Preston Robert “Bob” Tisch

MORRISTOWN, N.J., August 8, 2006 – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that the family of Joan and Preston Robert “Bob” Tisch is making a substantial contribution to the NFF’s highly successful Play It Smart program for the next ten years in memory of Bob Tisch, who passed away in November 2005.

“Play It Smart is a unique and highly successful program that’s making a difference in the lives of thousands of young students each year, including young people at nine New York City high schools,” said Joan Tisch. “The program takes an innovative approach to providing at-risk student-athletes the tools they need to be successful in the classroom and later in life. Supporting worthy causes such as Play It Smart stands as a hallmark of the Tisch Family and is a fitting tribute to the legacy of my late husband.”

Launched in 1998 in four schools and currently in 136 high schools in 35 states with more than 12,000 participants, Play It Smart trains “academic” coaches to work with high school football teams in underserved areas during the entire school year, taking the transferable life skills learned on the field and applying them in the classroom and the community.

“Bob Tisch and the Tisch family are well known for their contributions to a wide range of high-quality causes, including their support of high school athletics through the Take The Field program,” said NFF President Steve Hatchell. “It’s a privilege to be recognized by the Tisch family with their long-term commitment to Play It Smart as a top-notch educational program that compliments their vision of connecting athletics and academics.”

Created by the National Football Foundation and run with oversight from a National Advisory Board chaired by legendary college and pro hall of fame defensive back Ronnie Lott, Play It Smart has achieved dramatic results, including:

98% of participants graduating high school, compared to a national rate of 86%;

80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 64% of their peers;

Rosters increasing by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players;

Participants completing more than 60,000 hours of community service annually for a team average of 468 hours; and

71 seniors earning spots on Division I-A rosters in 2006 as incoming freshman, bringing the number of participants in the elite collegiate ranks to more than 150 student-athletes.

Preston Robert “Bob” Tisch, was one of the nation’s most respected and successful businessmen and co-owner of the New York Giants. A well-known philanthropist, Tisch provided instrumental support to countless charitable endeavors. His lifelong interest in youth and sports led him to found Take the Field, a non-profit organization dedicated to renovating and rebuilding rundown athletic fields at New York City public high schools. Tisch raised over $143 million and rebuilt 43 state-of-the-art athletic facilities for the New York City public schools.

Bob Tisch and his late brother Larry, lifelong business partners, built the Loews Corporation into one of the nation’s most successful financial conglomerates with assets that now exceed $74 billion and subsidiaries, including CNA Financial Corporation, Lorillard, Boardwalk Pipelines, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Loews Hotels and Bulova.

Among his many civic roles, Tisch served as U.S. Postmaster General from 1986-88; chairman of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau for 19 years; chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Democratic National Conventions held in New York in 1976 and 1980; chairman of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry; chairman of the New York City Partnership, Inc.; and as founding co-chairman of Citymeals-on-Wheels.

The New York Giants have been early supporters of the Play It Smart program. The team annually hosts a Black History event for the program’s participants and collaborates with the program’s academic coaches to provide student-athletes in the program with numerous community service activities during the year. The Giants have also held several football and life skills clinics for participants; hosted students at their pre-season camp in Albany, NY; donated equipment and clothes to several local schools; supplied game tickets as incentives; and supported fundraising events.

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