Olson surprised with trophy for his inclusion on the Good Works Team

Last week, Montana linebacker Dante Olson was named as one of just 22 college football players from all levels of the game to be named to the prestigious Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, a group of student-athletes who excel both on the field and in the community.

The team was narrowed from a list of 137 nominees by an esteemed panel of judges, including Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN) and Tim Tebow (Florida, 2009 team). The Honorary Head Coach of the Good Works Team is Dabo Swinney of the National Champion Clemson Tigers.

On Thursday, representatives from the AFCA and title sponsor Allstate Insurance came to Missoula to surprise Olson with a Good Works Team trophy for his efforts in mentoring a class of underprivileged kids in California.

And what a surprise it was.

After practice, head coach Bobby Hauck gathered the team at midfield and brought Olson forward, pretending to penalize the senior for bad ball security and made him do pushups.

After obliging coach, Olson came up for air only to be surrounded by cameras, local Allstate agent Jeremy Myers, and even his mother Linda as Hauck introduced Myers to present the trophy.

"I'm going to honor a kid that not only excels in the classroom and on the field, but dedicates his time and energy to his local community," said Myers before presenting the trophy.

"For us, that's somebody that's just a force for good."

As a member of the Good Works Team, Olson will be invited to the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl and will join Tebow, Allstate volunteers, and the rest of the team in a special community service project in New Orleans. Olson will also be invited to the Superdome where Allstate will recognize the Good Works Team during the Sugar Bowl halftime show.

For more than a year, Olson has served as a mentor and pen-pal with a class of underprivileged third graders at Gerber Elementary in Northern California farm country, encouraging them to pursue a college education as part of the "No Excuses University" program.

The relationship will come full circle on Sept. 28 when the kids from Gerber travel to watch Olson and the Grizzlies play at UC Davis following a hugely successful fundraising drive to help get them there.

Olson is the latest of seven Grizzlies in program history to earn a place on the Good Works Team, with Colin Dow being UM's last member in 2008 for his work with disabled kids and several Montana charity organizations. Former Grizzly stars Lex Hilliard (2007), Colt Palmer (2004), John Edwards (2002), Calvin Coleman (2001), and Dallas Neil (1998) have also been recognized for their work in the community with a place on the team.

Fans are invited to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to see team bios and vote for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain once per day, now through Nov. 22. The team captain will be honored at The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN later this season.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992, by the College Football Association, to recognize extra efforts by players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate became the presenting sponsor starting with the 2008 season.

2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

Koby Quansah	Duke University
Denzel Goolsby	Kansas State University
James Smith-Williams	NC State University
Connor Wedington	Stanford University
Isaiah Sanders	U.S. Air Force Academy
Marcel Dancy	University of California
Jake Fromm	University of Georgia
Bryce Torneden	University of Kansas
Landon Young	University of Kentucky
Tre Tipton	University of Pittsburgh
Spencer Eason-Riddle	University of South Carolina

Combined Divisions (FCS, II, III & NAIA)

Danny Munoz	Bethel University (Minn.)
George Hatalowich	Davidson College
Ryan Landis	Frostburg State University
Josh Pearson	Jacksonville State University
Aaron Feazelle	Mississippi College
Jacob Katzer	Morningside College
Ben Ellefson	North Dakota State University
Ben Bartch	Saint John's University (Minn.)
Dante Olson	University of Montana
Ryan Oliver	Utica College (NY)
Luke Bevilacqua	Wayne State University (Mich.)

Honorary Head Coach

Dabo Swinney

Clemson University

University of Montana Athletics

Olson surprised with trophy for his inclusion on the Good Works Team

Players Mentioned

Dante Olson

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