Selection Committee
Drew Bledsoe
Selection Committee Chairman
Drew Bledsoe, a four time pro bowl selection, had a 14 year career as a quarterback in the National Football League, and is best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. He also played for the Buffalo Bills from 2002-2004, and spent the final two years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 and 2006. Bledsoe, an All-American for the Washington State Cougars and former #1 overall draft pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, retired in 2007 as the fifth in NFL history in pass attempts (6,717) and completions (3,839), 7th in passing yards (44,611), and 13th in touchdown passes (251). Since his retirement in 2007, Bledsoe founded Doubleback Wines where the grapes are harvested from McQueen Vineyards and Flying B Vineyards located in and around Walla Walla, Washington. He also has a vested interest in Bledsoe Capital Group that is committed to facilitating the capitalization, development and marketing of its diverse holdings and investments
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Tuohy is an American interior decorator and graduate of the University of Mississippi. She is best known for being featured in Michael Lewis’ 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game that was later made into the 2009 blockbuster film The Blind Side. In the film, Leigh Anne was portrayed by actress Sandra Bullock, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the performance. She is the adoptive mother of former Ole Miss player and Baltimore Ravens first round draft pick Michael Oher, whose story was portrayed in The Blind Side. In addition to Michael, Leigh Anne and her husband Sean are the parents of daughter Collins and son Sean, Jr. In 2010, Tuohy was named one of three new design team members for ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Jimmy Pitaro
Jimmy Pitaro is currently the Co-President of Disney Interactive Media Group overseeing online content, social networking, interactive gaming, and the web and mobile group. He recently was the Vice President of Yahoo! Media responsible for guiding the strategic growth and continued development of Yahoo!’s media properties which reach more than 70 million unique visitors per month. In that role, Pitaro oversaw the programming, content and regional business strategies for Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Entertainment (Movies, TV, Music, omg!), Yahoo! Games, Shine and more. In 2006, Pitaro became vice president and general manager of Yahoo! Sports where he was credited with leading Yahoo! Sports to its current position as the number one online sports destination. He led Yahoo! Inc.’s acquisition of the college destination Rivals.com
and managed partnerships with the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, UFC, and Turner Broadcasting to deliver compelling video, including live games and highlights. A New York native, Pitaro graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics, and received his J.D. from St. John’s Law School. Pitaro is a member of the advisory board of PACER, an organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities. He resides in Southern California with his wife and two children, and is a passionate Yankee fan.
Andrea Kremer
Andrea Kremer currently serves as the sideline and feature reporter for "NBC Sunday Night Football." She is someone the Los Angeles Times has called "the best TV interviewer in the business of covering the NFL." Kremer also is a correspondent for HBO's Emmy Award-winning "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." Prior to joining NBC, Kremer was ESPN's national correspondent, providing in-depth reports for "SportsCenter," "Sunday NFL Countdown" and "Monday Night Countdown," as well as other studio shows, winning Emmy Awards for her work in 2001 and 2005. She was cited as "Best Female" sportscaster in P.O.V. Magazine in a September 1997 poll and in 2001 was named one of the "Most Influential" moms in the country by Working Mother Magazine. Prior to joining ESPN, Kremer worked at NFL Films from 1984-89, where she was a producer/director and on-air reporter for the nationally syndicated show "This is the NFL."
Jenn Brown
Jenn Brown is a reporter for ESPN’s “College GameDay,” a sideline reporter for ESPN’s Thursday prime-time college football games and a Los Angeles-based bureau reporter. In those roles, Brown serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN and ABC college football games, is a live event reporter for ESPN’s “X Games” and contributes reports and interviews for ESPN’s news-gathering operation for “SportsCenter” and ESPN News. Before joining ESPN full time in February 2010, Brown worked for Showtime Sports/CBS Sports as a correspondent for the Emmy Award-winning “Inside the NFL,” as well as boxing and mixed martial arts programming from 2008 to 2010. In 2009, Brown co-hosted ESPNU’s “Road Trip,” which covered major college football and basketball rivalry games. A former student-athlete, Brown attended the University of Florida on a full academic scholarship and played four years on the Division I Florida Gators softball team. Brown received several academic honors while at the University of Florida and graduated summa cum laude. She was a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association Academic All-America team selection and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times. Her academic accomplishments also include the president’s list, the dean’s list and membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Jim Mora, Sr.
Jim Mora, Sr. began his professional coaching career in 1978 as the defensive line coach for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. In 1983 the United States Football League came into existence and Mora became head coach of the Philadelphia Stars. During his tenure, the team compiled a 48-13-1 (.782) record while winning two USFL championships and Mora was named Coach of the Year in 1984. In 1985 Mora took over as head coach of the NFL's New Orleans Saints where he coached for 11 seasons compiling a 93-78 record. In 1998, he became head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and took over the team led by rookie Peyton Manning. Although they struggled that first year, Mora led the Colts to a 13-3 record in 1999 and the AFC Divisional Playoffs. In 2001 Mora left the Colts after having reached the play-offs two out of the four years he was there. Mora is currently ranked #23 in all-time wins in the NFL with a 125-112 over-all record. Today, Mora is currently a sports analyst on the NFL Network, primarily on the Head Coaches Show. His son Jim L. Mora is the current head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander has had an illustrious football career. In 1995, in his senior season of High School, Alexander rushed for 3,166 yards and a state record 54 touchdowns, and was named Kentucky's "Mr. Football". In three varsity seasons, Alexander rushed for 6,657 yards and 110 touchdowns—both of which are Top 10 prep all-time records. He played a key role in leading the Alabama Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship in 1999, with his game-winning 25–yard touchdown run against #3-ranked Florida in overtime. In November 2005, Alexander became the first player in NFL history to score 19 rushing or receiving TDs in only 10 games, and eventually broke the single-season mark for touchdowns with 28. He currently holds the Seahawks' records for career rushing yards with 7,817 and touchdowns with 89. In 2005 Alexander also broke the franchise record for the most rushing yards in Seahawks' history with 1,880, earned the NFL MVP of the Year trophy and was named the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year. During 2006 he led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. He established and is extremely active in the Shaun Alexander Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to empower young men through education, athletics, character programs, and leadership training with a goal to inspire them to reach their full potential as the mentors and role models for the next generation.
Andy Beal
Andy Beal is the Chief Executive Officer of
MaxPreps.com, a web site owned by CBS Interactive that is dedicated to publishing America's most comprehensive high school sports information. MaxPreps.com features stats, stories, and photos featuring high school student-athletes and the outstanding men and women who coach them. Since the company was launched in the fall of 2003, Andy and his team grew MaxPreps to be the grand-daddy of high school sports websites and were eventually acquired by CBS in 2004. Said Beal of joining the CBS family, "Our mission is to celebrate high school sports by documenting the accomplishments of all high school athletes, not just the stars." In addition to his duties with MaxPreps, Andy also serves as a Senior Vice President for CBS Sports. For the past 15 years he also finds time to coach teams at the youth and high school levels. Andy is married and the father of three sons.
Fans!
The selection process will include Fan voting, and Fans are invited to vote through this website for their choice of the nation's most inspirational high school football player! Read the
Award FAQs for all the details.