FRISCO, Texas – Abilene Christian senior linebacker Jack Gibbens has been selected as a finalist for the 2020 National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, the organization announced Thursday. The prestigious award is recognized as college football's premier scholar-athlete award that annually identifies an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
This year, 12 finalists were chosen from of a record 199 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and NAIA. Each finalist receives 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 the winner of the 31st William V. Campbell Trophy
® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Gibbens maintains a 4.0 GPA as an accounting and financial management major and a two-year team captain for the Abilene Christian football team. The senior from Bulverde, Texas, has made ACU’s Dean's List every semester (six times) and is a member of the Beta Sigma Gamma Academic Honor Society. Gibbens also earned a spot on the 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-America and Academic All-District 7 first teams. He also made the Southland Conference All-Academic squad and its Commissioner's Honor Roll.
While captaining one of just a handful of FCS teams playing games this fall, Gibbens leads the Wildcats with 42 total tackles while also recording 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. He was named FCS Co-Player of the Week after a career day against Angelo State on Nov. 7 that included a career-high 14 tackles; a sack, a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the same play; and an interception. The 2018 Honorable Mention All-Southland Conference performer finished second on the team in tackles in both 2019 (104) and 2018 (77).
Off the field, Gibbens was a financial analysis intern for Records Consultants Inc., and he served as a teaching and research assistant in the ACU College of Business Administration. He also volunteers with New Horizons, which helps children through counseling, foster care and adoption, and Palm House, which provides neighborhood resources.
“We are tremendously excited for Jack Gibbens in becoming Abilene Christian’s first-ever National-Scholar Athlete and the 11
th Southland Conference student-athlete to achieve this honor,” Southland Conference Commissioner Tom Burnett said. “Jack’s outstanding accomplishments in the classroom are matched by his high level of competitive play on the field, proving himself as a model Division I football student-athlete.”
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 62nd year in 2020. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments.
Including the 2020 Campbell Trophy® finalists, the NFF has honored 878 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and this year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $11.9 million. The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 PhDs. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 200 recipients have played in the NFL with an average career of six seasons or double the length of a typical NFL player. Past recipients also include 13 Rhodes Scholars and six Heisman Trophy winners.
The 12 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda finalists in 2020 are:
| SCHOLAR ATHLETE |
POS. |
SCHOOL |
GPA |
MAJOR |
| Tyler Bradfield |
LB |
Grand Valley State (MI) |
3.99 |
Finance |
| Sam Ehlinger |
QB |
Texas |
3.42 |
Marketing |
| Jack Gibbens |
LB |
Abilene Christian |
4.00 |
Accounting & Financial Mgmt. |
| Ezra Gray |
RB |
Alabama State |
4.00 |
Computer Information Systems |
| Tyriq Harris |
DE |
Charlotte |
3.68 |
Biology |
| Drew Himmelman |
OT |
Illinois State |
3.82 |
Exercise Science |
| Tyler Howerton |
OL |
Hampden-Sydney (VA) |
4.00 |
Physics |
| Kekaula Kaniho |
DB |
Boise State |
3.94 |
Health Science |
| Brandon Kennedy |
OL |
Tennessee |
3.55 |
Sport Management |
| Cameron Kinley |
CB |
Navy |
3.32 |
Political Science |
| Elijah Molden |
DB |
Washington |
3.56 |
Communications |
| Brady White |
QB |
Memphis |
3.58 |
Business |
SOUTHLAND NFF SCHOLAR ATHLETES
1983: Tim Langford, Arkansas State
1986: Mike Yost, Louisiana-Monroe
1990: George Murphy, Louisiana-Monroe
1990: Thomas Davis, North Texas
1999: William Broussard, Northwestern State
2000: Wes Hines, McNeese State
2000: Nick Colbert, Troy
2007: Nick Clark, Texas State
2011: Yaser Elqutub, Northwestern State
2017: Marlon Walls, Stephen F. Austin
2020: Jack Gibbens, Abilene Christian
-- #SouthlandStrong --