in the classroom and on the field, has been named to an elite group of 106 student-athletes nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team (R) as announced by the American Football Coaches Association and Allstate Insurance Company today. The award honors college football players who make outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement.

Tanner, a two-time academic all-district winner, earned the team's Terry Whiteside award in the spring for his excellence in academics, athletics, strength training, community, and campus. The Dallas, Tex., native led the Blue Raiders in rushing and scoring in 2008 while also garnering National Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Tanner is one of just 52 student-athletes nominated from the Football Bowl Subdivision and the only representative from the Sun Belt Conference. He and Memphis' Dominik Riley are the only FBS players on the list from Tennessee.

With their unselfish acts, such as volunteering at orphanages in Kenya, building a reliable water source for villagers in Kabul, tutoring disadvantaged youth, and visiting elderly patients in nursing homes, Allstate AFCA Good Works Team((R)) nominees distinguish themselves among the more than 50,000 student-athletes participating in the sport at all four-year collegiate institutions through off-the-field accomplishments.

"Allstate and the AFCA have created a partnership of common interests and both organizations are proud to honor the off-the-field achievements of college football players and at all levels," said Guy Hill, vice president of sales and service for Allstate. "Allstate shares a genuine commitment to the community with these 106 student-athletes, and we encourage them to continue their benevolent efforts."

The total of 106 nominations submitted by sports information directors across the country on behalf of their teams surpasses all previous single-season nominee totals in the 18-year history of the award. The 2009 class of nominees represents 41 states, including Washington, D.C., and 45 college athletic conferences.

From these nominees, a special voting panel consisting of former Good Works Team ((R)) members and prominent college football media members will be responsible for selecting two 11-player Good Works Teams((R)) - one composed of players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and a combined team representing players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA.

College Football Hall of Fame member and ESPN broadcast personality Lou Holtz will return as program spokesperson and serve as a member of this year's voting panel.

The 2009 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Teams((R)) voting panel includes: Allstate vice president, Guy Hill; former Good Works Teams((R)) members Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team), Mewelde Moore (Tulane, 2003 team), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Dennis Dodd (CBSSports.com), Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Kelly Whiteside (USA Today), Ivan Maisel (ESPN.com), Lou Holtz (ESPN); current AFCA president and San Jose State University head coach Dick Tomey; and 1996 AFCA president Fisher DeBerry, former head coach at the United States Air Force Academy.

The following players have been nominated for consideration to be included among the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams(R):

Football Bowl Subdivision (Div I-A)
Arizona Sate University - Mike Nixon
Auburn University - Walter McFadden
Ball State - Brandon Crawford
Baylor University - Joe Pawelek
Boise State University - Richie Brocke
l Brigham Young University - Jan Jorgensen
Central Michigan University - Dan LeFevour
Clemson University - Xavier Dye
Colorado State University - Adrian Martinez
Duke University - Kevin Jones
Indiana University - Jammie Kirlew
Kansas State University - Jeron Mastrud
Louisiana State University - Lyle Hitt
Middle Tennessee State University - Phillip Tanner
Northern Illinois University - David Bryant
Northwestern University - Andrew Brewer
Ohio University - Lee Renfro
Ohio State University - Kurt Coleman
Oregon State University - Taylor Kavanaugh
Pennsylvania State University - Stefen Wisniewski
Rutgers University - Billy Anderson
San Jose State University - Travis Jones
Temple University - Dominique Harris
University of Akron - Alex Allen
University of Alabama - Javier Arenas
University of Arkansas - D.J. Williams
University of Central Florida - Rocky Ross
University of Florida - Tim Tebow
University of Georgia - Jeff Owens
University of Houston - Case Keenum
University of Iowa - Julian Vandervelde
University of Kansas - Darrell Stuckey
University of Kentucky - Alfonso Smith
University of Memphis - Dominik Riley
University of Michigan - Zoltan Mesko
University of Missouri - Kurtis Gregory
University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Roy Helu, Jr.
University of North Carolina - Kyle Jolly
University of Notre Dame - Jimmy Clausen
University of Oklahoma - Sam Bradford
University of Pittsburgh - Adam Gunn
University of South Carolina - Mauricus Brown
University of Texas - Austin - Jordan Shipley
University of California-Los Angeles - Derrick Coleman
University of Texas-El Paso - Cameron Raschke
U.S. Air Force Academy - Nick Charles
U.S. Naval Academy - Ross Pospisil
Virginia Tech - Tyrod Taylor
Wake Forest University - Benjamin Wooster
West Virginia University - Reed Williams
University of Wisconsin - Chris Maragos
Western Michigan University - Tim Hiller