NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Former Saints quarterback Archie Manning said college football, with the transfer portal and athletes profiting from name, image, and likeness is no longer college football anymore.
Manning made the comments at the annual Allstate Sugar Bowl, National Football Foundation luncheon Tuesday at the Audubon Tea Room.
Here’s a list of those honored, and the scholarship winners
Twenty-six local high school football players were recognized for their achievements in the classroom, in the community and on the football field. The honorees were chosen from a group of nominated scholar athletes from the New Orleans area. Archie Manning, the national chairman of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, recognized each of the 26 student athletes at the event. From that group of 26, five were selected to receive Allstate Sugar Bowl Scholarships: four for $10,000 and one for $20,000 each. The scholarship winners were chosen based on essays submitted after being notified of their selection as scholar-athletes.
Caleb Tolbert from Jesuit High School was the recipient of the $20,000 Oliver Delery Scholarship, named for the Sugar Bowl Committee-member and past president who passed away in 2020. The $10,000 scholarships were awarded to George Arata (Pope John Paul II High School), Benjamin Knobloch (Northlake Christian High School), Alex Smith (Fontainebleau High School) and Javeon Talbot (East Jefferson High School).
In addition to the high school honorees, two local leaders were recognized for their contributions to the community and the sport of football.
Frank Monica, one of the top high school football coaches in Louisiana history, was presented with the Contributions to Amateur Football Award, which is given annually to an individual for his or her effort to promote the game, preserve its history and ensure its future. Monica, who was the head coach at St. Charles Catholic High School for 24 years, retired in 2021 as the winningest coach in the River Parishes with a career record of 284-91. A graduate of Reserve High School, Monica attended Nicholls State and then spent 51 years in the coaching world, including time at Lutcher, Tulane, Riverside and Jesuit before his long-time tenure at St. Charles Catholic. He directed St. Charles Catholic to the state semifinals 12 times with six appearances in state championship games, including winning the title in 2011.
Legendary reporter Ro Brown, who has been a mainstay on the sports scene of New Orleans for nearly 50 years, was presented with the Distinguished American Award, which is presented each year to an individual who has set the standard for a life of service to the community and has made a significant contribution to the betterment of amateur football. His intelligent commentary and well-developed stories endeared him to all New Orleanians, but especially to the thousands of young athletes that he covered. Born in the Lower Ninth Ward, Brown graduated from John F. Kennedy High School and Loyola University, He became the first Black on-air sportscaster in New Orleans with WDSU in 1978 and through the years his “personality, constant smile, soothing voice and knowledge of just about everything and everybody has been his trademark” as described in the Times-Picayune.
The New Orleans Chapter of the National Football Foundation was established in 1971. The Sugar Bowl took over sponsorship of the chapter in 2000 and since then it has recognized over 500 student-athletes while distributing over $500,000 in scholarship money.
2022 National Football Foundation Scholar Athletes (alphabetical by high school):
Anquan Milton (Archbishop Rummel High School)
Academic Achievements: Patrick Taylor Scholar; National Society of High School Scholars; Louisiana Tech University Merit Scholarship. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman; team captain; helped team to 2019 state championship; also lettered in track and baseball. Plans to attend Louisiana Tech University.
Ernest Tapia, Jr. (Archbishop Shaw High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; Science National Honor Society; 4.0 grade-point average or higher throughout high school; Literary Rally; leadership and service scholarship recipient. Athletic Achievements:Four-year letterman and starter; team captain; Academic All-State; also lettered in wrestling. Extracurricular Activities: Student Ambassador; Peer Minister; Student Government. Plans to attend the University of Notre Dame.
Austin Roberts (Brother Martin High School)
Academic Achievements: Four-year Alpha Honor Roll (GPA over 3.5). Athletic Achievements:Four-year letterman; three-year starter; all-state honorable mention; all-district; all-metro; Clarion Herald Elite Team Defensive MVP; helped team to consecutive district championships. Extracurricular Activities: Cheerleader; powerlifting; summer job at Pelican Ice. Undecided on college choice.
