Next week the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy will be given out at the National Football Foundation (NFF) Awards Dinner.
Next week, on Tuesday, December 10th, the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy will be awarded at the prestigious National Football Foundation (NFF) Awards Dinner in Las Vegas. This coveted honor, known as college football’s premier scholar-athlete award, recognizes excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in leadership. Among this year’s 16 exceptional finalists is our very own Jack Kiser from Notre Dame. Jack’s nomination not only reflects his outstanding achievements as a student-athlete but also highlights the values of hard work, dedication, and service that define the Fighting Irish spirit.
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The 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy® is college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The 16 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®:
- Tahj Brooks, RB – Texas Tech (3.55 GPA – Sport Management)
- Robert Coury, LB – Carnegie Mellon [PA] (3.97 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
- Jaxson Dart, QB – Ole Miss (3.71 GPA – Business)
- Beau Freyler, DB – Iowa State (3.91 GPA – Kinesiology)
- Dillon Gabriel, QB – Oregon (3.43 GPA – Multidisciplinary Studies)
- Ashton Gillotte, DL – Louisville (3.69 GPA – Communications)
- Brody Grebe, DE – Montana State (3.93 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
- Mark Gronowski, QB – South Dakota State (3.76 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
- Terrance Hollon, LB – Howard (3.90 GPA – Health Science)
- Jack Kiser, LB – Notre Dame (3.82 GPA – Business Analytics)
- Luke Lehnen, QB – North Central [IL] (3.76 GPA – Exercise Science)
- Brayden Long, QB – Slippery Rock [PA] (4.00 GPA – Sport Management)
- Jake Majors, C – Texas (3.65 GPA – Business Management)
- Seth McLaughlin, C – Ohio State (4.00 GPA – Finance)
- Jalen Milroe, QB – Alabama (3.52 GPA – Management)
- Jackson Woodard, LB – UNLV (3.77 GPA – Kinesiology)
(Press release courtesy of the National Football Foundation)
The 16 finalists were selected from a record number of 204 semifinalists nationwide from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA.
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s finalists for the Campbell Trophy®,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (a Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These exceptional young men embody an unwavering commitment to excellence in all areas of their lives, from the classroom to the football field. They truly represent the best of college football, and we know they have only begun to reach their potential.” The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 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 35th 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 Bellagio. ”The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year’s National Scholar-Athletes from among a record number of semifinalists,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “These young men reinforce the promise that the future of football is in great hands. We look forward to celebrating their achievements and honoring their leadership with postgraduate scholarships.” Submitted by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® must be either a senior player who will complete his final year of eligibility during the 2024 season or be a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor’s degree and will participate in the 2024 season; must have minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; must have outstanding football ability as a starter/significant contributor; and must have exhibited exemplary leadership on the field, in the classroom and within the community.
2024 NFF Campbell Trophy® Finalists Highlights
- 3.77 Average GPA
- 15 captains (permanent or game), including 3 three-year captains (Coury, Gronowski, Hollon) and 6 two-year captains (Freyler, Grebe, Lehnen, Long, Milroe, Woodard)
- 13 players who have already graduated (Brooks, Coury, Gabriel, Gillotte, Grebe, Gronowski, Kiser, Lehnen, Long, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe, Woodard), including 2 players who have already earned a master’s degree (Kiser, McLaughlin)
- 10 Academic All-America selections (Coury, Freyler, Gillotte, Grebe, Gronowski, Lehnen, Long, Majors, McLaughlin, Woodard)
- 15 players receiving conference academic honors (Brooks, Coury, Dart, Freyler, Gabriel, Gillotte, Grebe, Gronowski, Hollon, Lehnen, Long, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe, Woodard)
- 6 All-America performers (Coury, Gillotte, Grebe, Gronowski, Lehnen, Long)
- 3 Conference Players of the Year (Gronowski, Lehnen, Long)
- 14 All-Conference selections (Brooks, Coury, Dart, Freyler, Gabriel, Gillotte, Grebe, Gronowski, Hollon, Lehnen, Long, Majors, Milroe, Woodard)
- 5 school record holders (Coury, Dart, Gabriel, Lehnen, Long)
- 3 members of national championship teams (Gronowski, Lehnen, McLaughlin)
