Oct. 1, 2009
DALLAS (SMU) - SMU senior Mitch Enright has been named a semifinalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today. Nominees for the Campbell Trophy are also candidates for the 2009 NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards.
A native of Southlake, Enright graduated with a 3.9 GPA as a management major and was previously named the 2009 Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete as part of the 53rd-annual Playboy Preseason All-America football team. Enright is in his second year of graduate school in SMU's prestigious Cox School of Business and is pursuing his MBA in marketing and strategic leadership after graduating in just three years. He is a two-time member of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Football Team and a Conference USA Academic Medal winner. He has been a two-year starter and member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List, which is awarded annually to the nation's top center.
"On the heels of our recent announcement to rename our top scholar-athlete award in honor of Bill Campbell, we are incredibly proud to select the next winner from this remarkable group of semifinalists," 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. "As one of the nation's most influential business leaders, Bill Campbell is a powerful example of football's unique ability to build leadership qualities in our young people. The semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy have already built track records that place them squarely in his footsteps."
This year's list includes 154 semifinalists in five divisions (NCAA FBS, NCAA FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA).
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. Renamed this 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, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post- graduate scholarship.
"The Campbell Trophy semifinalists represent everything great about college football, having achieved excellence in all aspect of their lives," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "It is the NFF's duty to promote their accomplishments while encouraging future generations of gridiron standouts to aim high on and off the football field."
The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2009 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, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 8 at the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of $277,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.
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 and a Heisman winner. The University of California's Alex Mack, a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, was named the 2008 Campbell Trophy recipient.
In addition to the Manning Brothers, notable NFF National Scholar-Athlete alumni include NFL standout Derrick Brooks (Florida State); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (Richmond); former Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips (Yale); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and Heisman Trophy winners Terry Baker (Oregon State), Gary Beban (UCLA); Doug Flutie (Boston College) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida).
FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION CANDIDATES
School - Nominee
Alabama - Colin Peek
Arizona State - Mike Nixon
Baylor - Joe Pawelek
Bowling Green State - Craig Rutherford
Brigham Young - Matt Bauman
Central Michigan - Dan LeFevour
Cincinnati - Jeff Linkenbach
Colorado - Jake Behrens
Colorado State - Klint Kubiak
Connecticut - Bradley Kanuch
Eastern Michigan - Andrew Schmitt
Florida - Tim Tebow
Florida International - Paul McCall
Fresno State - Moses Harris
Illinois - Jon Asamoah
Indiana - Jammie Kirlew
Kansas - Todd Reesing
Kansas State - Jeron Mastrud
Kentucky - Ross Bogue
Louisiana-Lafayette - Scott Hayes
Louisville - Joseph Tronzo
LSU - Lyle Hitt
Memphis - Matt Reagan
Miami (Fla.) - Matt Pipho
Michigan - Zoltan Mesko
Middle Tennessee State - Phillip Tanner
Minnesota - Eric Decker
Missouri - Kurtis Gregory
Navy - Ross Pospisil
Nebraska - Wes Cammack
Northern Illinois - Brandon Bice
Northwestern - Andrew Brewer
Notre Dame - Mike Anello
Ohio State - Jim Cordle
Oklahoma - Auston English
Oregon State - Gregg Peat
Penn State - Josh Hull
Rutgers - Devin McCourty
San Diego State - Matthew Kawulok
SMU - Mitch Enright
Southern California - Jeff Byers
Syracuse - Andrew Robinson
Tennessee - Cody Sullins
Texas - Colt McCoy
UCLA - Logan Paulsen
UNLV - Ryan Wolfe
Utah - Zane Beadles
Utah State - Nnamdi Gwacham
Wake Forest - Ben Wooster
Washington State - Kenny Alfred
West Virginia - Reed Williams
Western Michigan - Tim Hiller
Wisconsin - Mickey Turner
Wyoming - Weston Johnson
