RELEASED:  Thursday, October 1, 2009

UW-Eau Claire’s Dorsey and UW-Stout’s Lehman Semifinalists For Premier Scholar-Athlete Award

DALLAS--Selected as the best and brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the 154 semifinalists for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the 2009 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.  University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Bryant Dorsey and UW-Stout’s Shay Lehman represent two of the 34 nominees from NCAA Division III.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists 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. Renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, 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 $25,000 post- graduate scholarship.

Dorsey, a senior from De Pere, Wis., is majoring in political science-legal studies and owns a 3.68 grade point average.  A senior from Edgar, Wis., Lehman boasts a 3.90 grade point average and is majoring in technology education with a minor in traffic safety education. 

The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2009 NFF National Scholar- Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.  The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 8 at the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of $277,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening.

Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post- graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments.  The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist and a Heisman winner.  The University of California's Alex Mack, a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, was named the 2008 Campbell Trophy recipient.

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