William V. Campbell Trophy Winners Year by Year

The National Football Foundation (NFF) presents the William V. Campbell Trophy, formerly known as the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, to the American college football player who demonstrates the greatest blend of academic achievement, community service, and on-field performance. It is referred to as the "Academic Heisman."

The winner and the finalists are recognized at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, which is hosted by Las Vegas in December, after being chosen by the NFF Awards Committee in October. A postgraduate scholarship worth $18,000 is awarded to each finalist who joins the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, which is sponsored by Fidelity Investments.

One individual is chosen at the event to receive the Campbell Trophy as the nation's best football scholar-athlete, and his postgraduate scholarship is increased to a total of $25,000. A 24-inch by 25-pound bronze trophy, inspired by the NFF's original logo—which served as the organization's primary mark from 1959 to 2010—is also awarded to each recipient.

The 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy

The 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy winner was former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. He placed among the top four finalists for the Heisman Trophy in 2023. Nix, a 2022 graduate of Pinson Valley High School, attended Auburn for the first three seasons of his collegiate career before moving to Oregon. He is plying his trade with the Denver Broncos in the NFL, as of 2024.

Nix earned a 3.62 GPA and graduated with honors from Auburn in 2021. During his time at Auburn, he was selected three times for Academic All-SEC. He was the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023 and a member of the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll in 2022.

William V. Campbell’s Selection Process

As per the official website of the NFF, nominations are limited to one nominee per school. Nominees must be senior players who will finish their final year of eligibility during the current season or graduated players who have been enrolled in school for at least three years (even if they still have eligibility); possess exceptional football ability as a starter or major contributor; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; and exhibit leadership in the community, in the classroom, and on the field.

William V. Campbell Trophy’s History

William Campbell, a business executive and a former Columbia University player, captain, and head coach, is honored with the trophy. Prior to that, it was named in honor of Vincent DePaul Draddy, who worked for 33 years for the National Football Foundation (NFF) and its College Football Hall of Fame, serving as chairman of the board of directors for 19 of those years.

Draddy, a Manhattan College scholar-athlete, was a fervent supporter of the idea that academic achievement and the greatest levels of civic leadership could and should coexist with football brilliance. He believed that young men should be honored for their ability to excel both academically and athletically.

Who is William V. Campbell?

American businessman William Vincent Campbell Jr. served as both the chairman of the board of Intuit and the chairman of the Columbia University board of trustees. He served as Apple Inc.'s vice president of marketing, a board member, and the CEO of Claris, Intuit, and GO Corporation.

Among the people that Campbell coached were Sheryl Sandberg at Facebook, Steve Jobs at Apple, Jeff Bezos at Amazon, Jack Dorsey and Dick Costolo at Twitter, and Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and Sundar Pichai at Google.

The captain of the 1961 Columbia Ivy League champion team, Campbell unexpectedly changed careers from football coach to advertising executive at age 39. His ability to lead his business teams to unprecedented success has been largely attributed to his ability to identify, nurture, and manage bright executives—all skills he acquired on the football field. At the age of 75, Campbell passed away on April 18, 2016.

Which teams won multiple William V. Campbell Trophies?

List of William V. Campbell Trophy Winners Year by Year