University of Arizona Student Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist

TUCSON, AZ — One student from the University of Arizona was nominated Wednesday for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, one of college football’s most prestigious scholar-athlete awards.

Bryce Wolma joined 175 other college football players nominated for their strong athletic performance, good grades and leadership abilities. On Oct. 27, the National Football Foundation will announce 12-14 finalists, who will each win an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. On Dec. 7, the winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy will be announced at a star-studded awards dinner at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The winner’s postgraduate scholarship will be increased to $25,000.

Once the finalists are announced, the foundation will also donate $5,000 to academic support services at each of their schools, and present a plaque to a designated faculty athletic representative.

Wolma, a senior, is a tight end for University of Arizona football.

Last year he was placed on the Wuerffel Trophy Award Watch List, served as co-president of Arizona’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was one of his team's five captains for the season, according to the university website. During the shortened 2020 season, Wolma was the everyday tight end in all five games and he finished the season with five catches.

In 2018 Wolma was named Pac-12 All-Academic and has been on his school's honor roll each year since then.

The Campbell Trophy is named after the late William V. Campbell, the head coach of the Columbia University football team, and later a business executive and tech industry professional mentor. Dubbed the “Coach of Silicon Valley,” Campbell mentored Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Sheryl Sandberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and many others.

The winners of his namesake trophy represent the “scholar-athlete ideal” through success on and off the field.

“For more than 60 years, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards have honored more than 800 college football players who have been successful on the football field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community,” NFF Chairman Archie Manning said in a news release. Manning’s son Peyton, a former quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, won both a Campbell Trophy and an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award in 1997. Manning’s other son Eli, a former quarterback for the New York Giants, was a National Scholar-Athlete in 2003.

“This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders,” Manning said.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (2020), Miami Dolphins defensive end Christian Wilkins (2018), former Jet and Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (2009) and dozens of other NFL greats have won the trophy since it was first awarded in 1990. Past recipients have also included two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks, according to an NFF news release.

Each school is able to nominate just one player. To be eligible, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale and demonstrate “outstanding football ability” and “strong leadership and citizenship.”

This year’s nominees have an average GPA of 3.66, according to the NFF. The list includes five nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA, 65 with a GPA of 3.7 or better, 107 team captains, 97 All-Conference picks and 22 All-American players, among many other distinctions.

"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist's achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates."

See here for the full announcement and list of semifinalists from the National Football Foundation.