- 9 members of conference championship teams (Coury, Grebe, Gronowski, Hollon, Lehnen, Long, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe)
- 16 members of postseason teams (College Football Playoff – Kiser, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe; FBS Bowl Games – Brooks, Dart, Freyler, Gabriel, Gillotte, Kiser, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe, Woodard; FCS Playoffs – Grebe, Gronowski; Celebration Bowl – Hollon; Division II Playoffs – Long; Division III Playoffs – Lehnen; ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl – Coury)
- 12 members of currently ranked teams (Coury, Dart, Freyler, Gabriel, Grebe, Gronowski, Kiser, Lehnen, Long, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe)
- 7 members of teams currently ranked in the Top 10 (Freyler, Gabriel, Grebe, Gronowski, Lehnen, Majors, McLaughlin), including two members of No. 1-ranked teams (Gabriel – FBS, Lehnen—Division III)
- 4 players who are their school’s first NFF National Scholar-Athlete (Gillotte, Hollon, Lehnen, Woodard)
- 4 transfer players (Dart—previously at USC; Gabriel—previously at Oklahoma and UCF; McLaughlin—previously at Alabama; Woodard—previously at Arkansas).
- 2 schools with back-to-back honorees (Notre Dame—JD Bertrand, 2023; Oregon—Bo Nix, 2023).
- 9 Offensive Players (Brooks, Dart, Gabriel, Gronowski, Lehnen, Long, Majors, McLaughlin, Milroe)
- 7 Defensive Players (Coury, Freyler, Gillotte, Grebe, Hollon, Kiser, Woodard)
Following the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, the recipient of the 2024 Campbell Trophy® will be honored at several other prestigious events. On Thursday, Dec. 12, he will be interviewed live during the “The Home Depot College Football Awards” on ESPN. Then on Monday, Dec. 16, a reception will be held in his honor at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC), the official home of the trophy since 2013.
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate its 66th year in 2024. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. Since 2011, Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, has served as the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
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®. The NFF presents each of the faculty athletics representatives with a plaque and Fidelity donates $5,000 for the academic support services at each school. The salutes have recognized 198 FARs since the program’s inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $990,000 (including $80,000 this year) in donations.
Including the 2024 Campbell Trophy® finalists, the NFF has honored 938 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and this year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $12.9 million.
Past recipients have used their postgraduate scholarships to set the standard for excellence in our society, earning more than 177 medical degrees, 108 law degrees, 83 MBAs and 46 PhDs. Others have used their financial backing to enhance successful careers in finance, consulting and engineering. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 270 recipients have played in the NFL with an average career of six seasons or double the length of a typical NFL player. Past recipients also include 13 Rhodes Scholars and six Heisman Trophy winners.
Past NFF National Scholar-Athletes have made it big in a variety of fields, including actor and film producer Mark Harmon (UCLA); Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans (Alabama); NASA astronauts Leland Melvin (Richmond) and Michael Hopkins (Illinois); and current athletics directors: Trev Alberts (Texas A&M) and Josh Whitman (Illinois). NFF National Scholar-Athletes who became NFL stalwarts include Drew Brees, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Doug Flutie, Joey Galloway, Brian Griese, Justin Herbert, Jeff Hostetler, Bradie James, Tyler Lockett, Alex Mack, Johnny Musso, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Thomas, Jonathan Vilma, Wesley Walls and Christian Wilkins, among many others.
A total of 44 former National Scholar-Athletes have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and nine are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well: Tony Boselli (Southern California), Derrick Brooks (Florida State), Dave Casper (Notre Dame), Randy Gradishar (Ohio State), Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Merlin Olsen (Utah State), Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma), Joe Thomas (Wisconsin) and Steve Young (BYU). Click here for a database of all the past NFF National Scholar-Athletes.
The Campbell Trophy®, first awarded in 1990 to Air Force’s Chris Howard, has added to the program’s prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and nine first-round NFL draft picks. For the complete list of former winners, please click here.
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, an All-Ivy League player and the captain of Columbia’s 1961 Ivy League championship team who found his true calling after an unlikely career change at age 39 from Columbia 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.
