Football player from Irvington recognized for his efforts off the field

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IRVINGTON, NJ — Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association recently announced the nominees for the 30th 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and Fairleigh Dickinson University football running back Alnazir Blackman, of Irvington, was selected as one of 109 nominees from across the nation for his efforts off the field. Blackman graduated from FDU this past May with a bachelor’s degree, but will be returning to the gridiron this fall as he pursues a master’s degree on FDU’s Florham campus. 

The final 22-member team and honorary coach will be unveiled in September. Fans can cast their votes on ESPN.com and use #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels to join the conversation. This year’s candidates include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders and community champions. These nominees have volunteered to build homes, mentor underprivileged children, aid in COVID-19 relief efforts, and advocate against domestic violence and racial injustice. 

“Al epitomizes everything that we want in an FDU football student-athlete, both on and off the field. He has a passion to help others succeed and I could not be more proud of all the great things that he continues to do on a daily basis,” FDU–Florham head football coach Jimmy Robertson said. “To be nominated for such a prestigious award as the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is a big time honor and so well deserved.” 

Blackman was a founding member of FDU’s Athletes for Change and Equality, an organization run by student-athletes on campus. According to its mission statement, “ACE is dedicated to acknowledging and accepting differences within our very own community. We are a safe space for those who have felt alienated to feel accepted, heard and empowered. We will educate on the racial and cultural injustices that still burden our country today. We will work together to incite change and seek justice.”

Blackman has helped organize and lead events such as weekly and monthly leader and athletic team meetings and forums; an event with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office; social media initiatives; educational Zoom seminars with the FDU community; and an interview initiative for which the ACE leaders interviewed leaders in the community on various topics during NCAA diversity and inclusion week. ACE is now looking to help other local universities start their own ACE groups, which would allow student-athletes on multiple campuses to collaborate.

“We are extremely proud of Alnazir for what he does in the classroom, on the field and in the community,” FDU Athletics Director Jenn Noon said. “His actions impress us daily and to be recognized on a national level with the best of the best is remarkable. Alnazir is the gold standard of what a Division III student-athlete resembles.” 

Blackman has also been a part of FDU football’s Be the Match/Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation drives throughout his career and he has regularly participated in helping the team run bone marrow registry drives and blood drives. Additionally, Blackman worked with special education students at local elementary schools in New Jersey, assisting them with daily tasks and helping them learn their classroom lessons.

On the field, Blackman was named the 2020-21 FDU Athletics Wade Watkins Award Winner, an honor given to the male student-athlete who best exemplifies qualities such as enthusiasm and a selfless willingness to give of oneself. Other accolades he has taken home include being named to the D3football.com National Team of the Week, Middle Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, FDU Offensive MVP and FDU Offensive Rookie of the Year, and being named to both the MAC academic honor roll and FDU dean’s list multiple times.  

To be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which was established in 1992, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing. Super Bowl XLII, XLVI and XLI champion quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning were members of the 2002 and 1997 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams, respectively. 

Photos Courtesy of FDU

  Fairleigh Dickinson University