EVANSTON, Ill. — Fifth-year defensive back Robert Fitzgerald has been selected as a finalist for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today.
The Campbell Trophy is presented annually to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. A player is eligible if he is a senior or graduate student with a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.
As a finalist, Fitzgerald joins the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments, and will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. All finalists will be honored at the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 8. At the event, the winner of the 37th Campbell Trophy will be announced and will have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Fitzgerald is one of 18 finalists after being named one of the 206 semifinalists in September. He is one of three finalists from the Big Ten Conference and one of seven players who plays defense.
In May 2026, Fitzgerald graduated from Northwestern with a 3.71 GPA. He earned a degree in economics and learning and organizational change. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in specialized studies. Fitzgerald earned CSC First Team Academic All-America honors in 2025 and is also a two-time CSC Academic All-District selection and three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Fitzgerald is the first Wildcat to be named a Campbell Trophy finalist since Justin Jackson in 2017. He is the sixth player in program history to be named a NFF Scholar-Athlete, joining Randolph Dean (1976), Barry Gardner (1998), Patrick Ward (2012), Brandon Vitabile (2014) and Jackson.
“The Campbell Trophy represents everything right in college football,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (a Campbell Trophy recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These 18 finalists have competed at an extraordinary level while embracing the demands of the classroom and making a meaningful difference in their communities. They understand that success is about more than what happens on Saturdays, and we are proud to recognize them as examples of the character, discipline and leadership that make college football so special.”
On the field, Fitzgerald has been incredibly productive in the 2026 season. He was recently named to the Associated Press Midseason All-American First Team while helping lead the Wildcats to their first AP poll ranking since 2020. Under his leadership, Northwestern is surrendering just 17.0 points per game, the 26th-best mark nationally.
The Dallas, Texas native has recorded 49 tackles and two interceptions, including a pick-six against Ball State, and a fumble recovery in five games this season. Fitzgerald is the only player nationally to record 45+ tackles, 2+ interceptions, 1+ pick-six, and 1+ fumble recovery this season. His average of 9.8 tackles per game ranks seventh nationally and leads the Big Ten.
In 2025, Fitzgerald earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors. He logged 155 tackles, ranking second in the conference, while leading the Big Ten with 69 solo stops. He paced all conference defensive backs with six tackles for loss while also becoming Northwestern’s first defensive back since at least 1995 to record more than 110 tackles in a season. He also added four pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, and one recovery. Over the past two seasons, Fitzgerald has tallied 164 tackles, the most among power conference players.
Fitzgerald was voted by his teammates as “The Wildcat,” the highest honor in the program. It is awarded annually to a player who embodies what it means to be a Wildcat in the community, in the classroom and on the field. Fitzgerald is also one of the six team captains in the 2026 season.
Beyond football, Fitzgerald has participated in numerous activities through Northwestern’s chapter of Uplifting Athletes. He is also involved in NU for Life, a professional networking initiative for Wildcat student-athletes.
Past recipients of the Campbell Trophy have used their postgraduate scholarships to set the standard for excellence in our society, earning more than 177 medical degrees, 108 law degrees, 83 MBAs and 46 PhDs. Others have used their financial backing to enhance successful careers in finance, consulting and engineering. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 280 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 and six Heisman Trophy winners.
“Selecting just 18 finalists from a record 206 semifinalists was an incredibly difficult assignment for our Awards Committee, and that speaks volumes about the caliber of the scholar-athletes participating in college football today,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are especially grateful to Fidelity Investments for helping us recognize these outstanding scholar- athletes and invest in their futures. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments in Las Vegas and watching the impact they will make long after their playing days are over.”
Northwestern continues its best start to a season in the Braun era by hosting Rutgers at Ryan Field on Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will air on Peacock and WGN Radio 720.