North Carolina State University Athletics
Cole on Preseason List for Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
7/10/2017 2:44:00 PM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has announced that Wolfpack junior punter A.J. Cole III is a nominee for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team ® - one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college football.
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Cole has been a standout performer on and off the field for the Wolfpack, starting at punter in all 26 games of his career. Â He enters his junior campaign with the fourth-best career punting average in school history at 41.5 yards per kick. His 4,854 punting yards rank 11th in the career record books, while his 117 punts tie as the 15th-most in school history.
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Off the field, Cole has been just as dynamic. A two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection, he has been one of the team's top volunteers in the community. In addition to frequent visits to schools and other service initiatives, he has spent the past three spring breaks in Nakuru, Kenya, ministering to the children at Mountain Park Academy with a group from the FCA.
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Each year, he has recruited more and more of his teammates to raise the funds and travel with him (in 2017, five current and former NC State players spent their spring breaks there). He has gathered clothing and other items to take with him, sponsors a young man to attend school there and has solicited others to sponsor other children, resulting in at least 10 children now being able to attend school without their parents having to pay.Â
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Since 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has brought together a select group of college football players from across the country to honor their dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others. While players are often recognized for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community.
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Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September.
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Cole has been a standout performer on and off the field for the Wolfpack, starting at punter in all 26 games of his career. Â He enters his junior campaign with the fourth-best career punting average in school history at 41.5 yards per kick. His 4,854 punting yards rank 11th in the career record books, while his 117 punts tie as the 15th-most in school history.
Â
Off the field, Cole has been just as dynamic. A two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection, he has been one of the team's top volunteers in the community. In addition to frequent visits to schools and other service initiatives, he has spent the past three spring breaks in Nakuru, Kenya, ministering to the children at Mountain Park Academy with a group from the FCA.
Â
Each year, he has recruited more and more of his teammates to raise the funds and travel with him (in 2017, five current and former NC State players spent their spring breaks there). He has gathered clothing and other items to take with him, sponsors a young man to attend school there and has solicited others to sponsor other children, resulting in at least 10 children now being able to attend school without their parents having to pay.Â
Â
Since 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has brought together a select group of college football players from across the country to honor their dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others. While players are often recognized for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community.
Â
Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September.
Players Mentioned
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