Sept. 30, 2010
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern senior Stefan Demos (Scottsdale, Ariz./Horizon) has been chosen as one of the best and brightest from the college gridiron, earning selection as one of 121 semifinalists for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth, and as a candidate for the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) made the announcement today (Sept. 30).
"This year's Campbell Trophy semifinalists embody the National Football Foundation's mission of building leaders through football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (1997 Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They are standouts in the classroom and on the field and have become leaders in their respective communities. Each school should take great pride in being represented by such well-rounded young men who will undoubtedly go on to do great things in life."
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of 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 trophy was renamed last fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal.
Demos was named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second-team choice in 2009 after earning a consensus All-Big Ten second-team selection and semifinalist status for the Lou Groza Award on the field. The 2010 graduate with a degree in communication studies again is on the watch list for this year's Lou Groza Award while pursuing a master's degree in sports administration at NU.
Northwestern's Andrew Brewer was selected as a semifinalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy.
"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each Campbell Trophy semifinalist for maintaining such high standards throughout their collegiate careers," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to showcase their achievements, and there is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from among this esteemed group."
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 15 finalists and announce the results via national press release on Thursday, Oct. 28. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of $277,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening, bringing the NFF's all-time scholarship distribution to $9.5 million.
Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
2010 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist Notes
* 3.58 Average GPA
* 46 Semifinalists with a 3.7 GPA or better
* 69 All-Conference Picks
* 76 Team Captains
* 16 Academic All-America Selections
* 20 All-America Selections
* 26 Players (among all divisions) represented in this week's national top 25 polls
* 2 Players formerly named NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes
* 47 Nominees from the Football Bowl Subdivision
* 28 Nominees from the Football Championship Subdivision
* 12 Nominees from the Division II
* 27 Nominees from the Division III
* 7 Nominees from the NAIA
* 56 Offensive Players
* 48 Defensive Players
* 17 Special Teams Players
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