Coaches' Trophy Donated To College Football Hall of Fame

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. - April 10, 2007 - In a special presentation on March 30 at the kickoff to the College Football Hall of Fame's KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series, The Gerrits Foundation presented the Hall of Fame with an official Coaches' Trophy©. Also donated were the championship trophies for Football Championship Division (formerly Division I-AA), Division II, Division III, and the NAIA.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - April 10, 2007 - In a special presentation on March 30 at the kickoff to the College Football Hall of Fame's KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series, The Gerrits Foundation presented the Hall of Fame with an official Coaches' Trophy©. Also donated were the championship trophies for Football Championship Division (formerly Division I-AA), Division II, Division III, and the NAIA.

As David Gerrits of the Gerrits Foundation addressed the crowd, he stated, "We've always lived by the motto that if you don't do it right, don't do it at all. Wow! The College Football Hall of Fame. That's doing it right."

"What more fitting place than the College Football Hall of Fame," he continued, "where both the National Football Foundation and the Gerrits Foundation hold the same philosophy of assisting students."

The spectacular trophies are now on display at the Hall of Fame for thousands of visitors to see. The Coaches' Trophy© is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to college football's national champion. The AFCA presents a similar national championship trophy to the four divisional champions each year

The Coaches Trophy© is now widely recognized as a symbol of football supremacy. The Gerrits Foundation funded the creation of this breathtaking Waterford Crystal© trophy, which is valued at $30,000.

At the Luncheon where Hall of Fame Coach Grant Teaff and executive director of the American Football Coaches Association was the featured speaker, Teaff stated, "Thank you Hall of Fame very much for accepting the trophy, which we wanted to be a significant part of this great shrine, because this is what Division I-A strives for. They wake up thinking about that crystal ball. They go to bed at night thinking about that crystal ball. That's what it's all about."

"The Hall of Fame is the right place for these prestigious trophies," said Hall of Fame executive director Rick Walls. "We thank the entire Gerrits family and the AFCA for their generosity and decision to make the Hall of Fame home for these championship trophies. As the gatekeepers for college football's past and ardent promoter of the present game, the Hall proudly adds these eye-catching trophies to the Hall's exhibits. "

The College Football Hall of Fame, an initiative of The National Football Foundation, stands as one of the nation's premier sports shrines, preserving and dramatizing the history of the game to an ever broadening audience of fans while holding up the greatest players and coaches as role models who highlight the game's positive values. For more information on the College Football Hall of Fame, visit www.collegefootball.org.