As the CEO and chairman of Intuit, Campbell’s strong leadership and unique talent in building teams allowed him to become one of the most influential individuals in Silicon Valley. Using the lessons of the gridiron he mentored Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Sundar Pichai and Eric Schmidt of Google, Scott Cook and Brad Smith of Intuit, John Doerr of Kleiner-Perkins, Dick Costolo at Twitter, Diane Greene of VMWare and countless others. His contributions have been captured in a book titled “The Trillion Dollar Coach,” and during his lifetime, he affectionally became known as the “Coach of Silicon Valley.”
Campbell joined the NFF Board in 1978 while he was still a coach at Columbia, and he continued to serve with distinction until his passing in 2016. In 2004, the NFF recognized Campbell’s contributions and accomplishments by presenting him with the NFF Gold Medal, the organization’s highest honor. In 2009, the NFF renamed college football’s premier scholar-athlete award as The William V. Campbell Trophy® as an inspiration to future generations.
Here’s a bit more about Notre Dame linebacker, Jack Kiser:
Jack Kiser, LB – Notre Dame 3.82 GPA – Business Analytics
Head Coach: Marcus Freeman |
Athletics Director: Pete Bevacqua
Faculty Athletics Representative: Patricia Bellia
Recipient of Jefferson W. Kirby Scholar-Athlete Award, Endowed by the F.M. Kirby Foundation
A true leader, Jack Kiser grew up on a family farm in rural Indiana, learning a work ethic that has made him an exceptional student-athlete. The Royal Center, Indiana, native now becomes the 20th Notre Dame NFF National Scholar-Athlete, following his teammate and 2023 honoree JD Bertrand.
Already having two degrees in hand, Kiser graduated cum laude in May 2022, majoring in business analytics and maintaining a 3.82 GPA. A 2023 CSC Academic All-District pick, Kiser earned his master’s of accountancy in 2023, and he is currently pursuing further graduate education in arts & letters. He earned the Tom Frecka Academic Achievement Award for posting the top GPA (3.97) in the entire Notre Dame Master of Accountancy program. A member of the 2024 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, Kiser claimed the Dean’s Graduate Business Award.
A team captain, Kiser has been among the top tacklers on a Notre Dame defense the past three seasons, including last year when the Irish defense ranked No. 1 in the nation for passing efficiency and No. 2 for red zone defense. His career totals include 219 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions (two pick-sixes), 10 pass defended, five forced fumbles and a blocked kick. His 65 tackles in 2023 placed him third among Irish defenders and his 58 tackles in 2022 ranked him second on the team. This year, he currently ranks second on the team with 34 tackles.
Earning Notre Dame Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2023, Kiser has helped the Irish rank nationally each year he has been on the roster. Last season, his efforts contributed to an Irish win in the Sun Bowl and a final No. 14 ranking. In 2022, the team claimed a Gator Bowl victory and a final No. 18 ranking. In 2021, Notre Dame finished at No. 8 after an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, and the 2020 team landed an appearance in the CFP Semifinal in the Rose Bowl, ending the season with a No. 5 ranking. Through Week 8 of the 2024 season, the Irish rank No. 12 with a 6-1 record.
A member of the 2024 AFCA Good Works Team, Kiser has been an exceptional leader in the community as chairman of Notre Dame’s “Cleats for a Cause,” which raises money for local charities by auctioning the team’s footwear. For three years, he has been the team lead for the Irish Fight for Life, pairing pediatric patients with Irish athletes, and he spent two months preparing tax returns for low-income families. His other community activities include Uplifting Athletes, the Ronald McDonald House, and ticket-giveaways for youth football teams. (All stats as of Oct. 23, 2024)
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As we look forward to the NFF Awards Dinner on December 10th, all eyes will be on Jack Kiser, a true embodiment of the qualities celebrated by the William V. Campbell Trophy. Regardless of the final outcome, Jack’s journey serves as an inspiration, reminding us of the profound impact of leadership, both on and off the field. His commitment to excellence and service reflects the very best of Notre Dame’s tradition. We wish Jack the best of luck and are immensely proud to have him represent the Fighting Irish in this prestigious event.