2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Celebrates College Football Players as Community Leaders

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09/19/2022 - 11:36 AM

Roster of 22 players champion variety of philanthropic endeavors across U.S.

NORTHBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the final roster for the 31^st Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®, recognizing 22 college football student-athletes and an honorary head coach for outstanding contributions to their communities.

Team officials from across the country nominated players from their schools for the prestigious award based on their work off the field. A list of 114 nominees was announced in July before the final 22-player roster was chosen by the selection panel, which includes former Good Works Team players, journalists and officials from Allstate and the AFCA. The panel looks for players that demonstrate exceptional leadership on and off the football field.

“For 31 years, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team has reminded us how to use our position in life — whatever that may be — to lift up those around us,” said Tim Tebow, two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member. “There are so many players across all levels of the game who use their platforms for good, and it is an inspiration to see the variety of ways these young men choose to help make our society better.”

The class of 2022 might be founding nonprofits, donating Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) earnings to those in need, building houses for areas hit by natural disasters, mentoring kids or collecting food for the hungry. Whatever the cause, this is a group of college football stars eager to help their communities.

"The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is arguably college football’s highest honor because it recognizes a player’s integrity and service off the field rather than their performance on it,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager, Allstate Sales and Distribution, Troy Hawkes. “The sports world is often defined by what happens between the lines. While they are also accomplished as players, these 22 student-athletes make a monumental difference in their communities. Allstate is so proud to honor them as beacons of positive change around the country.”

The final roster features 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; and one honorary head coach.

Allstate will continue its tradition of rewarding these athletes with an NIL opportunity as well as a charity match from The Allstate Foundation.

The following players have been named to the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team:

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Name	School	Hometown
Anders Carlson	Auburn University	Colorado Springs, Colo.
DeWayne Carter	Duke University	Pickerington, Ohio
Dillan Gibbons	Florida State University	St. Petersburg, Fla.
Jordan Ferguson	Middle Tennessee State University	Atlanta, Ga.
Ryan Hilinski	Northwestern University	Orange, Calif.
Patrick Fields	Stanford University	Tulsa, Okla.
Tony Bradford, Jr.	Texas Tech University	Houston, Texas
Kearis Jackson	University of Georgia	Fort Valley, Ga.
JD Bertrand	University of Notre Dame	Alpharetta, Ga.
Deslin Alexandre	University of Pittsburgh	Pompano, Fla.
Caleb Williams	University of Southern California	Washington, D.C.

Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and NAIA

Name	School	Hometown
Austin Brenner	Ashland University	Copely, Ohio
Jailen Branch	Bentley University	Randolph, Mass.
Matthew Feldick	Bethel University (Minn.)	St. Michael, Minn.
Max Jones	Harvard University	Delmar, N.Y.
Alan Gorny	Johns Hopkins University	Ellicott City, Md.
Sione Tuifua	Morningside University	Barrow, Alaska
James Kaczor	North Dakota State University	St. Cloud, Minn.
Garrison Dodge	Peru State College	Oakland, Neb.
Michael Wozniak	Saint John’s University (Minn.)	New Hope, Minn.
Caleb High	Southeastern Oklahoma State University	Waxahachie, Texas
Matt Lilja	University of Mount Union	Ashtabula, Ohio

Honorary head coach

Name	School
Mark Stoops	University of Kentucky

2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team roster highlights

Peru State College wide receiver Garrison Dodge has put in more than 1,500 volunteer hours during his college career, and he founded the charity fundraiser Athletes 4 Children. For the past two years, Dodge was a leader in the Sexual Assault Awareness Month Planning Committee, and he has organized donation drives for Project Response.
Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski is a mental health advocate, mentor and trainer who started Hilinski’s Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and educating student-athletes on mental health.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams created the Caleb Cares Foundation, which champions mental health awareness and youth development as well as taking a stand against bullying.
Saint John’s defensive lineman Michael Wozniak has helped raise nearly $42,000 for St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital and more than $23,000 for the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund through Saint John’s University football’s Tackle Cancer initiative.

The selection panel

The final 22-member team and honorary coach were chosen by a selection panel that includes former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and journalists.

In addition to Hawkes and Tebow, the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team selection panel members are: Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team); Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001); Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State, 1999); Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002); Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997 and 1998); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star) and Paul Myerberg (USA Today); 2022 AFCA President and University of Wyoming Head Coach Craig Bohl; and 2001 AFCA President and current Athletic Director at Virginia Union University Joe Taylor.

Vote for the captain

At ESPN.com/Allstate, fans can learn more about the players’ accomplishments and vote for the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain once a day now through Nov. 22.

“So often, stories like these go overlooked in collegiate athletics. Our sport is defined by character and a team-first mentality, and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team personifies all that is good about football,” AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry said. “We encourage fans from all over to learn more about all that these players are doing for their communities.”

Throughout the season, fans can join the conversation using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels to learn more about these players and their stories.

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. The AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads all conferences with 82 selections to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team since it began in 1992. The SEC is followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with 52 selections and the Big 12 Conference and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, both with 39 selections. Georgia is in first place with 22 honorees to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The Bulldogs are followed by Kentucky with 17 honorees. Super Bowl XLII, XLVI and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams, respectively.

About the AFCA

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to “maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession” and to “provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football.”

For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com and subscribe to our weekly email.

If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.