As the watch lists for on-field honors continue to roll out, an award for what’s essentially scholastic excellence has significantly whittled its list to the chosen several.
The National Football Foundation, in conjunction with the College Football Hall of Fame, announced Wednesday the finalists for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy. Commonly referred to as the “Academic Heisman,” the Campbell Trophy annually “recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.”
Five of the baker’s dozen finalists hail from Power Five programs (Miami, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Virginia), while another three represent the Group of Five (Arkansas State, Boise State, Georgia State). There are also three from the FCS level (Jacksonville State, South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin) as well as one each from the Div. II (Slippery Rock) and Div. III (Carnegie Mellon) levels.
Western Michigan’s Zach Terrell was the 2016 winner of the Campbell Trophy.
