National Football Foundation names Barkley William V. Campbell Trophy semi-finalist


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USC senior quarterback Matt Barkley was selected as one of 147 candidates for the National Football Foundation’s National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The same 147 candidates also comprise the list of semifinalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy, which acknowledges an individual as the best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

Nominees for the award, which are chosen by the school and limited to one nominee per university, must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have at least a 3.2 GPA, have exceptional football ability and demonstrate strong citizenship and leadership. The NFF Awards Committee consists of nationally recognized members of the media, college football hall of famers and athletic administrators.

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients who will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The recipients will be the finalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy and will be recognized at the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on December 4, where the winner of the Campbell Trophy is announced.

Barkley is one of five Pac-12 players nominated for the award. The other nominees are California offensive lineman Mark Summers-Gavin, Colorado wide receiver Dustin Ebner, UCLA punter/kickoff specialist Jeff Locke and Utah punter Sean Sellwood.