College Football Fans Vote Northwestern State University's Elqutub For 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On a night when college football's brightest stars were celebrated for their performance on the field, Northwestern State University senior linebacker Yaser Elqutub was announced by Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain, a community service award determined by college football fan voters for the work Elqutub is doing off the field.

Elqutub is the second Team Captain recognized in the 20-year history of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college football.  He was presented his trophy during The Home Depot College Football Awards, televised on ESPN on Dec. 8. 

"As a student-athlete committed to making a difference in people's lives, Yaser Elqutub represents what the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® is all about," said Mark LaNeve, Allstate executive vice president, marketing & sales operations. "Through his volunteer efforts, Yaser has become a true ambassador for the sport of college football and Allstate congratulates him on being named 2011 Team Captain."

A former walk-on player from Katy, Texas, Elqutub has been involved with a number of community organizations during his time at Northwestern State.  The senior has mentored troubled youth through the Families in Need of Services program and planned a series of events on campus to benefit Samaritan's Feet, an international organization that provides shoes and feet washings for children in third world countries.

An applicant to attend medical school after graduation, Elqutub has also volunteered in the medical field to gain experience while also helping others.  To spread the word and encourage fans to vote on ESPN.com, supporters of the Demons' linebacker started a Twitter campaign under the handle @Vote4Yaser.

For his excellence in the classroom, including a 3.85 grade point average, Elqutub was also selected as a 2011 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award winner.

Elqutub and his fellow Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members will be invited to New Orleans to participate in a special community event prior to the 2011 Allstate® Sugar Bowl.  The players will conduct a football clinic for area youth through the YMCA of Greater New Orleans. For the fourth consecutive season, the Good Works Team® will also be honored at halftime of the Allstate® Sugar Bowl, which will be televised nationally on ESPN on Jan. 3, 2012.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® consists of two 11-member teams, one that includes players competing in the NCAA® Football Bowl Subdivision and the other a combined team representing the NCAA® Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA.  A program record 132 players were nominated for the 2011 award by sports information directors on behalf of their teams.  From the nominations, a special selection committee, including former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and current college football broadcasters, named the 22 members of the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.

To learn more about this year's team members and their selfless acts of kindness, fans can visit ESPN.com and search "Good Works."

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer known for its "You're In Good Hands With Allstate®" slogan. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.                                                            

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams® were established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field.  AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate partnered to present the award starting with the 2008 season.

Since 1992, the Southeastern Conference leads all conferences with 54 selections to the Good Works Teams®, followed by the Big 12 with 40 selections and the Atlantic Coast Conference with 29 selections. With Aron White's selection this year, Georgia moves into first place with 13 honorees to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The Bulldogs are followed by Nebraska and St. Thomas (Minn.) with 12 honorees each. Super Bowl XLII and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Good Works Teams, respectively.

About AFCA

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football."

SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company