IRVING, Texas – University of South Alabama senior placekicker Gavin Patterson was named one of 179 semifinalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy® — the award recognizing an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation — by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) on Wednesday.
Each school is limited to one nominee each, and candidates for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
A native of Bourbonnais, Ill., Patterson has lettered each of his first three seasons with the program. Entering
South's contest at Appalachian State Saturday, he ranks second on the school's career record list with 28 field goals and 77 extra points as well as fourth with 161 points. He was chosen first-team all-Sun Belt Conference in 2017 after converting 16-of-19 field-goal tries — leading the league in both field-goal percentage as well as field goals per contest — and all but one extra-point attempt while pacing the Jags with 74 points.
Patterson has a 3.98 cumulative grade-point average as an exercise science major, and in addition to being named to the Sun Belt Commissioner's List on three occasions he was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars in 2016. He has served as a volunteer in the community at the Ronald McDonald House, at Special Olympics events, on campus and at both the First Light and L'Arche marathons since arriving in Mobile as well.