Reighard Recognized as NFF 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist

IRVING, Texas- Juniata football standout, Joel Reighard (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area HS) has been named a semifinalist for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. 

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31, and each of them will receivean $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy^®and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football abilityas a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. 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.

"These 179 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning,whosesons Peyton(Campbell Trophy^®winner) and Eliwere named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "For 60 years, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program has showcased more than 800 college football players who have been successful on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. This year's semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders." 

There are a total of 41 nominees from Division III. Among the 41 nominees, three are members of the Centennial Conference. Those teams are, Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins, and Moravian.