National Football Foundation Celebrates Ohio’s Finest Athletes
Skylight
February 22, 2019
Last week, financial planner Jeff Logan served as Master of Ceremonies for a crowd of over 300 at the National Football Foundation’s 58th Annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet. This exciting night showcases the efforts of high school, college, and professional athletes from across central Ohio.
According to the Columbus Chapter’s website, The NFF and the College Hall of Fame is a “member-supported non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the future of amateur football at local, state and national levels. The foundation with its chapters annually awards nearly $1 million in scholarships to over 3,000 high school and college student athletes for continuing education.”
For Jeff Logan, this organization and its cause couldn’t be more meaningful. Having been a star-studded OSU football player that made its way to the professional league, he understands firsthand how the sport builds leadership and fosters lifelong bonds among teammates. Jeff currently oversees the Columbus Chapter of the NFF as a board member and was once the president of the organization. For the past 25+ years, Jeff has also served as the master of ceremonies for the chapter’s annual banquet, bestowing awards to area athletes on behalf of the organization. “It is an honor to recognize the young men of our community that are committed not only to excelling on the field, but in the classroom as well” says Logan.
The evening kicked off by recognizing the top high school athletes of central Ohio. The organization used proceeds from the event to present scholarships to 15 high school students on behalf of the John H McConnell and Worthington Industries Foundation. The top college athletes, representing schools such as Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein, Capital, Denison, Ohio Dominican, and Kenyon, were also recognized, with one of these college scholar-athletes receiving a post-graduate grant.
The night also included special appearances from professional players on football’s biggest stage. Buckeye all-American and Lombardi award winner A.J. Hawk was presented the Ohio Gold award that evening. The Kettering native has played in the NFL for more than a decade and received this honor for the positive impact he continues to have on amateur football across the state. Among the other NFL legends present that evening was Ryan Shazier, who was honored with the Tyson Gentry Courage Award. Shazier was also an OSU All-American that was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. The career of this promising linebacker was cut short when he suffered a terrifying spinal injury during the 2017 season. According to Jeff Logan, “Both Hawk and Shazier encouraged the young men of the room to lead by example, and to never give up no matter the obstacles you are up against.”
Regarding the success of the evening, Jeff Logan was eager to share the credit with the other members of the Skylight family that continue to support the NFF. “Shannon Pierce and Jake Jackson have been vital assets to the Columbus Chapter for many years. Both display a commitment to the organization and a love for the game of football that is unparalleled, and without their efforts this event would not be possible.”
Check out some of the photos from the event below. A huge thank you to Jeff Logan for helping us make this story possible! To visit Jeff Logan’s bio page, click here.
Jeffrey D. Logan is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC OSJ: 5455 Rings Road, Suite 125, Dublin, OH 43017. 614.790.9800