Rodriguez Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
IRVING, Texas (Sept. 25, 2024) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) proudly announced today a record number of 203 semifinalists for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award. The new highwater mark eclipses the 201 nominees in 2023. The impressive list of candidates, from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, boasts an impressive 3.63 average GPA, with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor’s degrees.
For New Mexico, it’s fitting that UNM punter Aaron Rodriguez was named to the list on the week that he will be arriving to UNM’s Rio Grande Rivalry football game in Las Cruces about two hours before the game as he participates in a special academic ceremony. Rodriguez was one of nine Mountain West student-athletes who were named as semifinalists.
Rodriguez, a four-year Lobo in his super senior year, is a nursing school student and will not be with his teammates on the bus headed to Las Cruces on Friday as he particpates in the nursing school “Pledge Ceremony”. The ceremony, formerly refered to as a “White Coat Ceremony”. The ceremony is traditional for nursing students and it denotes the beginning of a student’s professional medical training. Rodriguez has already graduated with a degree in psychology and he is a three time Ray Guy Award Watch List member. He is in line to become the fourth Lobo in history to punt for over 10,000 total yards.
Celebrating its 35th 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.
2024 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
- 35th year of the William V. Campbell Trophy®
- 66th year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
- 203 Semifinalists
- 3.63 Average GPA
- 124 Nominees who have already earned their bachelor’s degrees
- 7 Nominees who have earned a master’s degree
- 3 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
- 48 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
- 91 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or better
- 26 Academic All-America selections
- 128 Captains
- 31 All-Americans
- 129 All-Conference picks
2024 Campbell Trophy® Semifinalists by Division and Position
- 95 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- 41 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
- 18 Nominees from NCAA Division II
- 44 Nominees from NCAA Division III
- 5 Nominees from the NAIA
- 110 Offensive Players
- 78 Defensive Players
- 15 Special Teams Players