The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been one of the most esteemed honors in college football for 30 years. The student-athletes nominated for this award not only demonstrate a unique dedication to community service and desire to make a positive impact on the lives around them, but also show tremendous perseverance as well as the ability to overcome personal struggles and come out victorious against all odds. Representing the MAC is Eastern Michigan's Tariq Speights, Akron's Bubba Arslanian, Toledo's Lavel Dumont and Western Michigan's Mike Caliendo.
"I am inspired by these future community leaders and their dedication to improving the world around them. Despite their already busy schedules, these young men have stepped up as champions for change after an unprecedented year," said Terrance Williams, general manager and executive vice president of Allstate agency sales and the newest member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team selection committee. "Allstate takes great pride in our partnership with the AFCA, and we are honored to recognize these players and highlight their stories, which too often tend to go unnoticed."
This year's candidates include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders, and community champions. These nominees have volunteered to build homes, mentor underprivileged kids, aid in COVID-19 relief efforts, as well as advocate against domestic violence and racial injustice.
"Each year, I am amazed by the caliber of these nominees because their philanthropic efforts continuously raise the bar for how we should all be champions of our communities. I am humbled to help tell their stories, and they should be proud to have been nominated for such a prestigious award," said Tim Tebow, two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member. "These players embody the spirit of a true champion."
Speights helped organize a voter registration drive at EMU to get students out to vote in 2020. The goal was to challenge every eligible member of Eastern's 18 varsity sports to be registered to vote. Additionally, he helped organize a Black Lives Matter rally that involved both athletic departments of EMU and Michigan. The rally was about student-athletes using their platform as college athletes, opening eyes, sharing a cause, and bringing awareness to racial inequality in this country. He also hosted a MLK Day March in Ypsilanti of Student-Athletes The celebration, which consisted of both an in-person march and virtual panel discussion.
Selection Process and Panel
Caliendo was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American for the 2020 season and is a four-time MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete. The Brookfield, Wisconsin, native has started 39 straight games at left guard for Western and will be moving to center this fall. He rated as the team's top run-blocker in 2020 per Pro Football Focus. Caliendo graduated from Western Michigan with a 3.90 grade-point average in biological sciences and currently boasts a 3.88 graduate GPA in the same field with plans to enter medical school when his football career concludes. He was named to the Wuerrfel Trophy watch list in 2020. In the community, Caliendo has volunteer with the Ministry with Community, Kalamazoo Gospel Mission, YWCA, Kalamazoo Area Schools, Church Outreach and Bronson Hospital, while also serving on the WMU Football Leadership Council and leading team service efforts, including with Habitat for Humanity.
Dumont, a sophomore, has been an active community volunteer during his career with the Rockets. He has been part of team activities at the Toledo Children Hospital, the Toledo Boys & Girls Club, the Ronald McDonald House, the Glass City Marathon Kids Run and "Victory Day" at the Glass Bowl, among many others. He will also be honored by the Musial Awards for extraordinary sportsmanship on Nov. 20 for the special friendship he initiated with a Toledo area teenager and the impact he has made. Last summer, when driving from his apartment to campus, he would often notice Wyntr Kinsley throwing a football by himself in his yard. One day, Dumont decided to pull over, introduce himself and invite Kinsley to a Toledo football game. From there, a heartwarming bond developed between the 6-4, 300-pound lineman and the then 15-year-old football fan, who has had developmental delays due to a heart condition.
The final 22-member team and honorary coach are selected by a voting panel of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and journalists. They look for players who demonstrate exceptional leadership on and off the football field.
In addition to Tebow and Williams, the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team selection panel members are: Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team); Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998); Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001); Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002); Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State, 1999); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star) and Paul Myerberg (USA Today); 2021 AFCA President and Northwestern University Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald; and 2001 AFCA President and current Athletic Director at Virginia Union University Joe Taylor.
Public Voting Phase
After the final team members are announced in September, fans can cast their vote for this year's Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain through the official page on ESPN.com. Fans can use #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels to join the conversation throughout the season.
"The AFCA has proudly partnered with Allstate to honor football student-athletes who volunteer their time and energy to give back," AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry said. "These nominees serve as examples to their fellow student-athletes and members of their community, proving that selfless acts will enrich the lives of people they know and don't know, acting as a true champion would."
Nomination Criteria
Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most coveted community service awards in college football. From the 109 nominees, the final roster of 23 award recipients will bring together 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach. To be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
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.
The SEC leads all conferences with 76 selections to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team since it began in 1992. The SEC is followed by the Atlantic Coast Conference with 46 selections and the Big 12 Conference with 38 selections. Georgia is in first place with 20 honorees to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The Bulldogs are followed by Kentucky with 16 honorees. Super Bowl XLII, XLVI and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams, respectively.
About the 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."
The 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominees are:
MAC Student-Athletes Nominated For Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
Tariq Speights - Eastern Michigan University
Bubba Arslanian -- University of Akron
Lavel Dumont -- University of Toledo
Mike Caliendo -- Western Michigan University
