Allstate Announced as Title Sponsor of the 2008 Good Works Team®

NORTHBROOK, Ill.–(EMWNews)–The kickoff of the 2008 college football season is still a few weeks

away but a group of committed and hard-working players has already been

honored for their off-the-field achievements. Allstate Insurance Company

and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) have announced the

list of 71 student-athlete nominees for the 17^th

annual Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.

Through a partnership announced this week, Allstate has teamed with the

AFCA to honor the college football players whose involvement with

charitable organizations and community service contributions stand out

among the more than 50,000 student-athletes participating in the sport

at all four-year collegiate institutions. From among the 71 nominations

submitted by sports information directors on behalf of their team, a

special selection committee assembled by the AFCA and Allstate will

select two 11-player Good Works Teams® – one

composed of players competing in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision

(I-A) and a combined team representing players competing in the NCAA

Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the

NAIA.

“Allstate is proud to partner with the AFCA

and acknowledge the outstanding commitment to community so many

student-athletes are demonstrating off the football field,”

said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing for Allstate. “As

a first-year sponsor of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®,

Allstate continues its commitment to college football by honoring the

volunteer efforts of college football players at all levels.”

This season, Allstate is working with the AFCA to reinforce the heritage

and tradition of the award. For the first time in the 16-year history of

the program, the selection committee includes five former members of the

Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams®. Other 2008

selection committee members include two coaches representing the AFCA,

five representatives of the college football media, and one Allstate

representative.

”We are excited about Allstate’s

role with the AFCA and welcome them as one of our official corporate

partners,” said Grant Teaff, AFCA executive

director. “Allstate is a first-class company

that supports collegiate athletics – football

in particular – in a variety of ways. Their

support of our Good Works Teams as title sponsor ensures that those

student-athletes making countless volunteer contributions to their

communities and campuses through many off-field efforts will get the

proper recognition they deserve.”

The 2008 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams®

voting panel includes: Allstate senior vice president, Steve Sorenson;

former Good Works Teams® members Matt

Stinchcomb (University of Georgia, 1997 team), Mike Proman (Amherst

College, 2002 team), Deuce McAllister (University of Mississippi, 1999

team), Dan Lord (Tufts University, 1997 team), Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke

University, 1994 team); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Dennis

Dodd (CBS Sportsline), Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Journal-Constitution),

Kelly Whiteside (USA Today), Ivan Maisel (ESPN.com); current AFCA

president and University of Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham; and

1996 AFCA president Fisher DeBerry, former head coach at the United

States Air Force Academy.

The committee will be responsible for selecting 22 players from the 71

nominations received over the summer at the AFCA headquarters in Waco,

Texas. The following players have been nominated for consideration to be

included among the 2008 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams®:

Football Bowl Subdivision (Div I-A)

