The annual recipient of the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award will receive the NFF Hatchell Cup Presented by “The Original” Bob’s Steak & Chop House, named for current NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell in recognition of his leadership and longstanding service to the NFF and his commitment to the betterment of the game of football.

The NFF announced the creation of the award in February 2021, with the Nebraska and Texas state high school coaches associations leading the initial effort. The initiative is designed to inspire and foster a culture of academic excellence on high school football teams throughout the nation.

“Academic and athletic success go hand-in-hand,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “We are proud to partner with state high school coaches associations on this award, and our goal is to eventually reach all 50 states in the future. We hope by inspiring teams to compete in the classroom with the same competitive spirit that it takes to win on the field we will better prepare high school football players for success later in life.”

The finalists from each division of play are selected by the individual states’ high school coaches associations from a pool of semifinalists submitted by each school’s head coach. A selection committee, created by the NFF, is responsible for choosing one school as the recipient of the National High School Academic Excellence Award.

Eligibility requirements for the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award include:

• A minimum cumulative team GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Superior academic application and performance.
• Successful football season.