University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Brett Kasper Named the 25th Anniversary Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Dec. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- College football fans have selected University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh quarterback Brett Kasper as the 2016 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team^® captain for his exceptional community service accomplishments and dedication to helping others. To celebrate his achievement, Kasper will be recognized by Allstate Insurance Company and the AFCA during the live broadcast of The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN on Thursday, December 8.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the award, recognizing college football players whose good works extend beyond the field of play. Of the 24 young men selected to the 2016 team, only one receives the team captain title by way of fan votes on ESPN.com/Allstate.

Named the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Offensive Player of the Year, Kasper earned a place on this year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® for his selfless commitment to helping others while maintaining good academic standing as a supply chain management major.

Most recently, Kasper has dedicated his time to working with Be The Match, the largest and most diverse bone marrow registry in the world. Kasper's journey with Be The Match began in 2014 when he signed up to be a donor while volunteering with teammates at a registration drive on campus. In 2015, Kasper matched with an eight-year-old girl in need of a bone marrow transplant to save her life, and underwent surgery in the spring. Donors are required to wait one year before meeting the recipient, so this past November Kasper and the entire UWO team welcomed the recipient and her family to Oshkosh and honored her at halftime.

In addition to his work with Be The Match, Kasper regularly volunteers with organizations that include Feeding America and the Special Olympics. 

"Allstate is proud to recognize student-athletes like Brett for the role they play in making a positive impact in their local communities," said Thomas Clarkson, president of the west territory for Allstate Insurance Company. "Brett's achievements off the field, as a leader and role model in Oshkosh, are an inspiration to us all. We are thrilled to recognize a young man that embodies the characteristics of what this award represents."

Joining a long list of service-oriented athletes, Kasper is Wisconsin-Oshkosh's first player to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® and the first-ever Division III Good Works Team captain.

Kasper and his fellow Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® members have been invited to New Orleans where they'll combine their passion for football and service during a special youth clinic prior to the 2017 Allstate^® Sugar Bowl^®. Additionally, the players will be honored on the field at halftime during the nationally televised broadcast of the game on January 2, 2017.

In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Good Works Team^®, a final roster of 24 award recipients – comprised of 12 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 12 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA – were selected from this year's 165 nominees, along with the first-ever honorary head coach – University of Miami's Mark Richt.

To learn more about this year's team members and their charitable achievements, fans can visit ESPN.com/Allstate.

About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, protecting approximately 16 million households from life's uncertainties through auto, home, life and other insurance offered through its Allstate, Esurance, Encompass and Answer Financial brand names. Now celebrating its 85th anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is widely known through the slogan "You're In Good Hands With Allstate^®." The Allstate brand's network of small businesses offers auto, home, life and retirement products and services to customers in the United States and Canada. In 2015, The Allstate Foundation, Allstate, its employees and agency owners gave $36 million to support local communities. Allstate employees and agency owners donated 230,000 hours of service across the country.

About the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^®
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team^® was 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 worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.

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."

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SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company