IRVING, Texas (Sept. 24, 2015)—After distinguishing himself on the field, in the classroom and in the community, William & Mary senior fullback Andrew Weidinger has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2015 Campbell Trophy.
The award, which is announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame and presented by Fidelity Investments, recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. Among the 135 semifinalists are 79 Division I standouts (56 FBS / 23 FCS).
A key member of the Tribe's offensive and special teams units throughout his career, Weidinger has appeared in 33 games and earned nine starts. The Burke, Va., native garnered W&M's 2015 John A. Stewart Winter Warrior Award, which is given annually to the player, or players, who best exemplify the qualities of dedication, effort and achievement that defined Stewart's career at W&M. Awardees are judged on their improvements both on the field and in the off-season training program.
After joining the Tribe as a walk-on, Weidinger, a former linebacker, was honored as the team's 2011 Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year and went on to earn a scholarship. Additionally, he now serves as a team leader and member of the player counsel.
A three-time Colonial Athletic Association All-Conference Academic Team honoree, Weidinger graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics with a minor in finance last May and is currently pursuing a master's degree in accounting. He is a member of Sigma Chi Business Fraternity.
In addition to his success on the field and in the classroom, he has also made an impact in the community and helped the team raise more than $10,000 for various organizations in the Williamsburg area. Additionally, he has volunteered with Housing Partners of Williamsburg.
As a senior at Lake Braddock High School in 2011, Weidinger earned the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award – one of just five players in the nation to garner the distinction that year.
The NFF will announce 15 finalists on Oct. 29, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 58th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. At the event, one member of the class will be declared in dramatic fashion the winner of the 26th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
“These 135 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “It is important for us to showcase their success on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. This year's semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”
Named 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 Campbell Trophy is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program's all-time distribution to more than $11 million.
The past recipients of the William V. Campbell Trophy include: Air Force's Chris Howard (1990); Florida's Brad Culpepper (1991); Colorado's Jim Hansen (1992); Virginia's Thomas Burns (1993); Nebraska's Rob Zatechka (1994); Ohio State's Bobby Hoying (1995); Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996); Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997); Georgia's Matt Stinchcomb (1998); Marshall's Chad Pennington (1999); Nebraska's Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000); Miami (Fla.)'s Joaquin Gonzalez (2001); Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.)'s Brandon Roberts (2002); Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (2003); Tennessee's Michael Munoz (2004); LSU's Rudy Niswanger (2005); Rutgers' Brian Leonard (2006); Texas' Dallas Griffin (2007); California's Alex Mack (2008); Florida's Tim Tebow (2009); Texas' Sam Acho (2010); Army West Point's Andrew Rodriguez (2011); Alabama's Barrett Jones (2012); Penn State's John Urschel (2013); and Duke's David Helton (2014).
