(The NFF) -- DALLAS, March 5, 2009, 2009 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) highlighted today that 122 student-athletes from Play It Smart, the NFF's highly successful youth development program, signed national letters of intent last month with universities that participate in the Division I football subdivisions.

"The realization of a dream, National Letter of Intent Day is a special day for every college football player. It dictates not only the next four years of his life but the next forty," said NFF President and CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are extremely proud of the passion and countless hours that our academic coaches devote throughout the year to prepare all of their players for life after high school."

The breakdown included 80 student-athletes heading to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and 42 signing letters with Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams. The numbers mean that the likely number of Play It Smart alumni on FBS rosters will increase from 230 student-athletes last year to more than 266 in the 2009 season with a comparable impact in the FCS total with more than 160 players.

"Being a member of Play It Smart has given me new insight on what it will take to not only play in college but stay in college," said Branden Smith, a participant at Booker T. Washington HS in Atlanta, Ga., who signed with Georgia. "I have always dreamed about playing college football and moving on to the NFL, and now I am one step closer to that dream."

Launched in 1998 in four schools and currently in 150 schools nationwide (listed at www.playitsmart.org), Play It Smart supports "academic" coaches as they work with high school football teams in underserved areas during the entire school year. Academic coaches build on the transferable life skills developed on the field, helping their players apply those same skills in the classroom and the community, working with the direct support of a team's head coach and other key personnel at the school to build key relationships with the players and others in the community to help the team and each player reach their goals.

"The success of our Play It Smart program lies in the relationships that have been established between the players and their academic coach. Our students know that they have someone that serves as their advocate, confidant, tutor, counselor and teacher," said Dr. David Aderhold, the principal at New Brunswick HS in New Jersey. "Students within the Play It Smart program believe that if they reach the expectations set regarding academics, community service and athletics that tremendous possibilities will become available to them, but even more powerful is the belief that if athletic opportunities do not present themselves that they see college admission and college graduation as an achievable and desired goal."

Building on the positive peer pressure of the team, Play It Smart academic coaches are trained in a set of guiding principles and to use a variety of tactics, which make academic achievement the norm for a team. Tactics might include one-on-one goal setting meetings, life skills sessions, study halls, SAT/ACT prep classes, leadership conferences, and community service projects.

"Play It Smart and [my academic] Coach Kim have been great tools in helping me achieve many of personal goals academically and athletically. I am the first in my family to go directly to college on scholarship, and it has allowed me to be an example for my younger siblings and family members that anything is possible with hard work and support. Coach Kim has been that support," said Lazarri Middleton, a participant at Long Beach Poly HS in California, who signed with Nebraska.

With signers hailing from 52 different high schools, this year's total of 80 FBS letters exceeds last year's tally of 70 players, and the 2009 additions more than replace the graduating seniors with the total number of alumni in the FBS ranks anticipated to increase from 230 to more than 266 players. The 42 players headed to FCS schools is a slight decrease from the 47 who signed with FCS programs last year with approximately 160 Play It Smart graduates anticipated to be on FCS rosters in the fall.

"By making it to the next level, this group symbolizes the hard work of their head coaches, academic coaches, teachers, teammates and many more," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "We hold them out as an example of Play It Smart's power to use a player's interest in football to enhance his personal and academic development."

Glenville HS (Cleveland, Ohio) produced the most Division I letters of intent this year with eight signers. Long Beach Poly HS (Long Beach, Calif.); Madison HS (Houston, Texas); and Pahokee HS (Pahokee, Fla.) followed with seven commitments each. Winton Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio), which had been in the program for nine years, produced five letters. Carter HS (Dallas, Texas); Carver HS (Atlanta, Ga.); Karr HS (New Orleans, La.); Lincoln HS (Dallas, Texas); O. Perry Walker HS (New Orleans, La.); and Westbury HS (Houston, Texas) notched four letters each. Several schools produced three letters, including Chandler HS (Chandler, Ariz.); Crenshaw HS (Los Angeles, Calif.); Fredrick Douglas HS (Atlanta, Ga.); and McDonogh 35 (New Orleans, La.), and another 14 schools placed two players each at Division I schools.

With major financial support from the NFL and the NFL Players Association, and a broad-coalition of corporations, communities, individuals and organizations, the program has become one of the most comprehensive and effective youth mentoring programs, achieving dramatic results that include:
95% of senior participants graduate high school, compared to 76% of their senior classmates;

80% of seniors enroll in college compared to 63% of their senior classmates;

Participants completed more than 55,000 hours of community service last year; and

Participants earned more than $8 million in scholarships last year.

