KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan senior quarterback Jon Wassink has been named one of 12 recipients of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by Fidelity Investments, announced on Wednesday by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame.
Wassink and each of the 12 finalists for the Campbell Trophy, will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments, and will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted. At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 30th William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown.
"We are so excited for Jon," Western Michigan Athletic Director Kathy Beauregard said. "This is such a wonderful honor for Jon, our football program and university. This will be my third trip to New York City for this event and it is truly remarkable every time. It has been a privilege watching Jon achieve what we always believed he could. He has been the embodiment of what we want our Broncos to be – committed academically and athletically, striving for growth and giving back to the community surrounding him. There is no doubt he will certainly continue to make a difference in the world."
A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Wassink has completed 169 of 280 passes this fall for 2,273 yards and 16 touchdowns against seven interceptions. In the latest NCAA rankings, Wassink stands 11th in total passing yards, 22nd in passing touchdowns, 26th in passing yards per game (252.6), 27th in yards per completion (13.5) and total offense per game (265.8), 30th in points responsible for (108) and 35th in yards per attempt (8.1).
A two-time Academic All-Mid-American Conference Football Team honoree and two-time MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, Wassink was also named the Western Michigan Football John Gill Scholar-Athlete in 2017. He has been named to the Western Michigan University Dean's List every semester on campus, achieving at least a 3.50 grade-point average on a scale of 4.00 each semester.
Wassink graduated from Western Michigan in December with a degree in accountancy and is pursuing a master's degree in accountancy. He completed his undergraduate degree with a 3.95 grade-point average.
Wassink becomes the third Western Michigan student-athlete to earn the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, joining Tim Hiller (2009) and Zach Terrell (2016). Terrell won the Campbell Trophy in 2016. Western Michigan is second in the MAC with three all-time selections and tied for the most honorees in the league since 2009.
"This is an award that encompasses why we all do this, being a student-athlete," Western Michigan head coach Tim Lestersaid. "There are so many awards that are talent or numbers based, but this one is truly student and athlete. It's hard to be great at both. The fact we have had three honorees in 10 years says something about the type of program we are running here. Jon fits that mold of Tim and Zach. He maximizes everything he does. He's a joy to have on the team. He is playing great on the field. He's making a difference with teachers and in the community and is a joy to have around."
"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda," 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 that Football Matters®, and we are excited to honor their hard work and accomplishments with postgraduate scholarships."
The recipient of the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda will be honored at several other prestigious events. On December 11, a luncheon will be held in his honor at the New York Athletic Club, the official home of the trophy since 2013. From there, he will travel directly to Atlanta for ESPN's "The Home Depot College Football Awards" at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame on December 12, where he will be interviewed live during the show. Finally, he will travel to New Orleans to be honored on the field during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 13.
First awarded in 1990, the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former CEO and chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds. A total distribution of $223,000 in scholarships will be awarded December 10, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $11.7 million.
"The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year's National Scholar-Athletes," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Selected from an impressive group of semifinalists, they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, as they have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is also a leader in his respective community, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential."
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships for combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2019 recipients, the NFF has honored 866 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 Ph.D. degrees. 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.
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 and 2019 NFF Gold Medal recipient Mark Harmon (UCLA); Robert Morris University President Chris Howard (Air Force); XFL Commissioner & CEO Oliver Luck (West Virginia); NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins (Illinois) and Leland Melvin (Richmond); and 38 College Football Hall of Famers, including 2019 electee Joe Thomas (Wisconsin).
Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, serves as the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. As part of its support, Fidelity helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives (FARs) at each of the institutions with a finalist for the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda. The NFF presents each of the faculty athletics representatives with a plaque and Fidelity donates $5,000 for the academic support services at each school. The salutes have recognized 127 FARs since the program's inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $630,000 (including $60,000 this year) in donations.
