Some good news about a select group of ACC football players who were just announced as nominees for the Allstate / AFCA Good Works Team®. During a time when off-the-field college football headlines usually focus on what players are doing wrong, student-athletes like these, who are nominated for the prestigious honor, embody the true spirit of teamwork and ‘giving back’ through selfless contributions and commendable acts of kindness.

The nominees for the 2009 Team include:

• Tyrod Taylor, quarterback, Virginia Tech

Taylor volunteers at Herma’s Readers, an organization founded by Hokie coach Frank Beamer which donates books to local schools. He also regularly visits patients at local hospitals and has served as speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, talking to students about faith.

• Xavier Dye, wide receiver, Clemson

Dye participated in a mission trip to New Orleans with the Clemson Collegiate Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The speedy wideout also tutors a middle school student in Clemson once a week and regularly serves as a speaker at both elementary schools and children’s hospitals, offering inspiration and teaching respect.

• Kevin Jones, punter, Duke

Jones organized a team-wide clothing drive, donating clothing and shoes to a non-profit organization. While most of his peers spent last spring break relaxing, Jones traveled to New Orleans where he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

• Kyle Jolly, offensive tackle, North Carolina

Jolly plays an active role in helping the Hillsborough community by building houses for Habitat for Humanity and visiting schools to speak with students. He also spent the last holiday season shopping and wrapping gifts for underprivileged families.

• Benjamin Wooster, tight end, Wake Forest

Wooster serves as an emergency room volunteer at Wake Forest ’s Baptist Medical Center . He also participated in the Make A Wish Foundation’s fundraiser to support the local Carolina chapter and currently volunteers at the Alzheimer’s Day Care Center .

A second-year sponsor of the award, Allstate has assembled a high-profile voting panel that has helped select the nominees, including former Good Works Team® members Matt Stinchcomb ( Georgia ) and Mewelde Moore (Tulane), and Hall of Fame coach and ESPN personality Lou Holtz, who is serving as the spokesperson for the program. From the list of 106 nominees, two 11-player Allstate / AFCA Good Works Teams® – one for the Football Bowl Subdivision (Div. I-A) and the other for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and NAIA – will be announced during the 2009 college football season.

Tags: 2009 ACC Football, ACC Charity