Irving, Texas----The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announces 176 semifinalists for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy® Wednesday. Wingate first team Academic All-America® long snapper Tucker Mullis is one of the 176 semifinalists for college football's premiere scholar-athlete award. He is one of only 15 semifinalists from NCAA Division II and the only South Atlantic Conference student-athlete recognized.
 
The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments.
 
One of the aforementioned finalists will be named the winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy® during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner, presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 7. This individual will have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
 
Tucker Mullis
 
- Earned first team Academic All-America® honors this spring 
- Mullis has started every game he has played at long snapper (40-of-40)
- In 2019, he helped placekicker McLean Robertson earn All-SAC and All-Region honors
- Robertson made a SAC-best 16 field goals during the 2019 season
- In 2018, Mullis saw Robertson and punter Chris Birozes make All-SAC
- Wingate won a NCAA playoff game at West Georgia in 2018
- Mullis started as a true freshman in 2017, helping Bulldogs to the SAC title
- Wingate has made three consecutive NCAA playoff appearances (2017, 2018, 2019)
- He is an All-SAC and All-SER thrower on Wingate's track and field team
- He made Academic All-District® III in track and field twice (2020, 2021)
- Mullis graduated this May with a degree in management (3.82 GPA)
 
Wingate head football coach Joe Reich on Tucker Mullis:

"Tucker is the absolute ideal leader for our program. He exemplifies what 'Relentless Effort, Elite Attitude and Wingate Tough' are all about. His work ethic and ability to focus on the moment are off the charts."
 
Nomination criteria
 
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 3.2 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 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.

About the NFF Campbell Trophy

Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, celebrate their 63rd year in 2021. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and the NFF has recognized 878 outstanding individuals since the program's inception.
 
This year's postgraduate scholarship winners will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $12 million. The trophy was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program's prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks.

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the venue.

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. 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.

Semifinalists Notes

- 32nd year of the William V. Campbell Trophy®
- 63rd year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
- 176 Nominations
- 3.66 Average GPA
- 105 Nominees who have already earned their bachelor's degrees
- 12 Nominees who have earned a master's degree
- 5 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
- 52 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
- 65 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or better
- 34 Academic All-America® selections
- 107 Captains
- 97 All-Conference picks
- 22 All-Americans
- 95 Offensive Players
- 64 Defensive Players
- 17 Special Teams Players

Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.

Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 24 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.