Scholar Athlete Awards
Scholar-athletes representing football-playing high schools in the Baltimore metropolitan area are selected by their respective schools primarily for their ability on the football field and in the classroom. Other factors taken into consideration include extracurricular activities, leadership, and community and church activities.
Every football-playing high school in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Harford, Howard, Carroll and Frederick Counties is invited to submit a nominee who best fits the aforementioned qualifications. The Chapter’s selection committee, after careful consideration of each athlete’s qualifications, then chooses five regional scholarships.
A. Paul Menton Award
The Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame annually presents the A. Paul Menton Award to the top Baltimore area football team. The award is named in honor of the late A. Paul Menton, the long time sports editor for The Baltimore Evening Sun. Mr. Menton also served as the commissioner of game officials and was a founding member of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Special Achievement Awards
Herb Armstrong Service to Football Award
The Service to Football Award is given in honor of Herb Armstrong, a founding chapter member and longtime president of the Maryland Scholastic Association. The Award is not an annual award, but rather is given to deserving individuals who have made a significant personal contribution and commitment to football in the Greater Baltimore area. Recipients include Herb Armstrong, Dave Kaufman, Harry Lawrence, John Donohue, Dutch Eyth, Charley Havens, Gardner Mallonee, Earl Banks, Ed Hargaden, Steve Hokuf, Ed Hurt, Bob Lumsden, Herb Ruby, Mason Russell, Dick Working, Mel Filler, Mitch Tullai, Jim Head, Reddy Finney, Ed Novak, Lloyd White, Toy Cragway, Augie Waibel, Joe Brune, Nick Schloeder, Andy Borland, Elmer Dize, Denny Cox, Bill Bauersfeld, Bob Patzwall and Keith Mills.
Ben Eaton Sr. Championship Award
Numerous area public high school programs enjoyed noteworthy success during the 2018 football season. Nine of the sixteen teams in the Maryland State public school semifinals came from the Greater Baltimore Chapter and four chapter teams faced off in two of the four state championship games at Navy Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, yielding 2A and 3A titles.
For these achievements, the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Football Foundation will present Ben Eaton Sr. Championship Awards to these schools. The awards were renamed in 2008 to honor the memory of the legendary Dunbar High School coach who died suddenly prior to the 2007 season. Recognized by his peers and the community, Coach Eaton set a standard for performance and conduct that inspires coaches to embrace their roles as counselor, mentor, leader and friend.
James Margraff Coaches Award
The Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Football Foundation has created The James Margraff Coaches Award to honor Jim Margraff and his service as the longtime coach of the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays and former Football Foundation board member.
Margraff, who was named as the Division III AFCA National Coach of the Year and the D3football.com National Coach of the Year in the fall of 2018, died suddenly on January 2, 2019 at age 58.
Margraff owned a record of 221-89-3 over 29 years, making him the program’s all-time leader in wins. His 221 victories are the most by any college football coach in state history and ranked third among active Division III coaches. Margraff led the Blue Jays to the NCAA playoffs ten times, including the last nine years of his career.
Jim Margraff’s legacy was shaped by his work as a coach and mentor of his players and staff. We believe his memory is best served by an award to a coach or assistant coach, be it college or high school in our chapter area who has distinguished himself and his team through the demonstration of the character and principles (“Pride and Poise”) that shaped his career.