AFCA Press Release  |  ESPN Player Profiles

CHICAGO – Slippery Rock University standout running back JayJay Jordan was recognized for his efforts off the field Tuesday morning when he was announced as one of just 22 college football players from all levels to be named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works team.
 
Jordan, a senior from Reading, Pennsylvania, becomes the first Slippery Rock football player to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their good works off the field and celebrates their unwavering commitment to community service. His profile will be featured on ESPN.com and he will be recognized on the field during the Allstate Sugar Bowl, which is also one of the College Football Playoff National Semifinal games, Jan. 15 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
 
Just 22 total players and one honorary coach from all levels of college football were named to the team, including 11 players from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and 11 total players from all other levels combined. Jordan is one of three NCAA Division II players on this year's team, joining L'Shawn Taylor from Bemidji State and Shea Ruddy from Hillsdale College. The honorary coach this year is BYU coach Kalani Sitake.
 
"This is an incredible recognition for JayJay," said Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz. "We all know what kind of football player he is and what he does on the field, but this is an acknowledgment of what kind of person he is off the field. He's a special young man that cares deeply about giving back and serving others, which is also what makes him a great captain of our football team and a great representative of our University."
 
The Allstate AFCA Good Works teams recognizes college football players from all levels for their leadership in community service, academics and athletics. Established in 1992 and presented by Allstate since 2008, it is one of college football's most prestigious honors for community impact. Nominees have to possess strong academic credentials and football accomplishments while also demonstrating a commitment to community service.
 
Jordan checks all the boxes.
 
On the football field, he is a first team All-American and among the best running backs in the country at the Division II level. Named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Offensive Athlete of the Year in 2025, Jordan ran for 1,375 yards in just 10 games last fall. He has picked up where he left off this season and is averaging more than 125 yards per game with five total touchdowns through two games. Last week, he ran for 228 yards and three touchdowns in a road win at East Stroudsburg, which is the fifth-most rushing yards by any player in the country in a game this season.
 
In the classroom, Jordan is a senior sport management major with a minor in leadership who carries above a 3.0 GPA.  
 
What really sets Jordan apart and made him a great candidate for the Good Works Team is his lengthy list of community service projects that extend from the Slippery Rock area to his hometown of Reading and even to his family's native island of Puerto Rico.
 
"I have a great life and it's really important to me to share that," said Jordan. "My mom and dad have always been involved with community service and I fell in love with being able to join them in serving our community back home. That has grown over the years into a couple different projects and I hope to keep being able to find ways to give back."
 
Two highlights on the list of community service Jordan is involved with include a trip to Puerto Rico for hurricane relief and an annual toy delivery to his former elementary school in Reading, which he calls "JayJay's Annual Holiday Gift Giveaway."
 
Jordan and his family have supported Puerto Rico after two different natural disasters, rallying their community in Reading to provide supplies and aid to help the recovery efforts. On the second of those occasions, Jordan actually joined the trip to Puerto Rico to deliver the supplies and support the recovery on the island.
 
For the last three years, Jordan has gone on a toy shopping spree and delivered those toys to the students at Saint Peter's School in Reading during the holidays. His gift delivery was featured on the local news last year and can be viewed HERE.
 
Jordan's other community service projects include:
 
- Attending local elementary schools in the Slippery Rock area to read to students as part of the Read Across America program.
- Attending Career Days at local middle schools to speak about leadership.
- Volunteering at youth football camps in the Slippery Rock area.
- Volunteering at the Opportunity House for an annual lunch and gift giveaway in Reading. Jordan and his family and friends go to the shelter on Christmas with homemade food and gifts for the shelter residents and have done this for the last eight years.
- Volunteering with 2Hard2Guard, a non-profit youth athlete mentorship program run by his father. He has been working with the group since his sophomore year in high school.
- Hosting free youth camps with his dad at a park in the Reading area to get kids off the street and involved in sports and other community building.
 
Jordan has big plans for his future community service projects and is hoping to start his own non-profit program to give back to kids in his area.
 
"I want to ultimately give back to the kids and help them to get the things they need to be successful," said Jordan. "I hope to get that up and running and be able to go full tilt with that whenever my football career comes to an end. I also really want to be able to give back to my mom and dad because of what they have done for me through all the years. I've been really blessed, so I think I should share that with as many people as possible."
 
The full Allstate AFCA Good Works Team announcement is available HERE. Profiles for all 22 members are available on the ESPN website HERE.
 
Jordan and the Slippery Rock football team are off to a 2-0 start this fall and currently rank No. 11 in the AFCA Division II national rankings.
 



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