The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today unveiled the 64 members of the 2026 NFF Team of Distinction, honoring the nation’s top high school scholar-athletes who represent the future leaders of the game and have excelled at the very highest levels in the classroom, on the field and by making an impact in their communities.

“The NFF Team of Distinction represents everything great about the future of football,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “These remarkable young men have pushed themselves to succeed in every arena imaginable: in the classroom, on the field, and in service to their communities. Together, they have compiled an extraordinary record that includes valedictorians, all-state selections, Eagle Scouts, team captains and community leaders.”

Selected from a nationwide pool of 3,500 outstanding candidates identified through the NFF Chapter Network, the members of the team all played their final high school football season during the 2025-26 school year. Each NFF chapter is permitted to nominate only one player annually, making inclusion on the Team of Distinction one of the highest honors awarded at the grassroots level of amateur football. Criteria to make the team include (but are not limited to) academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement.

This year marks the ninth year of the NFF Team of Distinction, continuing a 73-year tradition of the NFF Chapter Network honoring the nation’s top scholar-athletes at the grassroots level. Since 1954, NFF chapters have served as the driving force behind the Foundation’s mission to build leaders through football, recognizing excellence while strengthening communities across the country.

Today, the NFF Chapter Network includes more than 12,000 members and positively impacts more than 500,000 student-athletes at 5,000 high schools annually. At the center of that mission are the chapters’ annual scholar-athlete awards banquets, which collectively honor more than 3,500 outstanding high school football players each year while providing more than $1 million in scholarships to support their academic futures.

• 64 Honorees
• 29 States Represented
• 4.15 Average GPA
• 44 Team Captains
• 26 All-State Selections
• 6 Valedictorians
• 44 National Honor Society Members
• 44 Multi-Sport Athletes
• 4 Eagle Scouts

NEW YORK – May 19, 2026 – The NFL announced today that the league’s Inspire Change initiative has surpassed half a billion dollars in giving and support nationwide, reflecting the NFL family’s ongoing commitment to creating positive impact and opportunity in communities across the country.

Since launching Inspire Change in 2017, the NFL family has provided nearly $575 million in support of thousands of partners and grassroots organizations.

The milestone comes as the NFL renews Inspire Change grants for nine nonprofit organizations breaking down barriers in under resourced communities and advancing education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.

“The NFL has a long-standing commitment to using its platform to help create opportunities for all,” said Anna Isaacson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility for the NFL. “Reaching this milestone in social justice funding by supporting the important work of Inspire Change grant partners is part of our unwavering dedication to lifting up families and communities across the country.”

The nine renewed grants were recently approved by the Player-Owner Social Justice Committee, a 12-member panel composed of players and legends representing the Players Coalition, and team owners.

“Our mission as the Players Coalition is to use our collective voices and influence to advocate for the individuals actively making a difference in their communities,” said Kelvin Beachum, Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle and Players Coalition member. “The collaborative work with the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative gives players the opportunity to raise awareness of social issues and direct funds to solve them.”

Renewed Inspire Change Partners include:

Education

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America creates mentoring relationships that empower young people to reach their full potential. Funding will support the expansion of proven programs including Bigs in Blue, Children with Incarcerated Family Members, and Sports Buddies, while increasing public awareness for the recruitment of mentors.

Economic Advancement

Per Scholas trains individuals for tech careers and connects skilled talent to leading businesses. Funding will support tuition-free training integrating technical skills for over 14,000 individuals across 25 U.S. cities.

SMASH creates pathways for high school students to pursue college, careers, and leadership in STEM. NFL funding will support SMASH Residential, a cost-free program hosted at top universities, and help expand alumni programming that connects SMASH scholars to professional networks and pathways into the innovation economy.

Year Up United (YUU) is a national workforce development organization that believes every young adult deserves access to opportunity and a pathway to a meaningful career. Funding will support YUU’s Career Pathways program, providing training opportunities and internships, while also embedding AI into program delivery to help students build fluency with emerging technologies and adapt to a rapidly evolving workforce.

Police-Community Relations

Atlanta Policing Alternatives & Diversion (PAD) Initiative provides an alternative to criminal justice involvement through pre-arrest diversion. Funding will support community response and support for people dealing with extreme poverty and mental health.

Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) advocates for smart and compassionate public safety solutions. Funding will help scale its Community Responder initiative, which supports programs that dispatch trained specialists to handle low-risk 911 calls in place of police, and grow LEAP’s Speakers Bureau, whose criminal justice professional volunteers advance reform through media, public events, and policymaker engagement.

Criminal Justice Reform

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate employment, skills training, and ongoing support to over 7,000 people returning from incarceration annually. Funding from the NFL will continue to support CEO’s Emerging Leaders Program, a 16-week paid apprenticeship program that enrolls 40 justice-impacted participants each year.

Neighborhood Defender Service provides legal representation through community-based, collaborative, client-centered public defense. Funding will support the expansion of NDS Detroit’s early entry advocacy program and justice-impacted community outreach in neighborhoods with the most needs.

Peace For DC is committed to stopping gun violence in Washington, D.C. by scaling proven strategies—community violence intervention and trauma‑centered healing. Funding will directly expand HEAL DC, ensuring the highest‑risk individuals receive the intensive, wrap‑around support needed to change their trajectory.

In addition to the Inspire Change partner grant renewals, the NFL and the Players Coalition also approved additional grant funding for all 32 clubs to support local nonprofits working to close the digital divide in high-need communities.

For more information on the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, please visit www.nfl.com/inspirechange. To view the most recent Inspire Change Impact Report, click here.