Prominent alumni include Ohio State's Ted Ginn, Jr. (Miami Dolphins), Rutgers' Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens), Miami's Leon Williams (Cleveland Browns), LSU's Craig Davis (San Diego Chargers), Penn State's Jay Alford, and Cal's DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles).

See below for the list of 2009 Play It Smart Division I Letters of Intent:

The 80 Play It Smart 2009 FBS Letters of Intent

College Student-Athlete High School City, State
Air Force Matthew Jones Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
Air Force Brontavious Railey Frederick Douglass HS Atlanta, GA
Alabama Jonathan Atchison Frederick Douglass HS Atlanta, GA
UAB Caleb Lester Frederick Douglass HS Atlanta, GA
Arkansas Anthony Oden Lawrence North HS Indianapolis, IN
Ball State Theon Dixon Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Ball State Travis Freeman Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Ball State Xavier Hines Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Ball State Jason Pinkston Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Baylor Josh Gordon Lamar HS Houston, TX
Boise State Nicholas Alexander Crenshaw HS Los Angeles, CA
Buffalo Carlos Lammons Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
UCF Brandon Bryant B. T. Washington HS Atlanta, GA
Central Michigan Jarrett Flemming George Washington HS South Bend, IN
Cincinnati Maalik Bomar Winton Woods HS * Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Tristin Marvin Winton Woods HS * Cincinnati, OH
Cincinnati Jordan Stepp Ben Davis HS Indianapolis, IN
Cincinnati Chris Williams Winton Woods HS * Cincinnati, OH
Colorado State Michael Orakpo Westbury HS Houston, TX
Colorado State Dru Taylor Lincoln HS Dallas, TX
Connecticut Malik Generett William Penn HS York, PA
Eastern Michigan Willie Hickman Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
Eastern Michigan Darius Moffett Hubbard HS Chicago, IL
Florida Josh Evans Irvington HS Irvington, NJ
Georgia Branden Smith B. T. Washington HS Atlanta, GA
Hawai'i George Daily- Lyles Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
Houston Jeffrey Lewis Madison HS Houston, TX
Houston Charles Simms Westbury HS Houston, TX
Houston DeAnthony Sims Westbury HS Houston, TX
Houston Broderick Thomas Madison HS Houston, TX
Kansas State Cornelius Lucas Karr HS New Orleans, LA
Kansas State Torrell Miller O. Perry Walker HS New Orleans, LA
Louisiana - Lafayette Jewel Ratliff McDonogh 35 HS New Orleans, LA
Louisiana Tech Tyrone Duplessis O. Perry Walker HS New Orleans, LA
Louisiana Tech Kendrick James O. Perry Walker HS New Orleans, LA
LSU Mike Brockers Chavez HS Houston, TX
Marshall Marques Aiken Boyd Anderson HS Lauderdale Lakes, FL
Maryland David McKall Edmondson HS Baltimore, MD
Michigan Brandon Hawthorne Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
Michigan Vincent Smith Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
Minnesota Michael Carter Blanche Ely HS Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Minnesota Eric Jaques Blanche Ely HS Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Missouri Donovan Bonner Lincoln HS Dallas, TX
Nebraska Lazarri Middleton Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
New Mexico Demond Dennis Carver HS Atlanta, GA
North Carolina State Jarvis Byrd Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
North Carolina State Tyson Chandler North Plainfield HS N. Plainfield, NJ
North Carolina State Anthony Talbert Winton Woods HS * Cincinnati, OH
North Texas Daniel Mayberry Lincoln HS Dallas, TX
North Texas Kyle White McDonogh 35 HS New Orleans, LA
Ohio Troy Hill Valley HS New Kensington, PA
Ohio Jelani Woseley New Dorp HS Staten Island, NY
Ohio State Marcus Hall Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Ohio State Jonathan Newsome Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Oregon State Markus Wheaton Chandler HS Chandler, AZ
Pittsburgh Devin Street Liberty HS Bethlehem, PA
Rutgers Jamal Wilson South Shore HS * Brooklyn, NY
San Diego State Marquis Andrews Crenshaw HS Los Angeles, CA
San Diego State Anthony Miller Carter HS Dallas, TX
San Jose State Noel Grigsby Crenshaw HS Los Angeles, CA
South Carolina Damario Jeffrey Columbia HS Columbia, SC
South Carolina Chris Payne Columbia HS Columbia, SC
South Florida Lindsay Lamar Hillsborough HS Tampa, FL
Southern Methodist Keivon Gamble Lincoln HS Dallas, TX
Southern Mississippi Deron Wilson O. Perry Walker HS New Orleans, LA
Syracuse Torian Phillips Port Richmond HS Staten Island, NY
Temple Levi Brown Liberty HS Bethlehem, PA
Tennessee Mike Edwards Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Tennessee Darren Myles Carver HS Atlanta, GA
Tennessee Nu'keese Richardson Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
Texas A&M Kalvin Guyton Lamar HS Houston, TX
Texas A&M Chris Henderson Carter HS Dallas, TX
Texas Tech Jarvis Phillips Carter HS Dallas, TX
Toledo Terance Owens Glenville HS Cleveland, OH
Tulane Shakiel Smith Karr HS New Orleans, LA
Tulane Jordan Sullen Karr HS New Orleans, LA
UCLA Stan McKay Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
UCLA Iuta Tepa Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
Utah Eric Dago Westside HS Houston, TX
Washington Dorson Boyce Bayside HS Queens, NY

