 | |
| Awarded for | TheAmericancollege football player with the best combination of academics, leadership, and on-field performance |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | National Football Foundation |
| History | |
| First award | 1990 |
| Most recent | Jalen Milroe, QB |
| Website | footballfoundation.org |
TheWilliam V. Campbell Trophy, formerly theVincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, is awarded by theNational Football Foundation to the topcollege football player with the best combination of academics, leadership, and on-field performance. It is often considered to be the "AcademicHeisman".
The trophy is named forWilliam V. Campbell, a businessman and former player andhead coach atColumbia University. It was previously named in honor ofVincent dePaul Draddy, who served the National Football Foundation (NFF) and itsCollege Football Hall of Fame for 33 years, including 19 years as the chairman of its board of directors. It has become the most prestigious and desirable "academic" award in college football. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
A scholar-athlete himself atManhattan College, Draddy passionately believed in the premise that excellence on the football field could, and should, be consistent with academic distinction and the highest standards of civic leadership. He thought that young men who combined athletic performance with academic excellence should be recognized. After his death in July 1990, the NFF perpetuated his memory and beliefs by establishing a scholarship that would recognize the scholar-athlete who most fully embodies the ideals of the NFF.
While many majorcollege football awards are theoretically open to players at all competitive levels, in practice, only players atNCAA Division I level win them. The Campbell Trophy is one of two such awards that has been won by a player at a lower level—Brandon Roberts ofWashington University in St. Louis, anNCAA Division III school, in 2002. The other is theTed Hendricks Award, which was won byCaleb Murphy ofNCAA Division IIFerris State University in 2022.[1]
In 2014,Fidelity Investments became the presenting sponsor of the Campbell Trophy, with its official name becoming the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments.[2] In 2013, the New York Athletic Club became the official home of the trophy, and it is now on display as part of its Hall of Fame.[3] In 2019, Mazda began a three-year partnership as the presenting sponsor of the award.[4] The $25,000 postgraduate scholarship that accompanies the trophy is endowed byHealthSouth Corporation.[2]
List of annual recipients since inception in 1990.[5]