Thursday, November 3, 2016
by Dayton Athletic Media Relations

IRVING, Texas -- The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that University of Dayton linebacker Christopher Beaschler is one of 12 finalists for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments®.   The trophy, sometimes referred to as "the Academic Heisman," recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

One of only six two-time team captains in Dayton history, Beaschler has led the Flyers in tackles the last two seasons and currently has team honors this year with 72 tackles.  The Ada, Ohio native maintains a 3.72 GPA in Mechanical Engineering.  He was a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American, Pioneer Football League Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year and repeated as a First Team All-PFL performer in 2015.

The 12 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. They will travel to New York City for the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on Dec. 6, 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 the winner of the 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

In addition to the presentation of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards and The William V.Campbell Trophy, the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner will include the induction of the 2016 College Football Hall of Fame Class and the presentation of several major awards, including the organization's highest honor, the NFF Gold Medal.

Beaschler is the seventh UD football student-athlete to earn an NFF Post-Graduate Scholarship.  Previous winners were Brandon Cramer (2007), Leo Dillon (1970), Bob Heckman (1962), Mark Kasmer (2002), Steve Keller (1992) and Dr. Tim Quinn (1972).  Cramer was named the 2007 Campbell Trophy winner.

"We are extremely proud to announce this year's finalists for the Campbell Trophy, who make up the National Scholar-Athlete Class," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "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. They serve as living examples of our mission of Building Leaders through Football, and we are excited to honor their hard work and accomplishments with postgraduate scholarships."

Among the 12 finalists, Beaschler is one of nine who were all-conference performers, six who were Academic All-Americans, six who have been team captains for more than one year and three who have played on conference championship teams.

The members of this year's class find themselves among some of the most elite student-athletes in the history of the game, including NFL standout Drew Brees (Purdue); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); Robert Morris University President Chris Howard (Air Force); NCAA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Oliver Luck (West Virginia); NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins (Illinois) and Leland Melvin (Richmond); chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and 34 College Football Hall of Famers, including 2016 electees Derrick Brooks (Florida State) and Pat McInally (Harvard).