The 42 Play It Smart 2009 FCS Letters of Intent

College Student-Athlete High School City, State
Alabama A&M Desmond Walker B.E. Mays HS Atlanta, GA
Alabama A&M Phil Harvey Carver HS Atlanta, GA
Alabama State Jacuon Bently Pahokee HS Pahokee, FL
Alcorn State Larry Moore Karr HS New Orleans, LA
Appalachian State Jamaal Jackson North Atlanta HS Atlanta, GA
Austin Peay State Vincent Johnson Fulton HS Knoxville, TN
Central Arkansas Domonique Allen Madison HS Houston, TX
Eastern Illinios Zach Bruce Ben Davis HS Indianapolis, IN
Eastern Kentucky Myer Nolan B.E. Mays HS Atlanta, GA
Eastern Kentucky Anthony Brown Winton Woods HS * Cincinnati, OH
Florida A&M Rodeshawn Joseph Boyd Anderson HS Lauderdale Lakes, FL
Florida A&M Jerod Brisbom Hillsborough HS Tampa, FL
Furman Derrick Murrary South Atlanta HS Atlanta, GA
Georgia Southern Darrien Robinson Clarke Central HS Athens, GA
Grambling State Terry McGill McDonogh 35 HS New Orleans, LA
Hampton Jordan Davis William Penn HS York, PA
Hofstra Zamel Johnson Port Richmond HS Staten Island, NY
Lamar Chris Pruitt Davis HS Houston, TX
Lamar Jeremy Kirt Madison HS Houston, TX
Lamar James Washington Madison HS Houston, TX
McNeese State Michael Ware Madison HS Houston, TX
Mississippi Valley State Gavin Crumpton Woodlawn Magnet HS Birmingham, AL
Mississippi Valley State Barry Maltimore Woodlawn Magnet HS Birmingham, AL
Murray State Daren Baker Hillsborough HS Tampa, FL
North Carolina A&T Elridge Cooper North Atlanta HS Atlanta, GA
Northern Arizona Caleve Deboskie Chandler HS Chandler, AZ
Prairie View A&M Gabriel Young Jones HS Houston, TX
Prairie View A&M Marcus White Jones HS Houston, TX
Presbyterian College Mark Williams Carver HS Atlanta, GA
Rhode Island Mannee Williams New Rochelle HS * New Rochelle, NY
San Diego Quintin Brown Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
Southern Illinios Rodney Reagans Chandler HS Chandler, AZ
Stephen F. Austin State Darren Robinson Carter HS Dallas, TX
Stephen F. Austin State Fitisuela Partsch Sterling HS Houston, TX
Stony Brook Kenny Tuiloma Long Beach Poly HS Long Beach, CA
Stony Brook Ian Solomon New Rochelle HS * New Rochelle, NY
Tennessee - Martin DJ Roberts Austin-East HS Knoxville, TN
Tennessee State James Lewter Ballou HS Washington, DC
Tennessee State George Pulley Stratford HS Nashville, TN
Texas Southern Marvin Hollie Madison HS Houston, TX
Texas Southern Eoles Whitaker Westbury HS Houston, TX
Villanova Rakim Cox San Diego HS San Diego, CA