From a pool of 3,500 scholar-athletes, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF) recently announced 82 members of the 2020 NFF Team of Distinction.

Northwestern quarterback Deven Bollinger earned a place on the list.

As part of its mission to promote the scholar-athlete ideal, the initiative allows the NFF to honor the top high school scholar-athletes from around the country as the best and the brightest at the local level while highlighting the work of the NFF Chapter Network.

The members of the team all played their final high school football season during the 2019-20 school year. As part of the award, all of the honorees will be part of a permanent digital display at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

Criteria to make the team include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement. Each chapter is limited to one honoree, distinguishing them as the top scholar-athlete from all the high schools covered by the chapter.

“This initiative allows us to shine a national spotlight on some of the most deserving high school student-athletes honored at the local level by our expansive Chapter Network,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “This honor is one of the most prestigious national awards that a high school player can receive, and it really brings into focus the phenomenal work that our chapters do in identifying the most outstanding young leaders in their communities. We would like to congratulate all 82 honorees, holding them out as examples for future generations to emulate.”

Since 1954, the NFF Chapters have played an integral role in supporting and promoting the game of football at the amateur level while honoring the top scholar-athletes in their local areas. With more than 12,000 members, the nationwide NFF Chapter Network impacts more than 500,000 student-athletes at 5,000 high schools across the country each year. The centerpiece of the Chapter Network’s efforts are the annual chapter awards banquets, which recognize more than 3,500 of the nation’s top scholar-athletes and distribute more than $1 million in scholarships.

This year’s NFF Team of Distinction represents 37 states, has an average GPA of 4.0, includes 64 team captains, 34 all-state selections, 13 valedictorians, 58 National Honor Society members and four National Merit honorees.

Bollinger, who was selected in the East Region, was a two-year captain and two-time all-state selection who set several school records during his four-year career as the Tigers’ starter. He is a member of the National Honor Society and student council. He will continue his education and football career at the University of Delaware.