Minot State defensive back Philip Green has proven he’s a leader beyond the playing field, and now is being honored for that fact.

Green, a redshirt-sophomore who has played in 10 games in his short career on the gridiron for the Beavers football team, has been even busier doing community service since arriving in Minot, efforts that earned him distinction as one of just 22 football players nation-wide named to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized and named to the Allstate ACFA Good Works Team,” Green said. “I know that there are many deserving athletes across the country who are doing outstanding things outside in the community and off the field.”

The 22 honorees come from all levels of college football with 11 players selected from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 from all other levels and include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders, and community champions. These nominees have volunteered to build homes, mentor underprivileged kids, aid in COVID-19 relief efforts, as well as advocate against domestic violence and racial injustice.

“Philip has been one of the cornerstone members of our team since he arrived on campus,” Minot State football coach Mike Aldrich said. “He is a servant leader that is always ready to lend a hand, get involved in community service and mentor his teammates.”

Green’s major impact has been in creating the “Mental Game” podcast with teammate Troy Kowal. The podcast brings awareness to mental health among student-athletes. A frequently overlooked issue, Green and Kowal admit that mental health in sports culture it is put even further on the backburner. The goal of the podcast is to create conversations among student-athletes as a platform and resource to change the narrative about mental health in sports.

The podcast is supported locally by Prairie Sky Breads, which reserves space for Green and Kowal to record the show each Thursday at the bakery. The show is released to a YouTube channel and on Twitter the following Sunday. Green and Kowal discuss topics and issues in college athletics like lack of sleep, burnout, balancing the load, councilors for teams similar to athletic trainers for teams, the importance of women coaches in sports, and advocating and supporting mental health.

“When I first started the Mental Health podcast and journey towards making a difference in bringing awareness to mental health in sports, I never thought it would be seen on a national level,” said Green, the Colorado native.

Along with creating the hit podcast with Kowal, Green has volunteered his time by recording a video for the “It’s a Slam Dunk Don’t Drive Drunk” campaign and passed out drunk driving awareness shirts and bracelets at Minot State basketball games along with encouraging students on campus to take the pledge against drunk driving. He also recorded workout videos for “Work Out for Wishes” to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, served as a date for the Miss Amazing Pageant for girls with disabilities, helped the Honors program bring a United Way chapter to Minot State’s campus, and assisted with Dreamcatchers’ baseball organization.

While remaining busy with his community service efforts and playing football for the Beavers, Green also is a star academically as he works towards his degree in Professional Communications as he was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team in the Fall of 2020 and was named to the President’s Honor Roll in the Fall of 2018, 2019, 2020, and the Spring 2020 and 2021 semesters.