The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced on Monday that the NFL Network will televise the 49th Annual College Football Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m., marking the first time the ceremony will be broadcast on television. Former Gator running back Emmitt Smith is among this year's inductees. UF senior quarterback Chris Leak (Charlotte, N.C.) will be in attendance as one of 17 members of the 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Class and is a finalist for the 2006 Draddy Trophy, presented to the nation's top football scholar-athlete.

At the event, the NFF will also honor several outstanding individuals for their contributions to college football and our nation; bestow 17 National Scholar-Athletes with $320,000 in scholarships, including the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and induct the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class.

One of college football's most sought-after and competitive awards, the Draddy Trophy recognizes an individual as the top performer in the country for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. Nominated by their schools, semifinalists must be a senior in their final year of eligibility, have at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.

Two Florida players have won the Draddy Trophy since its inception in 1990, making Florida one of only four schools with multiple recipients. Brad Culpepper was UF's initial Draddy honoree in 1991, and former Gator great Danny Wuerffel garnered the honor in 1996. Former UF center Mike Degory was a semifinalist for the award in 2005.

NFL Network's coverage features numerous profiles of the 2006 class, including one-on-one interviews with legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, who will each receive the National Football Foundation’s highest honor, the Gold Medal.

The Gold Medal has been presented to seven U.S. Presidents, four U.S. Generals, three U.S. Admirals, one U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 25 Corporate CEOs and Chairmen, John Wayne and Jackie Robinson. Paterno and Bowden will become the 49th and 50th recipients of the award, which has been bestowed since 1958.

The 2006 Division I-A College Football Hall of Fame Class includes head coach Bobby Bowden and players Bobby Anderson, Bennie Blades, Carl Eller, Steve Emtman, Thomas Everett, Chad Hennings, Chip Kell, Mike Phipps, Mike Rozier, Jeff Siemon, Bruce Smith, Emmitt Smith and Charlie Ward.

The 2006 National Scholar-Athlete Class & Draddy Trophy Finalists include Brad Cook, Saint Ambrose (Iowa); Brian Daniels, Colorado; Rhema Fuller, Connecticut; Jay Henry, West Virginia; Michael Klobucher, Ferris State (Mich.); Chris Leak, Florida; Brian Leonard, Rutgers; Aaron Lewis, Carnegie Mellon (Pa.); Ed McCarthy, Yale; Ryan Meredith, Pittsburg State (Kan.); Luke Palko, Saint Francis (Pa.); Carl Pendleton, Oklahoma; Paul Posluszny, Penn State; Kristian Smith, Alabama A&M; P.J. Theisen, Saint Thomas (Minn.); Joseph Thomas, Wisconsin and John Wendling, Wyoming.

In 2006, NFL Network will air 170 football games, including primetime regular-season NFL games and 52 preseason games, 75 game re-airs of NFL regular-season games, 31 NFL Europe League contests, the Insight Bowl, the Texas Bowl, the Senior Bowl and the All-American Classic.

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the first television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football. For more information, log onto www.nfl. com/nflnetwork/home.

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