28 Sep 2022 Fitzhugh named Campbell Trophy semifinalist
IRVING, Texas — The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) recently announced the 156 semifinalists for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award.
Harding senior defensive back Grant Fitzhugh was one of the semifinalists and one of only 13 NCAA Division II players on the list.The impressive list of candidates boasts an impressive 3.62 average GPA, with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor’s degrees.
Fitzhugh, a native of Monroe, Louisiana, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and divinity in May 2021 with a 4.00 GPA. He is currently enrolled in graduate school at the Harding School of Theology’s Master of Divinity program.
Through Harding’s first four games, Fitzhugh has nine tackles and 1.0 tackles of loss. He had a career-high six tackles in Harding’s victory over Southern Arkansas.
Celebrating its 33rd 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.
“These 156 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 last seven decades, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards have recognized 891 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 in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 26, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2022 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 6, 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 33rd Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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.
