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Franco receives scholarship Gardner’s Candies President Sam Phillips took the time to greet Johnny Franco and his family in Tyrone for a brief conference and congratulations on receiving this award. Franco was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Gardner’s Candies provided through the College Football Hall of Fame which was just one of 10 scholarships awarded to special athletes who achieved excellence on the football field, in the classroom and around the community. (The Daily Herald/Nick Cushion) |
Johnny Franco of Tyrone Area High School, was one of 10 student-athletes from high schools in Central Pennsylvania honored with a $1,000 college scholarship by the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
Franco, a running back on the Golden Eagle squad coached by his father, John Franco, received his award from Sam Phillips, President of Gardner’s Candies, Tyrone. Gardner’s is one of five groups that fully sponsor a chapter scholarship. The other five scholarships are funded by the chapter.
Franco and his fellow awardees were singled out from 35 senior football players honored for their athletics, academics and community service at the chapter’s 11th Annual Awards Banquet held on March 30 at the Penn Stater Conference Hotel in State College. Scholarship winners are selected by a committee of five who review each nominee to determine the 10 winners based on three criteria: (1) Academics – 40 percent, (2) Football Ability/Performance/Attitude – 40 percent and (3) Leadership/Citizenship – 20 percent. The scholarship money can be used by the student-athlete to help with their education at the college or university of their choice.
Since initiating the awards banquet in 1997-98, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter has given a total of $105,000 to deserving student-athletes from certain high schools located in the following area counties: Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Juniata, Lycoming and Mifflin.
Franco visited Gardner’s Candies in Tyrone Thursday, June 12 to meet with Phillips to talk about his future plans in college. The Franco family posed for several pictures and were even lucky enough to grab some ice cream on their way out.
“I feel honored to receive this award,” Johnny Franco said. “It is nice to be recognized as a top student-athlete of our school and in the area. This scholarship will help out a lot as I attend Army this fall, and I want to thank Sam Phillips and the rest of the Gardner’s Candies Corporation who were able to provide such an award.”
Gardner’s has provided scholarships through the Hall of Fame for the past few years, but this was the first ever received from a Tyrone athlete.
“We were fortunate enough to have a local representative of this award,” Phillips stated. “It is not in Gardner’s hands who chooses these awards, meaning the choice for the best student-athlete was chosen without our input. Franco is a great athlete with great dedication to his school, sports and community, which gives him the honor of receiving the award provided from Gardner’s Candies.”
A few shots with Phillips and Franco will go up in the Gardner’s Candies Museum in Tyrone in the near future to appreciate the student-athlete for achieving this award.
Franco has helped out with the Special Olympics, Youth Football Camps and helped out around the church as much as possible. He has dedicated his life to sports and the people around him, not to mention his hard work in the classroom.
This award is a great going-away present for college, and Gardner’s Candies and the National Football Hall of Fame wish him the best of luck in his development in college.
