Sandy senior named to prestigious 2024 Team of Distinction for efforts on field, in classroom

A Sandy star footballer has been honored for not only his contributions on the field, but also his prowess in the classroom.

Gabe Tammad, senior tight end and linebacker, who just graduated from high school last week as one of the Pioneers valedictorians, was named to the National Football Foundation’s 2024 Team of Distinction.

Tammad is one of 84 high school scholar-athletes honored for their athletics and academics. He was nominated for the award by the Oregon chapter of the NFF, and selected from a pool of 3,500 students.

"This initiative allows us to shine a national spotlight on some of the most deserving high school student-athletes honored at the local level by our expansive Chapter Network," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "This honor is one of the most prestigious national awards that a high school player can receive.”

The 2024 NFF Team of Distinction:

84 honorees40 states represented4.18 average GPA70 team captains37 all-state selections6 valedictorians55 National Honor Society Members2 National Merit Finalists and honorees

Tammad earned a 4.19 GPA, was a valedictorian and member of the National Honor Society, a team captain, and was named Mt. Hood Conference first-team tight end and first-team edge for the 2024 season.

Since 1954, the NFF chapters have played an integral role in supporting and promoting the game of football at the amateur level. There are more than 12,000 members.