National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame
Awards Presented at Annual Banquet
Past and Present Honorees
Note: Award years refer to football seasons. The awards are presented at the following spring's Banquet.
"Fred Russell Distinguished American Award"
- 1969 - Alfred Adams*, Dr. Thomass Zerfoss*
- 1970 - P V. Overall*, Alfred Sharp*
- 1971 - Charles W. Geny*, Robert Lawrence, Jr.*
- 1972 - Vernon Sharp*, Boyce Smith Sr.*
- 1973 - Charles M. Murphy*
- 1974 - Dr. Amos Christie*, Charles W. Hawkins Sr.*
- 1975 - Joe E. Torrence*, James A. Webb*
- 1976 - Frances E. Carter*, Coach Art Guepe*
- 1977 - Horace G. Hill, Jr.*, Ralph Owen*
- 1978 - Capt. Wm. P. Lawrence, USN*, Dr. Bill Sherman
- 1979 - Guilford Dudley, Jr.*
- 1980 - Dr. F. Tremaine Billings
- 1980 - James F. Neal
- 1981 - Arthur Rebrovick*
- 1982 - Kenneth L. Roberts
- 1983 - Mayor Richard Fulton*
- 1984 - Nelson C. Andrews
- 1985 - Joe M. Rodgers*
- 1986 - Frank C. Gorrell*
- 1987 - Dennis C. Bottoff
- 1988 - John Rich
- 1989 - Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr.
- 1990 - Gen. William G. Moore, Jr.
- 1991 - Dr. Greer Ricketson*
- 1992 - William M. "Bill" Johnson
- 1993 - E. W. "Bud" Wendell
- 1994 - Governor Winfield C. Dunn, Governor Ned Ray McWherter*
- 1995 - U.S Senator William H. "Bill" Frist, M.D., Fred Dalton Thompson*
- 1996 - John Richard Hall
- 1998 - Drew Rederick Maddux
- 1999 - Joe Kelley
- 2000 - John Seigenthaler*
- 2001 - Dr. Bill Wise*
- 2002 - Lee Greenwood
- 2003 - Coach Edward S. Temple*
- 2004 - Captain Greg Johnson
- 2005 - Charles W. Hawkins III*
- 2006 - Martha Rivers Ingram
- 2007 - Colonel Jeff Holmes
- 2008 - Governor Phil Bredesen
- 2009 - Father Charles Strobel, Sgt Kevin Downs
- 2010 - Captain Barry Wilmore, Judge Frank Drowota*
- 2011 - Admiral Frank Kelso
- 2012 - Coach Fred Pancoast
- 2013 - Jimmy Davy*
- 2014 - Steve Robinson
- 2015 - Hon. George Cate*, Tim Corbin
- 2016 - Dr. Margaret Rhea Seddon
- 2017 - Brig. Gen Scott E. Brower - US Army (Ret)
- 2018 - Rear Admiral Jimmie W. Taylor - USN (Ret.)
- 2019 - CW5 Gary Linfoot – US Army (Ret), Mari Skogen Linfoot
- 2020 - Woody Hunt
- 2021 - No honoree named
- 2022 - Butch Spyridon
- 2023 - Dr. Kevin Dyson
- 2024 - Chief John Drake
*Deceased