Alabama’s McElroy semifinalist for NFF award

Here is the official release:

Greg McElroy Selected as Semifinalist for William V. Campbell Trophy
Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the best and brightest from the college gridiron, as announced by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of 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. Known formerly as the Draddy Trophy, the award was renamed last fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal.

“This year’s Campbell Trophy semifinalists embody the National Football Foundation’s mission of building leaders through football,” NFF Chairman Archie Manning said. “They are standouts in the classroom and on the field and have become leaders in their respective communities. Each school should take great pride in being represented by such well-rounded young men who will undoubtedly go on to do great things in life.”

The NFF will announce up to 15 finalists on Thursday, October 28, who will then be recognized as part of the 2010 NFF Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF’s Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

Not only has McElroy excelled on the field, where he led the Crimson Tide to a 14-0 season and a BCS National Championship in his first year as a starter, he also has an impressive record in the classroom. He has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times (2007-10), the President’s List (4.0 GPA) twice, the Dean’s List (3.5-3.99 GPA) four times and is a UA Rhodes Scholar nominee. The 2009 SEC Championship Game MVP is currently pursuing a degree in sports management and received the 2010 Playboy Anson Mount Award as the nation’s top scholar-athlete which included a $5,000 gift to the University.

Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, has previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks. Florida’s Tim Tebow was named the 2009 Campbell Trophy recipient.