New York, NY - Throughout the football season, records are broken, titles are won, and champions are made, but perhaps the most bountiful memories are supplied by the magnetic December dinner, which annually fills the Grand Ballroom of New York City's Waldorf-Astoria.

For the 44th consecutive year, over 1,500 of the game's most enthusiastic supporters gathered to witness this showcase and honor those who honor the game, dynamic business, military and community leaders, national scholar-athletes, and the heroes of the game with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A homecoming for the football fraternity, this black-tie affair is graced with former and current coaches, Hall of Famers from yesteryear and generous supporters of the Foundation and its mission.

At the Dinner several awards are presented: Gold Medal - the highest award the Foundation bestows, 16 National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and the highlight of the evening - the induction of the Hall of Fame Class.

Responding on behalf of the 2001 Hall of Fame class, Steve Young (BYU) stated, "I am grateful and honored to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. I am the man that I am so much because of football. I am not a quitter because of football. I am accountable because I played football. Football is the greatest game in the world. My ring will be worn, my plaque will be on the wall, and I will carry it with great pride for being a part of the game."

Of the nearly $1 million that the Foundation awards annually, $325,000 is set aside during this grandeur event for scholar-athletes, who were awarded $18,000 postgraduate scholarships. Responding on behalf of the 2001 Scholar-Athlete class was Virginia Tech wide receiver Andre Davis. "The most amazing thing about receiving this award is not the money, I am truly blessed to be just one of the 16 chosen from the thousands of student-athletes," said Davis.

Also that evening, the winner of the HealthSouth Vincent dePaul Draddy Award, the highest academic award in the country presented to a senior football player, was revealed for the first time. Joaquin Gonzalez of Miami received the high honor, which carries a total scholarship of $25,000. In his acceptance speech Gonzalez remarked, "This is a great honor. I'm very thankful. I feel privileged to be here amongst all of these guys. It has been a dream couple of days."

One of the nation's top offensive tackles and an Iron Arrow inductee in 2000 (the highest academic honor bestowed to any UM student or staff member), Joaquin Gonzalez epitomizes the term "scholar-athlete." A two-time All-First Team America, Gonzalez also contributes time and energy to many worthy causes.

Billy Joe "Red" McCombs received The Gold Medal, the highest award the Foundation bestows. Awarded annually to an individual who has demonstrated integrity, achieved success, and carried the basic values taught in amateur sport throughout his professional life. Past winners of this coveted award include seven U.S. Presidents and leaders of industry and the military.

From life as an auto mechanic's son on the wind swept plains of West Texas, Red McCombs has risen to become one of America's most successful businessmen, with varied interests in auto dealerships, oil, ranching, communications, and professional sports. The creator of an auto dealership empire, co-founder of the worlds largest outdoor advertising company and owner of the Minnesota Vikings professional football franchise, McCombs has held many leadership roles on national, state and local levels including - Chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, and the San Antonio World's Fair. He has also received numerous citizenship and philanthropic awards for his years of devout service to the community.

2001 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

PLAYER	SCHOOL
Jon Arnett	Southern California
Kevin Butler	Georgia
Anthony Carter	Michigan
Tim Green	Syracuse
Ralph Guglielmi	Notre Dame
John Hicks	Ohio State
Keith Jackson	Oklahoma
Terry Kinard	Clemson
D.D. Lewis	Mississippi State
Don McCauley	North Carolina
Glenn Ressler	Penn State
Brad Van Pelt	Michigan State
Steve Young	Brigham Young

COACH	SCHOOL
Barry Switzer	Oklahoma
Grant Teaff	McMurry, Angelo State, Baylor
Bill Yeoman	Houston

2001 NATIONAL COLLEGE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE CLASS

PLAYER	SCHOOL
Travis Ahner	Carroll College (MT)
Andre Davis	Virginia Tech
Curry Dawson	Angelo State (TX)
Eddie Eviston	Georgetown College (KY)
Vernon Fox	Fresno State
Joaquin Gonzalez	Miami
Timothy "T.J." Hess	Widener (PA)
Christopher Hope	Florida State
Vince Huntsberger	Montana
Jeff Kelly	Southern Mississippi
Eddie Key	Southern Arkansas
Peter Lee	Yale
Patrick Ramsey	Tulane
Adam Waugh	Illinois State
Tracey Wistrom	Nebraska
Kyle Young	Clemson

Bold - HealthSouth Vincent dePaul Draddy Award Recipient

GOLD MEDAL: Billy Joe "Red" McCombs

DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN: Dr. James Frank

The Hall of Fame Class will be officially enshrined next August at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit educational organization comprised of more than 11,000 members in 118 chapters nationwide, dedicated to the promotion of amateur football, scholarship, citizenship, and superior athletic performance. Through various programs and initiatives, such as Play It Smart and the NFL/NFF Coaching Academy, the Foundation endeavors to promote the positive values learned through participation in sport. The College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana serves as the shrine where those who exemplify the Foundation's ideal of excellence both on and off the field are immortalized.