MINNEAPOLIS, MN - April 6, 2015 - The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation is excited to announce the 2015 Scholar Athlete award winners. The nine scholar-athletes reside in communities across the state of Minnesota and will be recognized at the 8th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on May 3, 2015 at the Hilton Minneapolis. This year's winners were chosen for their academic excellence, displays of outstanding leadership, and commitment to their communities.

Ben Ellefson, a tight end and linebacker for Hawley High School, completed an outstanding high school football career last fall. The Heart O’ Lakes Classic Conference MVP was named to the Minnesota Vikings All-State Team and AP All-State Team. Ellefson was a three-time all-conference and All-Section 8AA honoree. As a team captain and starter on both offense and defense, Ellefson helped Hawley win the 2014 Heart O’Lakes Classic Conference and Section 8AA titles. He also captained the basketball team and tallied more than 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

An academic all-state selection, Ellefson has proven to be a leader not only in athletics but also in the classroom. He is Hawley’s class vice president and National Honor Society vice president. Ellefson will graduate near the top of his class and plans to study business administration at North Dakota State, where he has earned a football scholarship.

Ellefson has logged community service hours with the Salvation Army, youth group, blood drives and more. Ben’s parents are Randy and Kara.

Eight other young men will receive recognition as outstanding high school Scholar-Athletes. All of the athletes were nominated by their football coaches and were evaluated on their academic achievement, football ability, performance, leadership, attitude, and service to their community. Other 2015 honorees are Trey Anderson (White Bear Lake Area High School), Tommy Auger (St. Cloud Cathedral High School), Gunnar Grimsrud (Rochester Mayo High School), Ismael Kamara (Harding High School), Taylor Otterstatter (Mayer Lutheran High School), Ben Shoults (Maple Grove High School), John Solberg (Cambridge-Isanti High School), and Mitchell Stangel (Crosby-Ironton High School).

The 8th Annual Minnesota Football Honors, presented by the Minnesota Vikings, will take place Sunday, May 3, 2015 at Hilton Minneapolis. College and professional football Hall of Fame inductees are scheduled to attend the event, and WCCO-TV news personality Frank Vascellaro will return for his eighth year as Master of Ceremonies. The event is open to the public. To register or for additional information about this year’s Minnesota Football Honors, please visit www.minnesotafootballhonors.com. For sponsorship information, please email lindsay@nffmn.org.