IRVING, Texas (March 12, 2015) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter announced today that 1967 NFF National Scholar-Athlete and former Texas Tech quarterback John Scovell will receive the 2015 Distinguished Texan Award. Scovell will accept the award at the chapter’s Seventh Annual Awards Banquet April 6 at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas.

“Over a long career, John Scovell has left an indelible mark on the game of college football,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “He developed his leadership qualities on the field, quarterbacking the Texas Tech Red Raiders while being named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 1967. The lessons Scovell learned on the football field have contributed greatly to his business and civic leadership, which includes serving as a past chairman of the Cotton Bowl and currently as President & CEO of Woodbine Development Corporation. He is truly an embodiment of the good in the game of football, and we are extremely proud to honor him”

The Distinguished Texan Award, the chapter’s most prestigious award, pays tribute to an outstanding person who has maintained a lifetime of interest in the game of football and has been a significant contributor to the betterment of the game. Past recipients include former University of Texas Athletics Director DeLoss Dodds (2014), College Football Hall of Famer John Wooten (2013), longtime Dallas Cowboys Personnel Director Gil Brandt (2012), TCU head coach Gary Patterson (2011), Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager and NFF Board Member Jerry Jones (2010) and College Football Hall of Fame coach, NFF Board Member and AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff (2009).

“We are thrilled to be honoring John Scovell this year,” said Gerald Brence, president of the NFF Gridiron Club of Dallas Chapter and athletics director for the Plano Independent School District. “The event promises to be a highly memorable and entertaining night as we recognize his contributions to the game of football and the state of Texas. We have received unmatched support for the event the past six years with more than 500 people in attendance, and we anticipate a great turnout this year with Scovell headlining the event.”

Scovell joined Hunt Oil Company’s real estate division in 1972, and he founded Woodbine with Dallas businessman Ray L. Hunt in October 1973. As president & CEO, Scovell leads the organizational support and direction on Woodbine’s building committee for all projects. Over the years, he championed many commercial real estate projects in downtown Dallas, most notably the Hyatt Regency Dallas with its landmark Reunion Tower, which Woodbine has managed since it opened in 1978. Prior to joining Woodbine, Scovell was a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co., and he worked in the area of commercial auditing, handling a number of accounts with real estate companies and financial institutions.

Scovell played quarterback at Texas Tech University from 1965-67, starting as a junior and senior under Coach J.T. King. Honored as Texas Tech’s first NFF National Scholar-Athlete in 1967 for his combined performance on the field, in the classroom and in the community, he had many memorable moments as a Red Raider. In 1966, he led the team to the Upset of the Year when they knocked Arkansas out of the Cotton Bowl in the season finale, 21-16. A year later, Scovell rushed for 175 yards in a historic upset of Texas in Austin. He graduated No. 1 in his class at Texas Tech’s College of Business in 1968, and he received a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship. A former member of the U.S. Army Finance Corps, Scovell received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1970.

A native of Dallas, Scovell attended Hillcrest High School where he was the quarterback for the Panthers football team. John is the son of longtime Dallas ambassador and Cotton Bowl Classic team selection chairman, the late Field Scovell, for whom the Cotton Bowl Trophy is named. John himself served as chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association from 1980-82, and he currently serves on its board of directors.

Scovell is a member of the Texas Tech University Foundation President’s Council, and he is a former member of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents and the school’s alumni association board of directors. He has served many organizations as a president, chairman, board member or trustee, including Children’s Medical Center, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau Expansion Committee, DowntownDallas (the former Central Dallas Association), Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, JPMorgan Chase & Co., The Real Estate Council of Dallas Advisory Board and the State Fair of Texas.

In 2010, Scovell received the 81st annual Linz Award, one of the highest accolades bestowed in Dallas to an individual or married couple for community or humanitarian service. He is a member of the Texas Tech Athletics Hall of Fame, and he is a recipient of the Texas Tech University Distinguished Alumnus Award. John and his wife Diane have three sons who all lettered in football at Texas Tech: Field (1993-96), King (1998-2001) and Dupree (2000-03).

The April 6 event, starting at 6:30 p.m. CT, will also recognize the best high school and college student-athletes in North Texas, distributing more than $10,000 in scholarships. New SMU head football coach Chad Morris will be the featured guest speaker, and sportscaster Scott Murray will serve as the evening’s emcee for the seventh consecutive year. The club will also present the Steve Storie Official of the Year award, the Media Person of the Year award and the Legends Award for local contributions to the game while also recognizing the high school coaches of the year.