LOGAN, Utah – Utah State football player Chase Nelson has been named as one of an all-time record 199 semifinalists for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Mazda, it was announced Wednesday by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame.
 
Celebrating its 31st year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
 
The NFF will announce 12-to-14 finalists in November, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. Later this year, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 31st Campbell Trophy, having his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000 and receiving his own 25-pound-bronze version of the iconic statue.
 
"To set a record for the number of Campbell nominees is extra special during the pandemic because it shows how the stature of the award continues to rise even during these challenging times," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "We have worked hard to expand the profile of the award, and it's extremely gratifying to have so many schools participate this year with nominations. We believe it sends an important message to the younger student-athletes that you truly can do it all, succeeding on the field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community."
 
Nelson had season-ending shoulder surgery on Aug. 24, a week after it was announced all fall sports would be canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The son of Keith and Joni Nelson is majoring in human biology and minoring in chemistry. He is on track to graduate in December, and recently applied to medical school this past July.
 
The native of Logan, Utah, played in 26 career games for the Aggies over the past two years. He recorded seven tackles while playing on special teams in 2019. The prior year, Nelson finished the season with 16 tackles, including 1.0 sacks and one forced fumble. He had a career-high six tackles in Utah State's 73-12 drubbing of Tennessee Tech on Sept. 13, 2018.
 
As a redshirt freshman in 2017, Nelson did not appear in any games, but was named the Scout Team co-Defensive MVP.
 
Nelson earned academic all-Mountain West and MW Scholar-Athlete accolades in both 2018 and 2019. He is one of seven players from the MW named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former 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. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $11.7 million.

"It is wonderful to see a record number of semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy during such a turbulent year, proving the future for football is bright," 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."

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards 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 class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

Fans can follow the Aggie football program at twitter.com/USUFootball or on Facebook at Utah State Football, as well as on Instagram at instagram.com/USUFootball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
-USU-