Selection Committee
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.
Drew Bledsoe
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
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 an exciting TV personality, who can be seen throughout the world of sports and entertainment. Jenn is the only female correspondent for Showtime's "Inside the NFL", also covering all mixed martial arts and boxing for Showtime and CBS. Jenn has recently moved onto the college field as a part of ESPN's College GameDay, in addition to covering some of the biggest college rivalries for ESPNU's "Road Trip". An athlete at heart, her competitive nature began at an early age when she took up sports at three years old. As a softball all-star, a junior Olympic diver, and a track and field superstar, her love for sports ultimately resulted in her breaking her high school's record by earning the most varsity letters (14) by a male or female athlete. On a full academic scholarship at the University of Florida, Jenn walked onto the Division I softball team and left as captain her senior year, having received spirit awards and recognized as creating team inspiration. Jenn has an active presence in The Carrie Brown Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Jenn's family in memory of her younger sister, Carrie. The foundation was created to continue Carrie's spirit of giving, with all proceeds going towards less fortunate children through scholarships and grants.
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.
Mike Smith
Head Coach of the Hampton High Crabbers (Hampton, VA) since 1971, Mike Smith is just one of seven high school football coaches in national history with 400 wins and is currently ranked #5 among active coaches for all-time wins. He picked up his 400th victory in the 2008 season in a 35-0 win over Indian River. Entering his 38th year at Hampton High, Smith is 402-60-2. His Crabbers were ranked No. 1 in the nation in 1996 and 1997 and under his guidance have won 11 state titles, most recently in 2005. In addition to full-time coaching, Smith currently serves as the Executive Director of the Virginia High School Coaches Association.
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