Valparaiso University football senior defensive back Mark Johnson (Nashville, Tenn. / Lipscomb Academy) has been nominated for the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, as announced by the organization this week.
 
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate worked to present the award starting with the 2008 season.
 
Johnson is one of 175 total nominees from across all levels of college football and one of 49 FCS student-athletes. The 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be announced in September and include 22 student-athletes.
 
Johnson was among the student-athletes nominated for leadership in service, academics and athletics based in part upon his selfless bone marrow donation to a 5-year-old boy in Paris, France.
 
Entering his fourth year in the program and second year as a team captain, Johnson has appeared in nearly every game throughout his time on campus and is a third-year starter in the defensive backfield. He has volunteered regularly with the Birmingham YMCA and with Harvest Food Bank in Nashville. He took on a leadership role in organizing Valpo's on-campus bone marrow drives. Through his internship this summer, he and his colleagues packed 2,500 meals for people in Charlotte who do not have access to food daily. They also worked with a nonprofit to get shoes to places in the world where shoes are not as easily accessible.