Arizona State University – Keegan Herring

Ball State University – Brandon Crawford

Central Michigan University – Brian Brunner

Colorado State University – Kyle Bell

Duke University – Re’quan Boyette

Florida State University – Everette Brown

Indiana University – Austin Starr

Iowa State University – Euseph Messiah

Kansas State University – Jeron Mastrud

Middle Tennessee State University – Phillip Tanner

North Carolina State University – Andre Brown

Northern Illinois University – Matt Simon

Northwestern University – Eric Peterman

Ohio State University – James Laurinaitis

Rutgers University – Tiquan Underwood

Syracuse University – Lavar Lobdell

Temple University – Richard Sheppard

Texas Tech University – Brian Duncan

Tulane University – Craig Gelhardt

U.S. Air Force Academy – Travis Dekker

University of Arkansas – Jose Valdez

University of California – Alex Mack

University of Colorado – Maurice Cantrell

University of Connecticut – Brad Kanuch

University of Georgia – Mohamed Massaquoi

University of Illinois – Brit Miller

University of Kansas – Mike Rivera

University of Kentucky – Tim Masthay

University of Maryland – Jordan Steffy

University of Memphis – Dominik Riley

University of Nebraska – Todd Peterson

University of Notre Dame – Evan Sharpley

University of Oklahoma – Gerald McCoy

University of Pittsburgh – Scott McKillop

University of South Carolina – Eric Norwood

University of South Florida – George Selvie

University of Tennessee – Josh Briscoe

University of Texas – Colt McCoy

University of Toledo – John Allen

University of Wisconsin – Chris Pressley

Utah State University – Geno Odong

Virginia Tech – Orion Martin

Wake Forest University – Benjamin Wooster

West Virginia University – Tito Gonzales

Western Michigan University – Tim Hiller

Combined Divisions (I-AA II, III & NAIA)

Bethel University (Minn.) – Mike Ervin

Chadron State College – Joe McLain

Coastal Carolina University – Dominique Davenport

Colby College – Thomas Daley

Harvard University – Andrew Berry

Henderson State University – Nick Finley

Hillsdale College – Phil Davignon

Illinois State University – Kedric Meredith

Lehigh University – Brendan VanAckeren

McNeese State University – Kenneth Lundy

Missouri Western State University – Dustin Strickler

North Dakota State University – Tyler Roehl

Northern State University – Brian Jark

Sewanee: The University of the South – Tyler Brantley

Southern Illinois University – Larry Warner

Southwest Minnesota State University – Tyler Reed

St. Cloud State University – Rocky Horn

St. John’s University (Minn.) – Jeff Schnobrich

University at Albany – Daniel Bocanegra

University of Central Arkansas – Taylor Scott

University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) – Paul Hughes

University of Montana – Colin Dow

University of Northern Colorado – Michael Van Portfliet

University of St. Thomas – Mikkel Haugen

Valparaiso University – Matt Mancl

Youngstown State University – Brian Mellott

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®

In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and AFCA, each

player must be actively involved and committed to working with a

charitable organization, service group or community service while

maintaining good academic standing.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams® were

established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the

extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff

off the field. 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.

Since 1992, the SEC leads all conferences with 49 selections to the Good

Works Teams®, followed by the Big 12 with 32

selections and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with 19

selections. In 2007, Georgia strong safety Kelin Johnson became the 11^th

Bulldog to be selected to the team, tying the University of Georgia with

the University of Nebraska for most selections all-time. Super Bowl XLII

and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the

2002 and 1997 Good Works Teams®, respectively.

The 2008 college football season will also mark the fourth consecutive

year of Allstate’s “Good Hands^®”

field goal net program. The program rewards the on-field performance of

its 65 partner teams by earmarking money to the schools’

general scholarship funds for each field goal ($300) and extra point

($100) successfully converted into the “Good

Hands^®“-branded

nets at each of their home games. To date, Allstate has donated over

$1.5 million through the “Good Hands^®”

field goal net program. Allstate will also celebrate its third year as

the title sponsor of the Allstate^®

Sugar Bowl held in New Orleans at the Louisiana Superdome January 2,

2009.

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL) is the nation’s

largest publicly held personal lines insurer. Widely known through the “You’re

In Good Hands With Allstate^®”

slogan, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help

individuals in approximately 17 million households protect what they

have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Customers can access

Allstate products and services such as auto insurance and homeowners

insurance through approximately 14,700 exclusive Allstate agencies and

financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, or in select states at

allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate^®.

Encompass^® and

Deerbrook^® Insurance

brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through

independent agents. The Allstate Financial Group provides life

insurance, supplemental accident and health insurance, annuity, banking

and retirement products designed for individual, institutional and

worksite customers that are distributed through Allstate agencies,

independent agencies, financial institutions and broker-dealers.

Customers can also access information about Allstate Financial Group

products and services at myallstatefinancial.com.

About AFCA

The American Football Coaches Association was founded in 1922 and

currently has more than 10,000 members around the world ranging from the

high school level to the professional ranks. According to its

constitution, 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.”

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