Javeon Talbot (East Jefferson High School )
Academic Achievements: Ranked No. 1 in his class; East Jefferson’s Student of the Year; finalist for Jefferson Parish High School Student of the Year; Academic All-State; National Honor Society; Friday Night Football Scholar Athlete. Athletic Achievements:Two-year letterman after transferring; two-time team captain; Defensive Team MVP; all-district; Coaches Award – Hardest Worker; Team Highest GPA. Still weighing multiple college options.
Andrew Green (Eleanor McMain Secondary School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll; National Honor Society; Student Leadership. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman and starter at linebacker; two-time team defensive captain; Team Defensive MVP; two-time all-district. Extracurricular Activities: Student Leadership at McMain. Plans to attend LSU.
Alexander Smith (Fontainebleau High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor roll; 2021 Fontainebleau Football Scholar-Athlete Award. Athletic Achievements:Three-year letterman; two-year team captain; team MVP; two-time all-district; St. Tammany All-Star Game; Football Pride Award; Darrell Brown Memorial Leadership Award; also lettered in powerlifting. Extracurricular Activities: Food pantry volunteer; Hurricane Ida volunteer. Will play football at Bethel College in Kansas.
Maiyan Barnes (Grace King High School)
Academic Achievements: A/B Honor Roll. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman; two-time team captain; team MVP; all-district. Extracurricular Activities: FCA. Undecided on college choice.
Cole Baiamonte (Holy Cross School)
Academic Achievements: Academic All-State in football and wrestling. Athletic Achievements:Four-year letterman and four-year starter; two-time team captain; all-district; Butch Duhe Leadership Award; also captain of the wrestling team; placed second in the 220-pound weight class at the LHSAA Division I state championships. Extracurricular Activities: Student Body President; Student Council.Will play football at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Kitt Bachmann (Isidore Newman School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman and three-year starter; team Defensive MVP; all-district; all-metro; 41 tackles; also a team captain for lacrosse; all-state in lacrosse. Extracurricular Activities: President of Coding Club; Finance Club, PR team for Heart of Passion (community service organization); Robotics team; community service with Giving Machines. Plans to attend the University of Wisconsin.
Caleb Tolbert (Jesuit High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; Top Honor Roll Award for each quarter of every year at Jesuit; POSSE Scholarship Finalist. Athletic Achievements:Two-year letterman; team captain; helped Jesuit to state championship appearance for the first time since 2014. Extracurricular Activities: Big Brother; Jesuit Men of Color; Chevron Future Leader; Good Shepherd school volunteer. Plans to attend Tuskegee University.
Koruth Wilson (John Ehret High School)
Academic Achievements: Beta Honor Roll all four years. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman; team captain; three-year starter on the defensive line; two-time all-district. Plans to attend Northwestern State University.
Gorge Reyes (L.W. Higgins High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll all four years; National Honor Society; Top 15 in class. Athletic Achievements: Four-year letterman; Team MVP; Offensive MVP; all-district; receiver for two years before moving to quarterback as a senior; team most improved sophomore year. Extracurricular Activities: Youth sports volunteer. Plans to attend the University of New Orleans.
Sollon Scott (L.W. Higgins High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll; Dental Assistant Certification. Athletic Achievements:Three-year letterman; team captain; all-district; West Bank Outstanding Player. Extracurricular Activities: Toy Drive; Concessions; Leadership Class. Plans to attend Louisiana Christian University.
Megan Gettys (Lakeshore High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; Honor Roll every year in high school. Athletic Achievements:Three-year letterwinner; three-time all-district honorable mention; school records for most PAT kicks in a season (78) and a career (154); first female to kick a field goal and first female to score a two-point conversion in school history; also lettered in soccer. Extracurricular Activities: Miracle League; FCA. Will play soccer at the University of South Carolina Aiken.
Jaden McCall (Lakeshore High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll every year in High School. Athletic Achievements: Two-year letterman after transferring to Lakeshore; team captain; district offensive MVP in 2021; first-team all-district quarterback; all-district punter; team MVP; Leadership Council; also lettered in baseball. Extracurricular Activities: Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Undecided on college choice.
