The National Football Foundation announced today that Clemson cornerback Sheridan Jones has been named a semifinalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy. Jones earned his degree in communication in August 2022 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in athletic leadership.
A full press release with additional information from the NFF is included below.
IRVING, Texas (Sept. 27, 2023) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) proudly announced today a record number of 201 semifinalists for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award. The new highwater mark eclipses the 199 nominees in 2000. The impressive list of candidates boasts an impressive 3.65 average GPA, with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor’s degrees.
Celebrating its 34th year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
2023 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
“These 201 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. “During the past seven decades, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards have recognized 906 college football players who excelled as the best our great sport has to offer. This year’s semifinalists build on the tradition, further illustrating the power of football to develop the next generation of influential leaders.”
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 25, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, 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 34th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and room rates at the ARIA.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards 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 65th year in 2023. 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 906 outstanding individuals since the program’s inception. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $12.6 million.
The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program’s prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and eight first-round NFL draft picks. Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the storied venue.
Known as “The Coach of Silicon Valley,” Campbell became one of our country’s most influential business leaders, playing critical roles in the success of Apple, Google, Intuit and countless other high-tech companies. The captain of the 1961 Columbia Ivy League championship team, he found his true calling after an unlikely career change at age 39 from football coach to advertising executive. His ability to recruit, develop, and manage talented executives – all lessons learned on the gridiron – proved to be a critical component of his ability to inspire his business teams to the highest levels of success.
Later in life, Campbell was driven by a heartfelt desire to give back, and he quietly gave away tens of millions of dollars to multiple charities while also finding an hour and half each autumn weekday to coach an eighth-grade boys and girls flag-football team near his home in Palo Alto, California. Campbell passed away April 18, 2016, at the age of 75.
As part of its support of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, Fidelity Investments helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with a finalist for the Campbell Trophy®. Once the finalists are selected, the NFF will present each of their faculty athletics representatives with a plaque and Fidelity will donate $5,000 for the academic support services at each school. The salutes have recognized 168 FARs since the program’s inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $830,000 in donations.
2023 Campbell Trophy® Semifinalists by Division and Position
2023 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS
FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISIONAlabama – Seth McLaughlinAppalachian State – Bucky WilliamsArizona – Kyle OstendorpArizona State – Michael MatusArkansas – Hudson ClarkAuburn – Tyler FrommBoise State – Riley SmithBowling Green State – Demetrius HardamonBrigham Young – Ben BywaterBuffalo – Alex McNultyCalifornia – Matthew CindricCentral Florida – Jason JohnsonCentral Michigan – Robi StuartCincinnati – Malik VannClemson – Sheridan JonesDuke – DeWayne CarterEast Carolina – Jeremy LewisEastern Michigan – Tanner KnueFlorida – Ricky PearsallFlorida State – Preston DanielFresno State – Levelle BaileyGeorgia – Ladd McConkeyGeorgia State – Seth GlausierGeorgia Tech – Gavin StewartIllinois – Isaiah WilliamsIndiana – Trey WalkerIowa State – Easton DeanKansas – Mason FairchildKansas State – Cooper BeebeKentucky – Alex RaynorLouisiana – Ben WooldridgeLouisiana State – Josh WilliamsLouisville – Bryan HudsonMarshall – Logan OsburnMaryland – Taulia TagovailoaMemphis – Jacob LikesMiami – Jalen RiversMichigan – Zak ZinterMichigan State – Maverick HansenMississippi – Isaac UkwuMississippi State – Ryland GoedeMissouri – Brady CookNebraska – Brian BuschiniNevada, Las Vegas – Amanaki FahinaNorth Carolina – Spencer RollandNorth Carolina State – Timothy McKayNorthern Illinois – James EsterNorthwestern – Bryce GallagherNotre Dame – JD BertrandOhio – Bryce HoustonOhio State – Cody SimonOklahoma – Drake StoopsOklahoma State – Alex HaleOld Dominion – Michael FloresOregon – Bo NixOregon State – Isaac HodginsPenn State – Olu FashanuPittsburgh – Shayne SimonPurdue – Gus HartwigRice – Luke McCaffreyRutgers – Mayan AhanotuSan Jose State – Tre JenkinsSouth Carolina – Kai KroegerSouthern Mississippi – Swayze BozemanStanford – John HumphreysSyracuse – Garrett ShraderTemple – Jordan MageeTennessee – Jacob WarrenTexas A&M – Nik ConstantinouTexas at El Paso – Andrew MeyerTexas at San Antonio – Lucas DeanTexas Christian – Chase CurtisTexas Tech – Jaylon HutchingsToledo – Judge CulpepperTroy – Clayton OllendieckTulane – Michael PrattUnited States Air Force Academy – Caleb RillosUnited States Military Academy – Leo LowinUnited States Naval Academy – Eavan GibbonsUtah – Devaughn VeleVanderbilt – Ethan BarrVirginia – Paul AkereWake Forest – Michael JurgensWashington – Edefuan UlofoshioWashington State – Dean JanikowskiWest Virginia – Zach FrazierWestern Kentucky – Austin ReedWestern Michigan – Boone BonnemaWisconsin – Maema Njongmeta
FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION (FCS)Alcorn State – Akeem McNairAustin Peay State – Michael DiLielloBrown – Justin AnagonyeBucknell – Coleman BennettButler – Bryan BystolCalifornia, Davis – Jordan FordColgate – Zack PellandCollege of the Holy Cross – Jacob DobbsCollege of William & Mary – Will WhitehurstColumbia – Joey GiorgiCornell – Jake StebbinsDartmouth – Macklin AyersDayton – Derek WillitsDelaware – Chandler HarvinEastern Illinois – Chad StricklandGardner-Webb – William McRaineyHarvard – Garrett SharpIncarnate Word – Jayden BorjasLehigh – Christian JablonskiMarist – Justin IaccioMontana – TraJon CottonMontana State – Nolan AskelsonNew Hampshire – Max BrosmerNicholls State – Zack BernardNorth Carolina Central – Davius RichardNorth Dakota – Ben McNaboePennsylvania – Jack FairmanPrinceton – Jalen TravisRichmond – Tristan WheelerSacramento State – Jett StanleySamford – Chandler SmithSouth Dakota – Brock MogensenStonehill – David SatkowskiStony Brook – Aidan KalerTennessee at Chattanooga – Ailym FordTennessee Tech – Bradley ClarkTowson – Jamal GayWestern Carolina – Richard McCollumYale – Wande Owens
DIVISION IIAshland (OH) – Jake McLoughlinBenedict (SC) – Loobert DenelusBentley (MA) – Jake TarentinoBlack Hills State (SD) – Ryder BlairColorado State Pueblo – Chance FullerEast Stroudsburg (PA) – Daryn BlackwellHenderson State (AR) – Shaq RobinsonHillsdale (MI) – Michael HardingNorthern State (SD) – Bradyn OakleyOuachita Baptist (AR) – Riley HarmsPenn West, California (PA) – Jack ColecchiSlippery Rock (PA) – Yuriy HryckowianSouthern Arkansas – Jacob BerryWayne State (MI) – Drake ReidWingate (NC) – Trevor Grant
DIVISION IIIAllegheny (PA) – Declan O’BrienAugsburg (MN) – Justin TverbergBates (ME) – Cole De MagistrisBirmingham-Southern (AL) – Conner ThornburgBowdoin (ME) – Andre EdenCarnegie Mellon (PA) – Dustin MossCase Western Reserve (OH) – Marco TothCentral (IA) – Jeff HerbersCornell (IA) – Sam AdamsDePauw (IN) – Brevon GudeGallaudet (DC) – Jonathon WatermanHamline (MN) – Charlie WilsonHampden-Sydney (VA) – George LanghammerHardin-Simmons (TX) – Gaylon GlynnHobart (NY) – Abdoulaye DialloIthaca (NY) – A.J. WingfieldJohn Carroll (OH) – Bricker ThielJohns Hopkins (MD) – Luke SchuermannLake Forest (IL) – Justin AlbeeLoras (IA) – Brett BowerLycoming (PA) – Hunter CampbellLyon (AR) – Karson DouglasMcMurry (TX) – Malachi LeCadre-GreyMethodist (NC) – Brandon BullinsMiddlebury (VT) – Tomás KenaryMillsaps (MS) – Conner RuckerMount Union (OH) – Braxton PlunkNorth Central (IL) – Jarod ThorntonSaint John’s (MN) – Aaron SyversonShenandoah (VA) – Noah TemmeSpringfield (MA) – DJ BrownSt. Olaf (MN) – Ben HestorffSUNY, Morrisville – Steve FrerichsThe of Wooster (OH) – Lake BarrettTrinity (CT) – Darren WarrenTrinity (TX) – Tucker HornWabash (IN) – Liam ThompsonWartburg (IA) – Owen GroverWashington & Jefferson (PA) – Justin JohnsWesleyan (CT) – Jake EdwardsWestern New England (MA) – Joe SheaWestminster (PA) – Carter ChinnWilkes (PA) – Billy AndersonWisconsin Lutheran – Kyle KubackiWisconsin-Oshkosh – Kobe BerghammerWisconsin-Platteville – Justin BlazekWisconsin-Stout – Gervase ThompsonWisconsin-Whitewater – Egon Hein
NAIADakota State (SD) – Cole SylliaasenDoane (NE) – Ty MartinsenEvangel (MO) – Andreas MoellerFriends (KS) – Keegan MartinIndiana Wesleyan – Xander StokesMontana Western – Tanner HarrellPeru State (NE) – Will MuellerRocky Mountain (MT) – Dylan BeridonSoutheastern (FL) – Shane McLaughlinTexas Wesleyan – Michael Bonner
The past recipients of the Campbell Trophy® include:
1990 – Chris Howard (Air Force)1991 – Brad Culpepper (Florida)1992 – Jim Hansen (Colorado)1993 – Thomas Burns (Virginia)1994 – Rob Zatechka (Nebraska)1995 – Bobby Hoying (Ohio State)1996 – Danny Wuerffel (Florida)1997 – Peyton Manning (Tennessee)1998 – Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia)1999 – Chad Pennington (Marshall)2000 – Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska)2001 – Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami [FL])2002 – Brandon Roberts (Washington U. in St. Louis [MO])2003 – Craig Krenzel (Ohio State)2004 – Michael Munoz (Tennessee)2005 – Rudy Niswanger (LSU)2006 – Brian Leonard (Rutgers)2007 – Dallas Griffin (Texas)2008 – Alex Mack (California)2009 – Tim Tebow (Florida)2010 – Sam Acho (Texas)2011 – Andrew Rodriguez (Army West Point)2012 – Barrett Jones (Alabama)2013 – John Urschel (Penn State)2014 – David Helton (Duke)2015 – Ty Darlington (Oklahoma)2016 – Zach Terrell (Western Michigan)2017 – Micah Kiser (Virginia)2018 – Christian Wilkins (Clemson)2019 – Justin Herbert (Oregon)2020 – Brady White (Memphis)2021 – Charlie Kolar (Iowa State)2022 – Jack Campbell (Iowa)
About The National College Football Awards AssociationThe William V. Campbell Trophy® is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 24 awards now boast over 900 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.
ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of FameFounded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & Hatchell Cup presented by the Original Bob’s Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hanold Associates Executive Search, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, ,the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
