Ronnie Lott to Unveil Multi-Million Dollar Play It Smart Fundraising Initiative during NFF Conference Call

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Contacts:

John Tataro, Alan Taylor Communications

Phone: 212-714-1280, ext. 258

Hillary Jeffries, National Football Foundation

Phone: 800-486-1865, ext. 123

Ronnie Lott, NFF Conference Call to Unveil Multi-Million Dollar Fundraising

Initiative

PLAY IT SMART, NFF’S UNIQUE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE MENTORING PROGRAM, HAS

NATIONAL FOOTPRINT WITH OVER 136 HIGH SCHOOLS IN 35 STATES

WHO:

* Play It Smart National Advisory Board Chairman Ronnie Lott (college and

pro football Hall of Famer)

* National Football Foundation President Steve Hatchell

* National Football Foundation Chairman Ron Johnson

* Play It Smart National Director Charles Gomes

WHAT: Announcement of a new, multi-million dollar fundraising campaign for

Play It Smart, which helps at-risk high school players score touchdowns in

the classroom with football coaching staff-embedded “academic” coaches

emphasizing schoolwork every day from September through June.


WHERE: Audio conference, contact John Tataro to obtain 800 conference call

number at 212-714-1280, ext. 258 or via email at johnt@alantaylor.com


WHEN: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/Noon MT/11 a.m. PT


WHY: Lott, chairman of the National Advisory Board for the NFF’s highly

successful Play It Smart program and honorary chairman of the Play It Smart

Fundraising Committee, along with Hatchell, Johnson and Gomes, will review

the progress of the unprecedented program and release details of the

organization’s most ambitious-ever campaign.


MORE: Play It Smart was introduced in 1998 and is currently in over 136 high

schools (listed at www.playitsmart.org) in 35 states, reaching 12,000

at-risk student-athletes. Play It Smart pays and trains “academic” coaches

who become full-fledged members of the high school football coaching staff

to work with players during the entire school year, emphasizing the

importance of schoolwork and taking the transferable life skills learned on

the field and applying them in the classroom and the community.


* 98% of participants graduate from high school;

* 80% of seniors enroll in college;

* Participants complete more than 60,000 hours of community service

annually;

* Roster sizes increase by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players.

* 71 seniors earned spots on Division I-A rosters in 2006 as incoming

freshman, bringing the number of participants in the elite collegiate ranks

to over 150.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME

With 119 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football

Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization,

runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing

scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF

presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl

Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College

Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for

Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF

Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high

school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org