Western Michigan's Zach Terrell Wins 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy
NFF ANNOUNCES WESTERN MICHIGAN’S ZACH TERRELL WINS 2016 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Dec. 6, 2016) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that Western Michigan senior quarterback Zach Terrell is the winner of the prestigious 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments®. Terrell is recognized as the best football scholar-athlete in the nation and was presented the Campbell Trophy at the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.
Terrell is the winner of the 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and will be presented with a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. Terrell was one of 12 finalists who were selected from a nationwide pool of 156 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA.
Terrell will also be honored at the NFF Board of Directors meeting and at a reception hosted by the New York Athletic Club on Wednesday, Dec. 7. He will then fly to Atlanta to be recognized during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN at the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 8. Finally, as part of the NFF’s partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP), Terrell will be recognized on the field during the CFP National Championship on Jan. 9, 2017, in Tampa, Fla.
Zach Terrell, QB - Western Michigan University; Finance – 3.66 GPA
Described by head coach P.J. Fleck as “the best young man I’ve ever been around,” Zach Terrell graduated cum laude in 3.5 years while leading one of the MAC’s best offenses. The three-year captain becomes Western Michigan’s second NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
Terrell is currently pursuing his MBA after graduating with a 3.66 GPA in finance last December. A two-time Academic All-MAC selection, he was twice named a MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete, and he is a six-time member of the Dean’s List. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native was the 2015 recipient of the John Gill Scholar-Athlete Award.
The three-time All-MAC quarterback earned Second Team honors in 2016 and 2014 and Third Team honors in 2015. Western Michigan’s all-time leader in career completion percentage, Terrell led the Broncos to three consecutive bowl berths, including the program's first-ever New Year's Six bowl invitation to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 2, 2017, the program's first bowl victory in school history at the 2015 Bahamas Bowl.
This season, Terrell led the Broncos to be ranked for the first time in program history, currently No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Terrell is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in MAC history as he ranks fourth in the MAC for career passing touchdowns (95) and passing yards (11,931), while ranking 10th in league history for career completions (899) and tied for 13th in career attempts (1,359). In addition, Terrell is the MAC's third all-time leader in career passing completion percentage (66.2%).
A stalwart in the community, Terrell was named to the 2016 AFCA Good Works Team. He has received multiple awards for his service, including the 2014-15 WMU Community Service Award, 2014 Idaho Potato Bowl Humanitarian Award and 2014 WMU Coxswain Spring Leadership Award. Terrell led a mission trip to the Dominican Republic; serves as a leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; and mentors students at Tree of Life. A Special Olympics volunteer, he has volunteered for MLK day of service; visited kids at Bronson Children’s Hospital; and participated in the Project Incentive Christmas program. Terrell has also served food at shelters; volunteered at football camps; and donated his time as a guest speaker for various organizations.
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, who passed away this year on April 18. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $223,000 in scholarships will be awarded Dec. 6, pushing the program’s all-time distributions to more than $11.1 million.
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2016 recipients, the NFF has honored 828 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 PhDs. Continuing their excellence on the field, 175 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.
Terrell will join an elite list of 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). Click here for a database of all the past NFF National Scholar-Athletes.
In 2011, the NFF and Fidelity launched a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. As part of the initiative, Fidelity became the first presenting sponsor ever in the history of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program. In 2014, Fidelity expanded its support, becoming the presenting sponsor of The William V. Campbell Trophy.
Fidelity’s support also includes the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with an NFF National Scholar-Athlete. As part of the initiative and with full support from the 1A FARs, the NFF presents each of the faculty representatives with a plaque and a $5,000 check from Fidelity Investments, which is used to support the academic support services for student-athletes at each school. Since the program’s inception in 2011, Fidelity has committed $440,000 (including $60,000 this year) and recognized 88 FARs.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of 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 156 semifinalists for the award were announced on Sept. 28, and 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.
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include FootballMatters.org, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, Hofmann Brands, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, PrimeSport, the Sports Business Journal, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
About The National College Football Awards Association
The William V. Campbell Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 22 awards boast 678 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.
