Courtesy of Morgan State Athletic Communications
BALTIMORE, Md., Aug. 28, 2019--The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy® Watch List and senior linebacker Ian McBorrough was among the list of nominees.
McBorrough was nominated by Morgan State University as a candidate to receive the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy, an award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
The Essex, Md., product will find if he is one of the 12 to 14 finalists in mid-October. All finalists will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.
One winner, however, will be chosen to receive a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship, and Morgan's Director of Athletics Dr. Edward Scott would not be surprised if that winner is McBorrough.
"Ian McBorrough embodies the values of Morgan State University in every way. He excels in the classroom, in the community, and on the field," Dr. Scott said. "Mr. McBorrough represents what is possible when you maximize your opportunities and take advantage of all the resources at The National Treasure that is Morgan State University. I look forward to Ian leading us on the gridiron this coming season and cannot wait to proudly watch his successful post-athletic career."
The National Football Federation (NFF) has given out the William V. Campbell trophy every year since 1990 to notable players such as Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow.
Throughout the fall, the NFF will highlight the success of the past recipients and finalists for the award through a social and digital media campaign. The year will culminate with the presentation of the 30th Campbell Trophy® during the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City.
"The Campbell Trophy® is the epitome of all that is good in the game of football," NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. "It is the only award that truly celebrates the scholar-athlete ideal, honoring the combination of on-field and academic success. As the game of college football celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019, we look forward to honoring our 30th Campbell Trophy® recipient while shining a light on all of our past winners and finalists, who stand as perfect examples for the next generation to emulate."
McBorrough, a First Team All-MEAC selection a season ago, led the Bears on defense as one of the league's premier pass rushers. The junior ranked No. 3 in the league with six sacks and ranked 15th in tackles for loss (9). He completed the season with 79 tackles, including two fumble recoveries. He also had a 30-yard interception return against Howard (Oct. 20).
McBorrough's preseason accolades include being named to Phil Steele's Preseason All-MEAC First Team, in addition to being a nominee for the 2019 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award, the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF).
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy®and NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing 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 Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990. It is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The award, which is proudly supported by Fidelity Investments and prominently displayed at the New York Athletic Club, comes with a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
The recipient of the trophy is selected each year from an outstanding group of finalists from all levels of the NCAA and NAIA, who are all honored at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in December. Each finalist receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. During the event, one member of the class is selected as the recipient of the Campbell Trophy® as the best football scholar-athlete in the nation and has his postgraduate scholarship increased to a total of $25,000.
The Campbell Trophy® serves as the centerpiece of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, which was launched in 1959 as the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic, athletic and community accomplishments, and the program has awarded $11.5 million to 854 top athletes since its inception.
ABOUT THE NFF SCHOLAR-ATHLETE PROGRAM
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 2018 recipients, the NFF has honored 854 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, 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.