CANTON, N.C. – The North Carolina Spit Tobacco Education Program (N.C. STEP) is proud to announce that Andrews High School’s Jordan Collins has been voted the 2011 N.C. STEP “No Spit” All-Star of the Year for football.  The campaign honors the best high school football players in the state who have pledged not to use spit tobacco or any tobacco products – on or off the field!  As the N.C. STEP “No Spit” All-Star of the Year, Collins will receive a customized ring from Jostens, Inc. in acknowledgment of his honor.

Fans from across the state voted online and selected Collins for the honor from among ten finalists.   Collins received 14,238 votes to beat out Davie County’s Adam Smith (11,012).  Charlotte Catholic’s David Herlocker and Murphy’s Seth Curtis tied for third with 10,566 votes.

Collins had 2,516 all-purpose yards with 16 touchdowns this season, earning 1^st-team All-Smoky Mountain Conference honors at running back.  Collins holds seven school records, including single-season rushing yards; career rushing yards; single-season all-purpose yards; career all-purpose yards; yards per carry; single-season touchdowns; and all-time leading scorer. 

Collins is the 4^th N.C. STEP “No Spit” All-Star of the Year, joining Madison’s Dalton Ledbetter (2010); Jack Britt’s Eric Johnson (2009); and Mt. Pleasant’s Evan Seymour (2008) as the best high school football players in the state who have pledged not to use spit tobacco or any tobacco products – on or off the field!

In the Oral Health America 2006 Spit Tobacco Report Card, the nation received a “D” for the use of spit tobacco.  That means between 12 to 20 percent of all high school males in the country have used spit tobacco in the last 30 days.  This campaign is designed to educate young people in North Carolina about the dangers of spit tobacco and reinforce the healthy, lifestyle choice not to use tobacco products, especially spit tobacco.

N.C. STEP is an effort design to educate North Carolinians about the dangers of spit tobacco.  Each year, between 10 to 16 million Americans put their health at risk by using spit tobacco.  N.C. STEP’s mission is to prevent people, especially young people, from starting to use spit tobacco. 

Tobacco.Reality.Unfiltered, commonly known as TRU, is North Carolina's first-ever statewide youth tobacco prevention multi-media campaign that uses testimonials of real North Carolina teens as well as hard-hitting facts to dissuade young people from using tobacco.  This grassroots initiative includes the TRU media campaign, a college tobacco prevention initiative and a grant program with grants covering every county in the state.

Andrews High School’s Jordan Collins

2011 N.C. STEP “No Spit” All-Star of the Year

RING DESIGN “A” will be presented to Andrews’ Jordan Collins as the 2011 N.C. STEP “No Spit” All-Star of the Year.

N.C. STEP “No Spit” All-Stars of the Year

 

2011

Jordan Collins  -  Andrews

 

2010

Dalton Ledbetter  -  Madison

 

2009

Eric Johnson  -  Jack Britt

 

2008

Evan Seymour  -  Mt. Pleasant

FINAL  -  VOTING CLOSED on NOVEMBER 20, 2011.