FORT WORTH, Texas - Nominations for the 2026 Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) will be accepted through October 1.
Nominations with supporting documents and recommendation letters for the Armed Forces Merit Award must be submitted to Tim Simmons (bfishinc@aol.com, 720/244-6580), the award’s coordinator. Nominations are also being accepted on the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl website.
Coordinated by the staff at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA was created in June 2012 “to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background and/or involvement that has an impact within the realm of college football.”
With the 2026 honoree being announced the week of November 8, the 15th recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award will be determined by a selection committee of seven FWAA members and two Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl representatives.
“We are pleased to join with the Football Writers Association of America to honor an individual with a military background or a group that works with our armed services that has an impact within college football,” said Brant Ringler, the executive director of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson echoed Ringler’s sentiments, adding, “We have an outstanding list of candidates each year, and it is difficult to honor only one recipient when there are several individuals and programs that are very deserving of the honor.”
Levi Moell
With 33 nominations (27 individuals and six programs) considered for the 2025 award, Levi Moell, a running back at the University of Dayton, was the recipient. After playing high school football in Ohio, Moell served four years in the U. S. Marine Corps before joining the Flyer football team.
“Levi’s experience in the military and his desire for a job in the field of strength and conditioning, I created a specific role for him, and he excelled,” said Dayton coach Trevor Andrews. “He lifted with our freshmen and showed them the ropes by providing leadership in technique, attitude, and effort. Levi came to our football program as a try-out walk-on. His positive attitude and self-confidence never wavered. He has always pushed on and kept his focus on finding a significant role on the team.”
Past recipients of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the FWAA include Nate Boyer (2012, Texas), Brandon McCoy (2013, North Texas), Daniel Rodriguez (2014, Clemson), Bret Robertson (2015, Westminster College, Fulton, Mo.), Steven Rhodes (2016, Middle Tennessee), Dr. Chris Howard (2018, Robert Morris), Mike Viti (2019, Army West Point), Collin O’Donnell (2020, Bluefield College of Virginia.), Damien Jackson (2021, Nebraska), Tyler Huff (2023, Furman), and Dr. Jack Hawkins (2024, Troy University Chancellor).
Kansas State and its football team were honored in November 2017 as the sixth Armed Forces Merit Award recipient for the university’s partnership with the United States Army, which created a bond between the school’s athletic department and the Iron Rangers at Fort Riley. The Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation received the 2022 Armed Forces Merit Award. Consensus All-American offensive tackle Paris Johnson of Ohio State and his mother (Monica Daniels) headed the foundation to assist homeless veterans in Cincinnati and Columbus. Johnson was the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and is starting for the Arizona Cardinals.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) comprises 1,300 journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers, and key executives from all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team.
Tim Simmons, Armed Forces Merit Award Coordinator, 720/244-6580, bfishinc@aol.com
Steve Richardson, Football Writers Association of America, 214/870-6516, tiger@fwaa.com
Drew Harris, Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, 254/716-8573, drew@firstpitchpr.com