Nate Richam, a graduate of West Hartford’s Conard High School, is one of 36 scholar-athlete nominees for the 2016 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award.

Submitted

Nate Richam with assistant coach Steve Garneau (far left), head coach Matt Cersosimo and former head coach Rob Cersosimo at the National Football Foundation Northern Connecticut Chapter’s Awards Banquet in May. Submitted photo

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the names of the 36 finalists for the 2016 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards, which will honor one young man from each of the country’s five regions as the best and the brightest for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens at the high school level.

Conard senior standout Nate Richam broke a school record at the annual Conard vs. Hall West Hartford Mayor’s Cup football game on Nov. 21, 2015, with 468 yards rushing. He also scored five touchdowns. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

The finalists all graduated from high school in 2016 and are now playing college football. The five honorees, who are being recognized for their previous accomplishments in high school, will be announced the week of Oct. 3.

Northeast Region Nominees include West Hartford’s Nate Richam-Odoi from Conard High School.

Richam, a record-setting running back, was nominated by the NFF Northern Connecticut Chapter and is currently playing at Bowdoin College (Maine).

“The NFF Chapter Network continues to grow and excel, and their work this year has allowed us to identify these 36 exceptional high school scholar-athletes who have clearly established themselves among the best in the nation,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “It will be a difficult task to select one from each region as the absolute best. Each possesses incredible talent in all facets of their lives, and it is a tremendous honor for us to highlight their accomplishments.”

With 120 chapters and more than 12,000 members, the NFF Chapter Network impacts more than 500,000 student-athletes at 5,000 high schools in 47 states each year. The centerpiece of their efforts are the annual chapter awards banquets, which recognize more than 3,500 of the nation’s top scholar-athletes and distribute more than $1 million in scholarships. From this pool of 3,500 scholar-athletes, the chapters have nominated 36 individuals in 2016 as finalists for the highly sought-after NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards. A national committee will select five honorees, one from each region.

The five honorees will travel to New York City to be honored during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. First bestowed in 1991, the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards have become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement.

Highlights of the 2016 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists include:

• 26th year of the National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards
• 36 finalists from around the country
• 4.1 average GPA
• 13 finalists attending FBS schools
• 9 finalists attending FCS schools
• 6 finalists attending Ivy League schools
• 14 finalists attending Division II, Division III, NAIA schools or junior colleges