DETROIT -- Wayne State University redshirt senior linebacker Julius Wilkerson has been selected as one of 15 national finalists for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy as announced by the organization earlier today. 

The William V. Campbell Trophy is presented annually to the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.  Wilkerson is the first WSU football player in 104 years to be honored as a finalist.  In addition, he is just the fourth GLIAC football student-athlete to be recognized joining Ferris State's Mike Klobucher (2006), FSU's Jason Vander Laan (2015) and Grand Valley State's Tyler Bradfield (2020).

Wilkerson, who will be completing his bachelor's degree in Psychology in December, hopes to earn a master's degree in Social Work.
 
NFF Release
NFF Proudly Announces Stellar Finalists for 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy®

Fifteen finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2022 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments.

IRVING, Texas (Oct. 26, 2022) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the finalists for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy®, 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 15 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2022 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®:

• Jack Campbell, LB – Iowa (3.49 GPA - Enterprise Leadership)
• Anders Carlson, PK – Auburn (3.92 GPA - Professional Flight Management)
• Jake Chisholm, RB – Dayton (3.98 GPA - Pre-Medicine)
• Nicholas D'Ambrose, RB – Chicago [IL] (3.69 GPA - Neuroscience)
• Ryan Greenhagen, LB – Fordham (3.85 GPA - Business Administration)
• Oso Ifesinachukwu, DL – Yale (3.67 GPA - Biomedical Engineering)
• Ahofitu Maka, OL – UTSA (3.78 GPA - Cyber Security)
• Adrian Martinez, QB – Kansas State (3.55 GPA - Management)
• Peter Oliver, RB – Holy Cross (3.95 GPA - Chemistry & Spanish)
• Walter Rouse, OT – Stanford (3.52 GPA - Biomechanical Engineering)
• Austin Stidham, OL – Troy (3.92 GPA - Biomedical Sciences)
• Julius Wilkerson, LB – Wayne State [MI] (3.85 GPA - Psychology)
• Austin Williams, WR – Mississippi State (4.00 GPA - Business Administration)
• JR Woods, OL – Johns Hopkins [MD] (3.65 GPA - Economics)
• Michael Wozniak, DL – Saint John's [MN] (3.86 GPA - Accounting)

The 15 finalists were selected from an impressive list of 156 semifinalists nationwide from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA.

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.  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 Bellagio and a concierge service provided by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy®," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively.  "These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football.  As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy's namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the Future For Football is bright.  We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships." Submitted by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® 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 NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year's National Scholar-Athletes," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell.  "Chosen from an extremely impressive list of semifinalists, the finalists have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country.  Each of these men is a leader on and off the field, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential."

2022 NFF Campbell Trophy® Finalists Highlights

• 3.78 Average GPA
• 1 player with a perfect 4.00 GPA (Williams)
• 11 captains, including 1 four-year captain (Martinez), 1 three-year captain (Wilkerson) and 2 two-year captains (Chisholm, Williams)
• 6 players who have already graduated (Carlson, Greenhagen, Maka, Martinez, Stidham, Williams), including 2 with master's degrees (Carlson, Williams)
• 8 Academic All-America selections (Carlson-2x, Chisholm-3x, D'Ambrose, Greenhagen-2x, Stidham-2x, Williams-2x, Woods, Wozniak)
• 14 Academic All-Conference athletes (Campbell, Carlson, Chisholm, D'Ambrose, Greenhagen, Maka, Martinez, Oliver, Rouse, Stidham, Wilkerson, Williams, Woods, Wozniak)
• 9 All-America performers (Campbell, Carlson, Chisholm, D'Ambrose, Greenhagen, Martinez, Rouse, Woods, Wozniak)
• 13 All-Conference selections (Campbell, Carlson, Chisholm, D'Ambrose, Greenhagen, Maka, Martinez, Oliver, Rouse, Stidham, Wilkerson, Woods, Wozniak)
• 5 members of conference championship teams (Ifesinachukwu, Maka, Oliver-3x, Woods, Wozniak-2x)
• 3 players who become their school's first NFF National Scholar-Athlete (D'Ambrose, Greenhagen, Wilkerson)
• 4 school record holders (Chisholm, D'Ambrose, Greenhagen, Martinez)
• 8 members of postseason teams (FBS Bowl Games – Campbell-3x, Carlson-4x, Maka-2x, Stidham, Williams-4x; FCS Playoffs – Oliver-3x; Division III Playoffs – Woods, Wozniak-3x)
• 5 members of currently ranked teams (Greenhagen, Martinez, Oliver, Woods, Wozniak)
• 9 Offensive Players (Chisholm, D'Ambrose, Maka, Martinez, Oliver, Rouse, Stidham, Williams, Woods)
• 5 Defensive Players (Campbell, Greenhagen, Ifesinachukwu, Wilkerson, Wozniak)
• 1 Special Teams Player (Carlson)

Following the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, the recipient of the 2022 Campbell Trophy® will be honored at several other prestigious events.  On Thursday, Dec. 8, he will be interviewed live during the "The Home Depot College Football Awards" on ESPN.  Then on Monday, Dec. 12, a reception will be held in his honor at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC), the official home of the trophy since 2013.  Finally, he will travel to Los Angeles to be honored on the field during the College Football Playoff National Championship at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 9.

Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 64th year in 2022.  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 167 FARs since the program's inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $830,000 (including $75,000 this year) in donations.

Including the 2022 Campbell Trophy® finalists, the NFF has honored 906 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and this year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $12.3 million.  The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 175 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 PhDs.  Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 260 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.

The members of this year's class find themselves among some of the most elite student-athletes in the history of the game, including celebrated actor and 2019 NFF Gold Medal recipient Mark Harmon (UCLA); Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech); Wisconsin interim head coach Jim Leonhard (Wisconsin); and NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins (Illinois) and Leland Melvin (Richmond). NFF National Scholar-Athletes who became NFL stalwarts include Tiki Barber, Drew Brees, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Doug Flutie, Joey Galloway, Justin Herbert, Bradie James, Tyler Lockett, Alex Mack, Eli Manning, Johnny Musso, Chad Pennington, Joe Thomas, Jonathan Vilma, Wesley Walls and Christian Wilkins.

A total of 41 former National Scholar-Athletes have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and seven are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:  Tony Boselli (Southern California), Derrick Brooks (Florida State), Dave Casper (Notre Dame), Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Merlin Olsen (Utah State), Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma) and Steve Young (BYU).  Click here for a database of all the past NFF National Scholar-Athletes.

The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program's prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks.

The past recipients of the Campbell Trophy® include:
1990 – Chris Howard (Air Force)
1991 – Brad Culpepper (Florida)
1992 – Jim Hansen (Colorado)
1993 – Thomas Burns (Virginia)
1994 – Rob Zatechka (Nebraska)
1995 – Bobby Hoying (Ohio State)
1996 – Danny Wuerffel (Florida)
1997 – Peyton Manning (Tennessee)
1998 – Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia)
1999 – Chad Pennington (Marshall)
2000 – Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska)
2001 – Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami [FL])
2002 – Brandon Roberts (Washington U. in St. Louis [MO])
2003 – Craig Krenzel (Ohio State)
2004 – Michael Munoz (Tennessee)
2005 – Rudy Niswanger (LSU)
2006 – Brian Leonard (Rutgers)
2007 – Dallas Griffin (Texas)
2008 – Alex Mack (California)
2009 – Tim Tebow (Florida)
2010 – Sam Acho (Texas)
2011 – Andrew Rodriguez (Army West Point)
2012 – Barrett Jones (Alabama)
2013 – John Urschel (Penn State)
2014 – David Helton (Duke)
2015 – Ty Darlington (Oklahoma)
2016 – Zach Terrell (Western Michigan)
2017 – Micah Kiser (Virginia)
2018 – Christian Wilkins (Clemson)
2019 – Justin Herbert (Oregon)
2020 – Brady White (Memphis)
2021 – Charlie Kolar (Iowa State)

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 affectionately 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.

Julius Wilkerson, LB – Wayne State University (MI)
3.85 GPA – Psychology
Head Coach:  Paul Winters | Athletics Director:  Rob Fournier
Faculty Athletics Representative:  Dr. Timothy Butler

Combining excellent leadership, athletics skill and academic prowess, Julius Wilkerson is a three-year team captain who leads Wayne State in tackles and boasts a 3.85 GPA. The Mequon, Wisconsin, native makes history as the Warriors' first NFF National Scholar-Athlete.

A psychology major on pace to graduate this December, Wilkerson is a three-time Academic All-District nominee. He is a three-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award winner and three-year member of the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team. Wilkerson has been named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll every semester of college.

This season, Wilkerson is tied for the team-lead at Wayne State with 50 tackles. He also boasts two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

In 2021, Wilkerson earned First Team All-GLIAC honors and was named Wayne State's Defensive MVP after finishing second in the conference with 9.5 tackles per game.  In 2019, he was named the team's Defensive Rookie of the Year after helping the team finish with an 8-3 record and a second-place finish in the GLIAC.  He currently boasts career totals of 210 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Wilkerson is serving as co-President for the second straight year during the 2022-23 academic year and is the school's SAAC representative to the GLIAC.  The 2021 AFCA Good Works Team member has worked with Family Assistance for Renaissance Men, assisting with home restoration and flood recovery.  The 2021 recipient of Wayne State's Randy Guzowski Award for leadership and exemplary school and community citizenship, Wilkerson has also volunteered with the Salvation Army, 2nd & 7 reading program, Be the Match bone marrow registration drives and hospital visits.  A Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader since 2019, he was also a member of the Wayne State Student Leadership Council, and has served as a football small group leader for three years.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME

Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of

Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award; and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS ASSOCIATION

The William V. Campbell Trophy® is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football.  Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935.  Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.

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