Home Official News Releases Drake linebacker named finalist for Allstate Good Works Football Team

Drake linebacker named finalist for Allstate Good Works Football Team

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Ben Morrison

Drake senior linebacker Ben Morrison (Long Grove, Ill.) has been named a finalist for the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. Finalists are selected based on their positive contributions to their community and campus.

Entering his third year as a starter, Morrison earned honorable mention All-Pioneer Football League honors last year while guiding the Bulldogs to an 8-3 overall record, including a 6-2 second-place league mark. He had 75 tackles in 2009, including 14.5 tackles totaling 57 yards in losses, while recording a team-high 10.5 quarterback sacks for 73 yards in losses.

Morrison, who is majoring in secondary education, has been a part of several community organizations and was named the 2009 Drake community services captain. He has volunteered with the Special Olympics at Drake, the Sunrise Assisted Living Retirement Home, Prince of Peace YMCA Youth Camps and Willow Creek Community Food Pantry. He also participated in the Landre Foundation Walk for Troubled Teens.

In addition, he has organized community service events with the Boys and Girls Club in the Des Moines as well as the Blank Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Des Moines. He also has been active in the Bulldog Reading Program at Des Moines-area elementary and middle school schools.


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Morrison earned honorable mention All-Pioneer Football League honors in 2009.

“Ben has always been involved in everything that we do and he is a
natural leader,” said Drake Head Football Coach Chris Creighton.

“Ben is special because his heart is in the right place. I believe there is a difference in serving because you are
encouraged to do so or because it might look good on a resume and
serving because you genuinely care and want to help other people. Ben
is the latter.”

This year 112 student-athletes were nominated for placement on the
Good Works Team. That total eclipses the 106 nominees from last season,
demonstrating the continued growth of a platform that is widely
recognized as the most prestigious community service award in college
football.

From the nominees submitted by sports information directors on
behalf of their schools, a special voting panel consisting of former
Good Works Team members and prominent college football media members is
responsible for selecting two 11-player Good Works Teams.

One team consists of players from the NCAA Football Bowl
Subdivision and the other team is made up of players from the NCAA
Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA —
to be announced in September.