Senior wide receiver Garrett Jones is among 146 candidates for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team (Photo by Bill Sharon/Spartan SportShots).
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (July 11, 2017) – Senior wide receiver Garrett Jones (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) of the Western New England University football team is among 146 nominees for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, it was announced on Monday by Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association.
Since 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has brought together a select group of college football players from across the country to honor their dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others. While players are often recognized for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community.
Jones, a criminal justice major, has served as the President of Western New England's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) since September 2016. Along with the rest of the football team, Jones has participated in numerous community service initiatives, including Revitalize Community Development Corporation, a program that involves repairing and cleaning houses and public spaces in low income communities. Jones and the football team have also coordinated clinics with nearby Duggan Elementary School.
Jones was presented with the Dean Richard Diruzza Excellence in Leadership award in 2015, before earning the Champs/Life Skills Award of Excellence for significant contributions to the Western New England athletic department this past March.
On the football field, Jones has recorded eight receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown in 11 career games. The Pleasant Valley, N.Y. native will look to take on an expanded role in Western New England's high powered offense this fall.
Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September. From the nominees submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their schools, a special voting panel consisting of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and prominent college football media members will select the 2017 Good Works Team®. Two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® member Tim Tebow will headline the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel.
Once the final team members are announced in September, college football fans are encouraged to visit the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® website on ESPN.com, featuring profiles and images of the players, for the opportunity to vote for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain. Throughout the season, fans can also follow along and join in on the conversation by searching and using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels.
In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and the AFCA, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
Western New England, which is coming off its most successful season in program history, opens its 2017 campaign at home on Saturday, September 2 with the fifth edition of the Pynchon SAW rivalry game against Springfield College.