Local student athlete receives Utah Sports Hall of Fame, National Football Foundation scholarships

A lot of hard work and time has paid off for one recent Monticello High School graduate. Tuff Adair was honored by the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation (USHOFF) when it awarded him its annual Hall of Fame scholarship.

Adair was named to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame along with just seven other student athletes across the state – three boys and four girls.

His name and photo will be displayed at the Foundation’s beautiful museum, located at City Creek Mall in downtown Salt Lake City, along with the other scholarship winners who have been honored since the program started in 1990.

Adair is just the second MHS student athlete to be honored with this scholarship. The other was Ashley Dowell in 2008.

“Receiving the USHOFF scholarship is a great honor,” Adair said. “I was humbled to receive it. I hope that it will show others at MHS that anything is possible, even in a small school.

“All the time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears on the football field, wrestling mat, track, and in the weight room every day for the past four years was worth it.

“I’m honored to be the second Buckaroo to win this scholarship and hope it will motivate future Buckaroos to push themselves. Even though this was a personal award, I didn’t earn it by myself.  

“I want to thank my teammates in football, wrestling, and track for pushing me and helping me to become the best I could be. I want to thank all my coaches who pushed me and helped me see the best in myself even when I may have had doubts.

“We have some great coaches at MHS who want the best for us. I have loved being a Buckaroo, win or lose. MHS has given me more than I could have ever asked for.

“Lastly, I want to thank my family for always being my biggest supporters. I couldn’t have done any of these things without their support.”

The Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation was started in 1990 by the Paul Ream family. The scholarship, including this year’s honorees, has provided $420,000 to 238 Utah high school seniors so far.

In addition to the USHOFF scholarship, Adair is also one of just 11 Utah high school football players to be awarded the National Football Foundation / College Hall of Fame Utah Chapter Scholarship.

He received the honor at the Foundation’s award banquet at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City on May 11.

Adair joined a distinguished list of 11 other San Juan County student athletes who have received the National Football Foundation scholarship since the program began in 1995.

His football accomplishments include two-time Deseret News Second Team All-state, 2A North First Team All-region, Monticello High School Football MVP, two-time football team captain, and 2019 Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year.

His career defensive stats include 127 tackles, 18 sacks, 15 hurries, five forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.

His academic accomplishments include a 3.97 GPA, National Honor Society, high honor roll four consecutive years, Sterling Scholar – Computer Technology, 2020 High School Heisman school
winner, and concurrent enrollment classes from Utah State University.

In extracurricular accomplishments, Adair planned and organized 20 volunteers to lay 20,000 square feet of sod; had numerous Boy Scout and church callings and leadership roles; handed out food at the Utah Food Bank, serving over 200 vehicles; dug, formed, and poured cement, and set headstones for the elderly, widowed, veterans, and indigent people at the Monticello Cemetery; and organized the MHS Keys to Success.

Adair plans to attend Snow College for a year before going on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Former University of Utah, Snow College standout, and current starting Denver Bronco All-Pro Offensive Tackle Garrett Bolles and longtime BYU coach Tom Ramage headlined the 26th annual scholarship event on May 11, and longtime Utah Sports broadcaster Dave Fox served as the Master of Ceremonies.

The Utah Chapter of the National Football Foundation was founded in 1994 and is proud to be
an integral part of the National Foundation.

The Utah chapter is represented by a dedicated Board of Directors who devote their time and talents to ensure the future of amateur football in the great state of Utah.