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During his time at Callaway High School, Dylan Nation was much more than just an athlete, he was a leader, an academic and a community servant. All these qualities made Nation a perfect candidate for the George Morris Memorial Scholarship given out annually by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta.

“I thought I would apply for it because I think it is a wonderful opportunity whether I won it or not,” Nation said. “To represent Callaway and the Touchdown Club of Atlanta is special.

“They told me about a week or two before I graduated, and I was stoked and honored.”

When Nation was not on the football field or the baseball diamond for the Cavaliers, he was finding a way to help serve the community. What stands out most amongst his work with the community was the amount of time, energy and effort he put into volunteering to help the special needs community of Troup County. Whether it was through the Exceptional Way, The Miracle League of LaGrange or some other entity, you would not have to go far to see Nation helping out some of the oft-forgotten members of our community.

“My mom used to be a special needs teacher, and she was always someone who loved to help, and she introduced me to Exceptional Way, which is one of the first places I volunteered,” Nation said. “I love to play baseball and with the Miracle League starting this year I decided to help with that, and those Saturday mornings were a lot of fun.”

His servant heart truly runs in the family. His brother, Jared Nation, also received this award and now both of them will be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame together as recipients of this award.

“It is very special to be in the College Football Hall of Fame with my brother,” Nation said. “Never did I think when I was growing up that I would be in the College Football Hall of Fame.”

Nation is just another example of how Callaway football goes beyond winning championships. In fact, he is the third member of the Cavaliers to receive this award in the last four years and was honored alongside fellow Cavalier Lucas Prudy, who received the Scholar Student Manager award from the Touchdown Club of Atlanta this year as well. The proud off the field legacy of Callaway football is a tradition Nation is extremely proud to carry on. 

“This just shows how much people care at Callaway,” Nation said. “You have such well-rounded individuals in our school. 

“Everyone in the Callaway family pours into the student, and it really is a family.”

Nation will be using this scholarship to help trim his first-year tuition at the University of Georgia down to nothing out of pocket. Nation passed on opportunities to play football in college but is excited about what the future has in store for him. After spending so much of his life balancing athletics and academics, a change of pace is just what Nation has been looking for.

“It was difficult because I really did want to play,” Nation said. “I had to make the best decision for me, and it will be a nice experience to focus on academics and step away from sports.”

Nation will be heading to Athens in the not so distant future, but in the meantime, he will still be in the Troup County community making it better, as well as spending some time on the golf courses here now that he does not have to focus on football over the summer.