IRVING, Texas — Three Sun Belt student-athletes are among the 176 semifinalists for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, as announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF).
Celebrating its 32nd year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
“These 176 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “For more than 60 years, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards have honored more than 800 college football players who have been successful on the football field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community. And we are excited to celebrate the 32nd year of the Campbell Trophy®, which honors the best of the best. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”
The Sun Belt’s semifinalists are App State wide receiver Thomas Hennigan, Georgia State cornerback Jaylon Jones and Louisiana kicker Nate Snyder. Hennigan ranks among the top five in program history in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions; Jones is a three-year starter at cornerback for the Panthers; and Snyder has handled kickoff duties for the Ragin’ Cajuns since joining the program in 2020.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, 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 would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates.”
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 63rd year in 2021. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments, and the NFF has recognized 878 outstanding individuals since their inception. The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990 and is celebrating its 32nd year in 2021. The trophy adds to the program’s prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $12.1 million.