Evan Weller (Lusher High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll. Athletic Achievements:Four-year letterman and four-year starter; team captain; team MVP; also lettered in lacrosse for three years. Extracurricular Activities: Community service with VFW post; Job at Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. Plans to attend Penn State University.
Andrew Beshenich (Northlake Christian School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; George Eastman Young Leaders Award; Patrick Taylor Foundation Scholar; National Junior Beta Club. Athletic Achievements: Four-year letterman; team captain; all-district; also all-district in soccer. Extracurricular Activities: Student Body President; Student Senate; Ministry Skills; National Day of Prayer Leader; Key Club; Homecoming Court; BC Soccer Camps volunteer; Northshore Food Bank volunteer. Plans to attend the University of Alabama.
George Arata (Pope John Paul II High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; Principal’s Honor Roll every semester for five years. Athletic Achievements: Four-year letterman; three-year starter at quarterback before moving to running back as a senior; set school rushing record with over 1,700 yards and 19 TDs; two-time all-district; all-parish; King of the Jungle Jaguar Award; also lettered in soccer and earned all-state and all-district recognition. Extracurricular Activities: Media Club Broadcaster; volunteer youth coach; Student Council President. Will play football atTulane.
Adam Ghazzali (Riverdale High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; Honor Roll; Student Leadership Summit. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman; three-year starter; team captain; also lettered in wrestling. Extracurricular Activities: ACH Achievers; Superintendent’s Council; tutor for Syrian refugees. Plans to attend Xavier University of Louisiana.
Javen Nicholas (St. Augustine High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor Roll; National Honor Society. Athletic Achievements:Three-year letterman; two-time team captain; Team MVP; all-district. Extracurricular Activities: Chair of senior activities; mentorship program; National Society of Black Engineers. Plans to attend LSU.
Grant Billson (St. Paul’s High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; A-Honor Roll for all four years; Golden Torch Award; LHSAA Academic All-State; Perfect Attendance. Athletic Achievements: Four-year letterman; three-year starter at quarterback; team captain; three-time all-district. Extracurricular Activities: Rotary Club volunteer; Feed the Needy; National Honor Society tutor. Undecided on college choice.
Ben Knobloch (St. Paul’s High School)
Academic Achievements: A/B Honor Roll for four years; National Honor Society; Academic All-State. Athletic Achievements:Four-year letterman; two-time all-district; also lettered in track & field. Extracurricular Activities: Rotary Club volunteer; Feed the Needy; Student Ambassador; Fishing Club; Lifeguard. Plans to attend LSU.
Aiden Richards (St. Paul’s High School)
Academic Achievements: National Honor Society; Honor Roll all 4 years; Golden Torch. Athletic Achievements:Four-year letterman; two-year starter; two-time all-district; All-St. Tammany Parish; LHSAA Academic All-State; also lettered in basketball. Extracurricular Activities: Football/basketball camp counselor; mentor for Core Pack Special Needs students; Miracle League Buddy. Plans to attend LSU.
Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman; team captain; Leadership Council; two-time all-district; Offensive MVP; lettered in baseball for four years. Extracurricular Activities: Flag football umpire; Mardi Gras clean-up volunteer. Undecided on college choice.
Tamaj Hoffman (Slidell High School)
Academic Achievements: A/B Honor Roll. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman; team captain; two-time all-district; All-Star Game MVP 2021. Extracurricular Activities: FCA; Interact Club; Foreign Language Club. Will play football at Delta State University.
Jireh Childs (West Jefferson High School)
Academic Achievements: Honor roll. Athletic Achievements: Three-year letterman in football; three-year team captain; two-time all-district selection; played running back and linebacker; Most Outstanding Offensive Player; also lettered in track & field. Extracurricular Activities: Junior Zulu, Men of Excellence. Undecided on college choice.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 100 Hall of Fame players, 51 Hall of Fame coaches and 20 Heisman Trophy winners in its 88-year history. The 89th annual Sugar Bowl Classic is scheduled to be played on Saturday, December 31, 2022. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.2 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
