The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced the 16 finalists for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award
University of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has been named the 35th recipient of the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy
"We're called student athletes for a reason," said Milroe "I've used football as a way to help me achieve all my goals that I have set for myself. When it comes to on and off the field. I think academics are truly a reflection of how much you put into something, and I was trying to [make it equivalent between the football field and academics, which is trying to pursue to the best of my ability and be the best version of myself. I just want to say thank the National Football Foundation for this tremendous opportunity and for the people who paved the way."
The Campbell Trophy® ranks as one of college football's most sought-after and competitive awards, recognizing an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Awarded since 1990, the 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy comes with a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
"Having established himself as one of the premier college quarterbacks in the nation, Jalen Milroe's commitment to excellence has also extended to the classroom where he has excelled at the highest levels," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons, Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli, were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "He embodies everything the Campbell Trophy® represents and everything right with our great game, and we are extremely pleased to add his name to the esteemed list of Campbell Trophy® recipients."
Milroe was selected from the impressive list of 16 members of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®, who comprised the list of finalists for the Campbell Trophy®. Each member of the class (listed below) claimed an $18,000 scholarship for their postgraduate education.
"Jalen and his 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete classmates provide powerful examples that one can really do it all," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Their academic achievements and their contributions as leaders off the field illustrate the valuable experiences created by football. They have taken full advantage of these educational opportunities, creating a compelling legacy for others to follow."
Majoring in management and graduating cum laude last December with a 3.52 GPA, Milroe is currently pursuing a master's in sports management. A 2023 CSC Academic All-District selection, he has made the President's List in addition to landing on the SEC Honor Roll and the Dean's List three times each.
A two-year captain, Milroe has helped Alabama earn two College Football Playoff appearances, including a berth in the 2021 national title game and a 2023 semifinal. The Tide has secured two SEC titles with Milroe on the roster and have played in three consecutive New Year's Six games — winning the 2021 Cotton Bowl, the 2022 Sugar Bowl and appearing in the 2024 Rose Bowl. During his first three seasons in Tuscaloosa, the Tide never finished ranked lower than No. 5, and Alabama finished the 2024 regular season ranked No. 11 with a 9-3 record. Milroe will now lead the Tide against Michigan in the Reliaquest Bowl.
A proven threat with both his arms and legs, Milroe has rushed for 33 total touchdowns during his career, the most by a quarterback in Tide history. Milroe's 20 rushing touchdowns this season are the most by an Alabama quarterback in a single season, surpassing Jalen Hurts' 13 rushing scores in 2016 as the previous program benchmark. Milroe's 20 rushing touchdowns are the second-most by a quarterback in Division I this season and are also the sixth-most at any position. His career totals include rushing for 1,572 yards and 33 touchdowns while passing for 5,824 yards and 44 touchdowns.
This season, Milroe ranks 6th nationally for points responsible (212) and 7th in the nation with 17.7 points per game. He has completed 65.9 percent of his passes in 2024, which ranks third in the SEC, and his 9.24 yards per pass attempt currently ranks second in the conference and 7th in the nation. He ranks second in the SEC for passing efficiency with a 153.75 rating this season.
In addition to winning the William V. Campbell Trophy this season, Milroe was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Dave O'Brien National Quarterback Award, and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
Last season, he was a Second Team All-SEC pick, a finalist for the Manning Award, a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, and a member of the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Class.
Milroe regularly volunteers in the Tuscaloosa community, visiting schools and participating at fan events. He hosted a youth football camp in his hometown, and he represented Alabama at the joint meeting of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The Katy, Texas, native now becomes Alabama's second Campbell Trophy® winner, joining 2012 recipient Barrett Jones. He is the school's seventh NFF National Scholar-Athlete, including Jones, Johnny Musso (1971), Randall Hall (1974), Steadman Shealy (1979), DeMeco Ryans (2005), and Greg McElroy (2010). He also becomes the 12th winner of the Campbell Trophy® from a team currently in the SEC.
Following tonight's NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, Milroe will be recognized as the 2024 Campbell Trophy® recipient at several other prestigious events. On Thursday, Dec. 12, he will be interviewed live during the "The Home Depot College Football Awards" on ESPN. He will be featured on CBS during halftime of the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, and he will be introduced on the field during the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
Launched in 1959 and celebrating its 66th year in 2024, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic, athletic and leadership accomplishments, and the program has awarded $12.9 million to 938 top athletes since its inception. Candidates must be either a senior player who will complete his final year of eligibility this season OR a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and participated in the 2024 season; have a grade point average 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.
