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Georgia junior linebacker Nakobe Dean was named to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team on Friday. Dean is one of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) selected based on their commitment to community service.
For 30 years, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has recognized a select group of college football players committed to making a difference in their communities. There were also 11 combined players chosen from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, III and the NAIA.
Georgia leads the nation in Allstate AFCA Good Works Team honorees with 21 since the award’s inception in 1992, including 16 since 2000.
Dean, a native of Horn Lake, Miss., is one of four players from the Southeastern Conference on the FBS 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. The SEC leads all conferences with 80 all-time selections.
The Bulldogs’ previous Good Works Team honorees are Alec Millen in 1992, Travis Jones in 1993, Brian Smith in 1995, Matt Stinchcomb in 1997 and 1998, Brett Millican in 2000, Jon Stinchcomb in 2001, David Greene in 2003, D.J. Shockley in 2005, Quentin Moses in 2006, Kelin Johnson in 2007, Jeff Owens in 2009, Aron White in 2011, Aaron Murray in 2012, Chris Conley in 2014, Malcolm Mitchell in 2015, Jeb Blazevich in 2016, Aaron Davis in 2017, Rodrigo Blankenship in 2018 and Jake Fromm in 2019.
Dean has given his time to the community in a variety of ways. He has worked with “Dawgs for Pups, which is the Georgia football program’s multi-faceted effort to directly affect the lives of local youth in the Athens/Clarke County area, visited Camp Sunshine, which provides recreational, educational and support programs for children with cancer and their families, participated in Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer Golf Tournament, which is designed to raise awareness and money for research for a cure to breast cancer, helped with Read Across America, which is a program for local school children as part of the national program where civic groups and community leaders volunteer their time to read a story to students at Barrow Elementary, among other community service activities.
On the field, Dean has started the first three games and has 11 tackles, including a pair of sacks. He is anchoring a defense that is ranked third nationally in both Scoring Defense (7.7 points/game) and Total Defense (216.7 yards/game). Dean led the Bulldogs in 2020 with 71 stops.
In the classroom, the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team selection has posted a 3.53 GPA in Mechanical Engineering.
Allstate is pledging $1 million to honor this year’s Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, as well as their non-profits of choice, for their remarkable commitment to community service. Made possible by new NCAA Name Image Likeness (NIL) rules, Allstate has an opportunity to financially empower athletes who serve their communities, opening the door to new possibilities for players and beyond.
This is the largest NIL investment yet for community impact by a college football sponsor—and insurer. Unlike other recent NIL announcements, Allstate is financially empowering players in recognition for their work in local communities, not just their performance on the field. Community leadership aligns with Allstate’s values and is part of its longstanding commitment to creating positive societal change.
Fans are encouraged to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to vote for the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain until Nov. 22. The Team Captain is expected to be honored at this season’s The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.
