Penn State’s community footprint is getting national recognition, with Cooper Cousins and Matt Campbell both landing on the list of nominees for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
The American Football Coaches Association said Cousins is one of 162 college football players honored for their “leadership in service, adacamics and athletics.” For Penn State, the nomination spotlights a player who has been one of the program’s most active faces off the field.
Cousins, a junior offensive lineman, has spent plenty of time around Team IMPACT and its mission. Last year, he represented the organization at its national Game Day Gala and spoke to more than 1,000 supporters. Team IMPACT pairs college athletes and programs with children facing long-term health issues, and the event brought in more than $3.3 million.
His connection with 10-year-old Gannon Kupko Jr. of York, Pennsylvania, has become a meaningful part of that story. Kupko was born three months prematurely and receives daily chemotherapy to manage immune dysfunction, and he has become part of the Penn State football program.
“You are the reason we're better,” Cousins said during his speech at the 2025 Team IMPACT event. “You inspire us to work harder, love deeper, and laugh a little louder. You're not just part of the team… You are the team.”
Cousins said he drew inspiration from former teammate Nick Dawkins, who won the Wuerffel Trophy in 2024 for his community-service work. Dawkins also founded the Dawkins Family Foundation, which offers educational and enrichment opportunities for kids and presents three scholarships, including one honoring Darryl Dawkins, Nick’s late father.
On the field, Cousins has been a steady presence for Penn State, appearing in 28 games with two starts over his first two seasons. He is projected to start at right guard this season, and he emerged as one of Campbell’s strongest supporters among the returning players. Cousins also helped lead the push for players to stay at Penn State after Campbell was hired last December.
“We believe in this place, we love this place,” Cousins said earlier this year. “...
This place is truly something special. And I was never thinking about leaving a place like Penn State.”
Campbell’s nomination fits a long pattern. At Toledo, Iowa State and now Penn State, he has pushed community service as part of the job. He created Victory Day while at Toledo and brought it with him to Ames and then State College, giving children with disabilities a chance to take part in drills with players.
Several Nittany Lions said Campbell made community-service plans clear right away after arriving in December, and that message was part of a broader culture shift inside the program.
“We’re taking it so seriously this year,” Cousins said during the team's day with kids from the THON Explorers Program. “... It’s huge, but it’s something special that not a lot of other places have, and I’m thankful that I’ve got to be a part of it over these past couple years.”
Penn State’s THON weekend in February added another layer to that effort. Defensive end Max Granville organized a fundraiser in which players donated NIL earnings to THON, and Campbell matched what they raised. He also pledged to double whatever the players raised for Four Diamonds.
“When you can serve and make a difference in the lives of others, it's like your true fulfillment in life,” Campbell said. “At the end of the day, all these wins and records that you may break, or great days and great games, people forget that. But they're not going to forget how you treated people.”
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