An All-Ivy League player and the captain of Columbia's 1961 Ivy League championship team, Bill Campbell found his true calling after an unlikely career change at age 39 from Columbia football coach to advertising executive. Known as the "Coach of Silicon Valley," his ability to recruit, develop and manage talented executives – all lessons learned on the gridiron – proved to be a critical component of his ability to inspire his business teams to the highest levels of success.
Bill Campbell joined the NFF Board in 1978 while he was still a coach at Columbia, and he continued to serve with distinction until his passing in 2016. In 2004, the NFF recognized his contributions and accomplishments by presenting him with the NFF Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor. In 2009, the NFF renamed college football's premier scholar-athlete award as the William V. Campbell Trophy® in his honor.
Past Recipients of The William V. Campbell Trophy®
Chris Howard (Air Force, 1990 - University Executive)
Brad Culpepper (Florida, 1991 - Attorney)
Jim Hansen (Colorado, 1992 - Climatologist)
Thomas Burns (Virginia, 1993 - Engineering Executive)
Robert Zatechka (Nebraska, 1994 - Physician)
Bobby Hoying (Ohio State, 1995 - Real Estate Executive)
Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996 - Non-Profit Executive Director)
Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997 - TV Personality & Philanthropist)
Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1998 - Insurance Executive & TV Broadcaster)
Chad Pennington (Marshall, 1999 - High School Football Coach)
Kyle Vanden Bosch (Nebraska, 2000 - Youth Football Coach & Broadcaster)
Joaquin Gonzalez (Miami [FL], 2001 - Corporate Executive)
Brandon Roberts (Washington University in St. Louis [MO], 2002 - Physician)
Craig Krenzel (Ohio State, 2003 - Insurance Executive)
Michael Munoz (Tennessee, 2004 - Sports & Entertainment Executive)
Rudy Niswanger (LSU, 2005 - Corporate Executive)
Brian Leonard (Rutgers, 2006 - Real Estate Executive)
Dallas Griffin (Texas, 2007 - Corporate Executive)
Alex Mack (California, 2008 - Retired NFL Player)
Tim Tebow (Florida, 2009 - Non-Profit Chairman & TV Broadcaster)
Sam Acho (Texas, 2010 - Humanitarian & TV Broadcaster)
Andrew Rodriguez (Army West Point, 2011 - U.S. Army Captain & Instructor)
Barrett Jones (Alabama, 2012 - Financial Advisor and TV Broadcaster)
John Urschel (Penn State, 2013 - Professor)
David Helton (Duke, 2014 - MBA Candidate)
Ty Darlington (Oklahoma, 2015 - College Football Assistant Coach)
Zach Terrell (Western Michigan, 2016 – General Manager)
Micah Kiser (Virginia, 2017 - NFL Free Agent)
Christian Wilkins (Clemson, 2018 - NFL Player)
Justin Herbert (Oregon, 2019 - NFL Player)
Brady White (Memphis, 2020 - College Football Quality Control Coach)
Charlie Kolar (Iowa State, 2021 - NFL Player)
Jack Campbell (Iowa, 2022 – NFL Player)
Bo Nix (Oregon, 2023 – NFL Player)
Finalists for the 2024 NFF Campbell Trophy® and Members of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®
Tahj Brooks, RB – Texas Tech (3.55 GPA – Sport Management)
Robert Coury, LB – Carnegie Mellon [PA] (3.97 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
Jaxson Dart, QB – Ole Miss (3.71 GPA – Business)
Beau Freyler, DB – Iowa State (3.91 GPA – Kinesiology)
Dillon Gabriel, QB – Oregon (3.43 GPA – Multidisciplinary Studies)
Ashton Gillotte, DL – Louisville (3.69 GPA – Communications)
Brody Grebe, DE – Montana State (3.93 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
Mark Gronowski, QB – South Dakota State (3.76 GPA – Mechanical Engineering)
Terrance Hollon, LB – Howard (3.90 GPA – Health Science)
Jack Kiser, LB – Notre Dame (3.82 GPA – Business Analytics)
Luke Lehnen, QB – North Central [IL] (3.76 GPA – Exercise Science)
Brayden Long, QB – Slippery Rock [PA] (4.00 GPA – Sport Management)
Jake Majors, C – Texas (3.65 GPA – Business Management)
Seth McLaughlin, C – Ohio State (4.00 GPA – Finance)
Jalen Milroe, QB – Alabama (3.52 GPA – Management)
Jackson Woodard, LB – UNLV (3.77 GPA – Kinesiology)