51 High School Football Coaches to Take Part in NFL-USA Football Youth Summit

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

The National Football League's outreach into youth football continues this week with the 11th annual NFL-USA Football Youth Summit in Ohio.

51 top high school football coaches, one from each state in the nation, plus Washington D.C., will take part in the three-day summit that begins Wednesday at Kent State University. In addition to the high school coaches, more than 50 other supporters of youth and high school football will attend.

Former Pittsburgh Steeler great Merril Hoge will address Summit participants on the importance of coaching, while two-time Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboy Darrin Smith will speak about the importance of education.  Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes; former Green Bay Packer all-pro and Vince Lombardi protégé, Dave Robinson; and Canton native and former Chiefs quarterback Todd Blackledge will also address the group.

High school football coaches registered for an opportunity to attend the Summit by entering a nomination and essay contest conducted by the NFL and USA Football. Coaches submitted online essays in which they wrote about their coaching careers, commitment to youth and coaching philosophies. A blue-ribbon panel, consisting of local state representatives, reviewed the essays, and coaches were chosen to serve as their state's delegate at the Summit.

State delegates for 2010 NFL Youth Football Coaching Summit

State/Name/High School

Alabama/Tim Carter/Auburn High School

Alaska/John Jessen/Bartlett High School

Arizona/Ronald Jacobson/Dobson High School

Arkansas/Mike Banning/Clarksville High School

California/Ken Peralta/Marin Catholic High School

Colorado/Wayne Voorhees/Legacy High School

Connecticut/Duane Maranda/Bacon High School

Delaware/Dan Ritter/Howard High School

District of Columbia/Horace Fleming/Wilson High School

Florida/Reggie Roberts/Zephyrhills High School

Georgia/Brian Smith/Hebron Christian Academy

Hawaii/Randall Okimoto/Farrington High School

Idaho/Jason Warr/Rocky Mountain High School

Illinois/Elton Harris/Hubbard High School

Indiana/Geneo Riley/Pike High School

Iowa/Jason Mehrhoff/Interstate 35 School

Kansas/TBD

Kentucky/John Davis/North Hardin Christian School

Louisiana/Jabbar Juluke/Edna Karr High School

Maine/Rick Marcella/Bridgton Academy

Maryland/Tommy Green/Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Massachusetts/John Aloisi/Nantucket High School

Michigan/Jeremy Gold/Pioneer High School

Minnesota/Rufus Bess/Park Center High School

Mississippi/Perry Wheat/Purvis High School

Missouri/Greg Reynolds/Park Hill High School

Montana/Jim Oberweiser/Drummond High School

Nebraska/Jeff Bellar/Norfolk Catholic High School

Nevada/John Elwell/Valley High School

New Hampshire/Mike Beliveau/Souhegan High School

New Jersey/Leonard Marshall/Hudson Catholic High School

New Mexico/Jared Howell/Piedra Vista High School

New York/Joe Vito/Roosevelt High School

North Carolina/Scott Braswell/John T. Hoggard High School

North Dakota/Barry Holmen/Minot High School

Ohio/Dennis Fowlkes/Columbus East High School

Oklahoma/Kenny Blair/Northeast Academy

Oregon/Terry Summerfield/Barlow High School

Pennsylvania/Kevin Vaughn/Norwood Academy

Rhode Island/Geoff Marcone/LaSalle Academy

South Carolina/Jimmy Woods/Timmonsville High School

South Dakota/Terry Dosch/Aberdeen Roncalli Catholic High School

Tennessee/Tony Brunetti/Pearl-Cohn High School

Texas/Ray Seals/Madison High School

Utah/Les Hamilton/Alta High School

Vermont/Charlie Burnett/Essex High School

Virginia/Jim Poythress/Lake Braddock Secondary School

Washington/Steve Valach/Liberty High School

West Virginia/John Bowers/Morgantown High School

Wisconsin/Duane Rogatzki/Oconto Falls High School

Wyoming/Chris Williams/Cody High School