Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Stephen J. Carrera
Jackson Named Campbell Trophy Finalist
11/1/2017 10:04:00 AM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. — Senior Justin Jackson has been selected as one of 13 national finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday. An Economics major with a minor in French, Jackson is Northwestern's third finalist for the 'Academic Heisman' in the last six years.
The Carol Stream, Illinois, native was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team last season, and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. With four regular-season games remaining in his college career, Jackson is Northwestern's all-time leading rusher (4,773) and ranks eighth in Big Ten Conference history. Jackson tied the school's record for total touchdowns (38) in overtime of Saturday's win over Michigan State at Ryan Field, a game that also included the first touchdown pass of his storied career.
"Justin Jackson is the total package, he has everything you could ever ask for in a student-athlete," said Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. "He has unquestionably put together one of the most distinguished careers in our program's history on the field, excelled in the classroom, and made a remarkable impact on his community and his peers as a leader. We're so proud Justin is a part of our family, his future is limitless."
Jackson is Northwestern's third Campbell Trophy finalist in the last six years, following in the footsteps of offensive tackle Patrick Ward in 2012, and center Brandon Vitabile in 2014. He is one of two Big Ten student-athletes among the finalist class this year, and one of only five from Power-5 programs.
Selected from a pool of 181 semifinalists, the 13 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event, which will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown, will be live streamed on ESPN3, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.
"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy, who make up the National Scholar-Athlete Class," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. They serve as living examples that Football Matters®, and we are excited to honor their hard work and accomplishments with postgraduate scholarships."
The recipient of the Campbell Trophy will also be honored at the NFF Board of Directors meeting and at a reception hosted by its official home, the New York Athletic Club, on Wednesday, Dec. 6. He will then fly to Atlanta to be recognized during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN at the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 7. Finally, as part of the NFF's partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP), the Campbell Trophy winner will return to Atlanta to be recognized on the field during the CFP National Championship on Jan. 8, 2018.
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $241,000 in scholarships will be awarded Dec. 5, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $11.3 million.
"The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year's National Scholar-Athletes," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Selected from an impressive group of semifinalists, they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, as they have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is also a leader in his respective community, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential."
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2017 recipients, the NFF has honored 841 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 PhDs. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 200 recipients have played in the NFL with an average career of six seasons or double the length of a typical NFL player. Past recipients also include 13 Rhodes Scholars.
The members of this year's class find themselves among some of the most elite student-athletes in the history of the game, including NFL standout Drew Brees (Purdue); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); Robert Morris University President Chris Howard (Air Force); NCAA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Oliver Luck (West Virginia); NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins (Illinois) and Leland Melvin (Richmond); recently retired chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and 35 College Football Hall of Famers, including 2017 inductee Peyton Manning (Tennessee).
The Carol Stream, Illinois, native was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American Second Team last season, and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. With four regular-season games remaining in his college career, Jackson is Northwestern's all-time leading rusher (4,773) and ranks eighth in Big Ten Conference history. Jackson tied the school's record for total touchdowns (38) in overtime of Saturday's win over Michigan State at Ryan Field, a game that also included the first touchdown pass of his storied career.
"Justin Jackson is the total package, he has everything you could ever ask for in a student-athlete," said Dan & Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. "He has unquestionably put together one of the most distinguished careers in our program's history on the field, excelled in the classroom, and made a remarkable impact on his community and his peers as a leader. We're so proud Justin is a part of our family, his future is limitless."
Jackson is Northwestern's third Campbell Trophy finalist in the last six years, following in the footsteps of offensive tackle Patrick Ward in 2012, and center Brandon Vitabile in 2014. He is one of two Big Ten student-athletes among the finalist class this year, and one of only five from Power-5 programs.
Selected from a pool of 181 semifinalists, the 13 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event, which will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown, will be live streamed on ESPN3, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.
"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy, who make up the National Scholar-Athlete Class," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. They serve as living examples that Football Matters®, and we are excited to honor their hard work and accomplishments with postgraduate scholarships."
The recipient of the Campbell Trophy will also be honored at the NFF Board of Directors meeting and at a reception hosted by its official home, the New York Athletic Club, on Wednesday, Dec. 6. He will then fly to Atlanta to be recognized during The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN at the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 7. Finally, as part of the NFF's partnership with the College Football Playoff (CFP), the Campbell Trophy winner will return to Atlanta to be recognized on the field during the CFP National Championship on Jan. 8, 2018.
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $241,000 in scholarships will be awarded Dec. 5, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $11.3 million.
"The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year's National Scholar-Athletes," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Selected from an impressive group of semifinalists, they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, as they have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is also a leader in his respective community, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential."
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2017 recipients, the NFF has honored 841 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 PhDs. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 200 recipients have played in the NFL with an average career of six seasons or double the length of a typical NFL player. Past recipients also include 13 Rhodes Scholars.
The members of this year's class find themselves among some of the most elite student-athletes in the history of the game, including NFL standout Drew Brees (Purdue); actor Mark Harmon (UCLA); Robert Morris University President Chris Howard (Air Force); NCAA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Oliver Luck (West Virginia); NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins (Illinois) and Leland Melvin (Richmond); recently retired chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, Billy Payne (Georgia); famed NFL quarterback Steve Young (BYU); and 35 College Football Hall of Famers, including 2017 inductee Peyton Manning (Tennessee).
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Players Mentioned
RB
/ FootballFootball - Players Pro Day Media Availability (Beerntsen, Stone, Tiernan)
Tuesday, March 17
Football - David Braun Pro Day Media Availability (3/17/26)
Tuesday, March 17
Run It Back: Braden Turner
Friday, March 13
Run It Back: Caleb Komolafe
Tuesday, March 10
