49ers quarterback nominated for community service honor

Charlotte 49ers red-shirt quarterback Matt Johnson is among the nominees for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, considered one of the most coveted and prestigious off-the-field honors in college football.

The award recognizes players whose charitable involvement and community service contributions stand out among all other student-athletes participating in the sport. Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced a record-breaking 182 nominees from across the country.

“Year after year, the ‘good works’ associated with this impressive group of student-athletes continue to inspire and raise the bar for future nominees,” said Jim Haskins, president of Allstate’s West Territory and a member of the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team voting panel. “Allstate is proud to be a part of an award that recognizes the importance of giving back to the communities where we live, work and cheer on game day.”

Johnson, a 2013 Jerry Rice Award finalist for FCS top first-year player, has been active in his community and beyond. A Newton, N.C., native, he participated in a week-long mission trip to Tecate, Mexico, last summer and has spoken at several community events, including the Lake Hickory Rotary Club, the Newton-Conover Rotary Club, the Cornerstone Church Youth Breakfast, and the Maiden Middle School Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and at youth football camps.

Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September. The nominees were submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their schools. A special voting panel consisting of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and prominent college football media members will select the 2014 Good Works Team.