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Tomlinson Named to Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
9/23/2014 9:05:00 AM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke redshirt senior Laken Tomlinson has been named to the 22-member Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, announced jointly on Tuesday by the Allstate Insurance Company and American Football Coaches Association.
The award recognizes college football players – 11 from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and 11 from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) or Divisions II, III or NAIA – who have positively impacted their communities and the lives of others through service.
“First and foremost, congratulations to Laken on this incredible honor,” said Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. “Laken is truly deserving of this recognition, and we are fortunate and proud to have him in our program. Obviously, he is an outstanding player on the field, and it is especially rewarding to see his selflessness and efforts in the community held in such high regard.”
Tomlinson is the sixth Duke player to be honored by the AFCA, joining Dave Harding (2013), Sean Renfree (2012), Bryan Morgan (2010), Re'quan Boyette (2008) and Zaid Abdul-Aleem (1994).
Tomlinson participated in a mission trip with fellow Duke offensive linemen to Ethiopia where the group dug freshwater wells in a remote village whose nearest water supply was nearly a mile away. The two-week excursion also included other projects in the village and time at a local orphanage.
Additionally, Tomlinson is active in a number of other service projects in the Durham community, including the Ronald McDonald House, Durham School of the Arts, White Rock Baptist Church and Durham Rescue Mission.
While helping Duke to a school single-season record 10 wins, the ACC Coastal Division championship and a berth in the 46th annual Chick-fil-A Bowl in 2013, Tomlinson earned first team All-ACC honors as well as Academic All-ACC accolades. He spearheaded a Blue Devil offensive front that led the league in sacks allowed per passing attempt as Duke established school standards for total first downs (298), offensive yards (5,996) and points (459).
Voted a team captain for the 2014 season by his teammates, Tomlinison has started 43 consecutive games – matching the longest active streak nationally – and is a candidate for the Outland Trophy, an honor presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America to the nation's most outstanding interior lineman. This season, the offensive guard from Chicago, Ill., has helped Duke to a 4-0 record, marking the program's best start since the 1994 squad opened the year with seven straight victories.
For more than two decades the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been one of the most esteemed awards in college sports. This summer, the program received a record 182 nominations from colleges and universities across the country. A voting panel comprised of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and college football media reviewed the nominees in an effort to select 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA to comprise the 22-player team.
“Allstate takes an immense amount of pride in working with the AFCA to recognize these student-athletes for their good works that have made a positive impact on communities across the country and, in some cases, across the world,” said Jim Haskins, president of Allstate's West Territory and a member of the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel. “Allstate is a proud supporter of NCAA football and it is an honor to award these young men for inspiring us all with their character and work ethic both on and off the field.”
For the past 23 years, this award has recognized countless outstanding acts of service, and the accomplishments of this team are no exception. From creating non-profit organizations and programs to help those in need, to earning a Bronze Star from serving two tours of military duty in Iraq, these 22 players have done remarkable things in their communities and touched many people's lives.
“The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been highlighting student-athlete volunteerism for 23 years, and the list of honorees keeps getting better each year,” Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director said. “The 2014 Good Works Team® members are some of the most dedicated athletes, on and off the field, I have ever seen. It is the AFCA's pleasure to work with Allstate in promoting such great ambassadors of the game of football.”
Allstate and the AFCA are looking to the fans to help determine this year's 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain. By visiting ESPN.com/Allstate, fans can learn more about this year's team members and vote for the player who they feel best embodies the spirit of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. The Team Captain and his fellow award recipients will also be invited to New Orleans to take part in a community project leading up to the 2015 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate® Sugar Bowl®.
The 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel includes: former Good Works Team® members Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team); media members Lou Holtz (ESPN), Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Bruce Feldman (Fox Sports), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star); current AFCA President and Ithaca College head coach Mike Welch; 1987 AFCA President and former head coach at Brigham Young University LaVell Edwards; and Jim Haskins, president of Allstate's West Territory.
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