NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- On Tuesday, September 17, the Allstate Insurance Company and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the 22-player roster for the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team which includes Elon defensive back Miles Williams.
Williams is one of four FCS players to earn the award this year and is the first Elon student-athlete to claim the honor since Shanard Smith in 2000.
Recognizing the "good works" of a select group of college football players from across the country, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college sports. The award pays tribute to the positive impact these young athletes have had on their communities and the lives of others.
For more than two decades, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team has recognized college football players at all levels of the sport for inspiring acts of service and off-the-field achievements. This summer, the program received a record 150 nominations from colleges and universities across the country. From the nominations, an esteemed voting panel comprised of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and college football media selected 11 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA to comprise the 22-player team.
A native of Roebuck, S.C., Williams has been involved in numerous community service projects in the Elon and Burlington communities. The junior has mentored and tutored at-risk youth through the Positive Attitudes Youth Center as well as a tutoring program at Elon First Baptist Church. He was named the 2012 Counselor of the Summer while serving with the Alamance County Community YMCA. Williams has also been involved with Special Olympics, Elonthon and Phoenix Field Day. In January, Williams will travel to Africa as a part of the Friends of Ghana program. While in Ghana, he will assist the city of Sokode with construction of a middle school and raising scholarship funds. The group will also aid in a Heifer International livestock improvement project and provide school supplies for a number of Ghanaian children.
On the field, Williams tallied 59 tackles in 11 games during his sophomore campaign. His two interceptions were tied for the most on the team. Against No. 14 Appalachian State, he posted a personal-best nine tackles and returned an interception 20 yards.
"Allstate is thrilled to embark on another year of collaboration with the AFCA, and together honor this group of extraordinary young men for their 'good works' in the community," said Cynthia Whitfield, field senior vice president of Allstate's Southern region and a member of the 2013 voting panel. "As fans of college football, Allstate continues to be inspired by the remarkable performances that take place on-the-field, but equally inspiring are the acts of service that have earned these 22 players a spot on the 2013 AFCA Good Works Team."
This year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team boasts some of the most impressive service resumes in the award's 22-year history. From building houses overseas, to founding a mentorship program for at-risk youth, to serenading cancer patients at the local children's hospital, this unique group of young men continues to raise the bar for the impact that student-athletes can have on their peers, teammates and communities.
"The AFCA, along with our partner Allstate, has been honoring football student-athletes for their good works, volunteerism and community service for 22 years with the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team," Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director said. "The 2013 class of Good Works Team members is another great example of the outstanding athletes, and even better men, that our nation's college football programs produce each year."
Fans can vote for the 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain by visiting ESPN.com and searching "Good Works." There, fans can learn more about this year's team members and vote for the player who they feel represents the "best of the best" in the areas of giving back and contributing to the greater good of their communities. The Team Captain and his fellow award recipients will be invited to New Orleans to take part in a community project leading up to the 2014 Allstate® Sugar Bowl.
The 2013 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team voting panel includes: former Good Works Team members Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team); media members Lou Holtz (ESPN), Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Tom O'Toole (USA Today), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star); current AFCA President and University of Texas Head Coach Mack Brown; 1987 AFCA President LaVell Edwards, former head coach at Brigham Young University; and Cynthia Whitfield, field vice president of Allstate's Southern Region.
Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and NAIA
Tyler Simmons, DE, Aurora
J.D. Mehlhorn, DB, Bethel (Minn.)
Curt Duncan, K, Carson-Newman
Ryan Cobb, TE, Delaware
Miles Williams, DB, Elon
Kevin Rodgers, QB, Henderson State
David Brackett, OL, Kenyon
Jordan Sitzmann, P, Morninside
Jordan Reid, QB, North Carolina Central
Winston Wright, DB, South Dakota State
Bo Cordell, QB, Tusculum
Football Bowl Subdivision
Fred Lee, WR, Buffalo
Nick Forbes, LB, California
Jordan Luallen, FB, Cincinnati
Dave Harding, OL, Duke
Jacob Karam, QB, Memphis
C.J. Zimmerer, RB, Nebraska
Asa Watson, TE, North Carolina State
Jeff Budzien, K, Northwestern
Eric Soza, QB, Texas San Antonio
Carey Spear, K, Vanderbilt