For a select group of college football players, the words “sacrifice” and “commitment” extend far beyond the football field to places that don’t require helmets and shoulder pads. Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the 22 student-athletes chosen for the 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams®, honoring dedicated and hard-working student-athletes for their off-the-field achievements and selfless contributions to their communities.
Joe Goldufsky, a senior defensive lineman for the Beloit College Football team from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, is one of those 22 honorees.
Under the leadership of Goldufsky, the son of Brian Goldufsky and Deborah Dunn, the Bucs sponsored a season-long fundraising event to rally around children battling with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. With donations, pledges, special t-shirt sales, general support, and the success of the Bucs’ team play throughout this season, the fundraiser, entitled Pump Up The Bucs, raised enough money to buy a Medtronic® MiniMed© insulin pump for a need-based child. Pledges were made based on a defensive player's solo tackles or the amount of offensive touchdowns scored in a game. Pledges were also accepted for field goals. The insulin pump had a cost of $3,500. By the end of the season, the money had been raised and a pump purchased through the Charles Ray III Diabetes Association.
Goldufsky found out he had diabetes during the summer of 2000 and decided to wear an insulin pump during the 2008 season to better monitor his condition. He had been taking daily shots for quite some time but decided at the beginning of 2008 to switch to an insulin pump, which he also wore during games under his uniform and padding.
The defensive lineman came up with the fundraising idea during the summer of 2008 and began searching for a diabetes association he could connect with. His teammates and the coaching staff responded very well to the idea and things took off from there. Numerous calls were made until he settled on the Charles Ray Association. The Association helps get pump supplies and other diabetes-related help for people who can’t afford it or aren’t covered under insurance.
“It’s really unbelievable,’ said a soft-spoken Goldufsky. “To be recognized for doing something that I believe in is just amazing. I’m very proud of our team’s efforts with Pump Up The Bucs. This honor really represents everyone on the team.”
The two 11-member teams – one composed of players competing in the NCAA® Football Bowl Subdivision (I-A) and a combined team representing the NCAA® Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA), Divisions II, III and the NAIA – honor players that embody the true spirit of “teamwork” and “giving back” through commendable acts of kindness and community service.
While game-saving tackles and last-second field goals may dominate the television highlights, these 22 players have done remarkable things in their communities and changed countless lives in the process, from helping refugees in Afghanistan, to registering people to vote in the Presidential election, to befriending people stricken with disabilities.
“These 22 student-athletes represent thousands of college football players who make a difference in their communities through volunteer service on campus and in their hometowns,” said AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff. “We’re proud to join Allstate in recognizing these young people who are dedicated to improving the world in which we live.”
"The Midwest Conference is formed as an organization of colleges sharing a similar educational philosophy of inter-collegiate athletics. Conference members believe that intercollegiate athletics provide unique and valuable experiences in the total educational program. They contribute significantly to the development of the individual students and provide excellent opportunity for their growth, self-realization, and the fulfillment of personal potential." (Excerpt from MWC Constitution)