IRVING, Texas -- University of Dayton senior safety Brandon Easterling has been named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's William V. Campbell Trophy®, Presented by Mazda.

Sometimes referred to as "The Academic Heisman," the Campbell Trophy is one of college football's most sought-after awards. The Campbell Trophy recognizes a student-athlete who best exemplifies academic success alongside football performance and community leadership. 

The award recognizes this individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

Easterling has been a primary player from his freshman year, and is coming off a junior season where he led FCS football in solo tackles (7.5) and was second in total tackles (12.7).  He was second by 0.058 tackles per game to Montana's Dante Olson.   Easterling also tied for second in interceptions per game (0.5) and tied for third in fumbles recovered (3).  His nine turnovers acquired (six interceptions, three fumbles) were the most in FCS football.  

The three-year letterwinner also etched his name in the record books with a 100-yard interception return at Drake.

Easterling was named a 2019 FCS All-American by HERO Sports, the Walter Camp Foundation, the Associated Press and STATS FCS. He was a finalist for FCS Stats' Buck Buchanan Award, which goes annually to the top defensive player in FCS football.  He finished eighth in the Buchanan voting and was one of just two defensive backs in the top 10.

Off the field, the Fairborn (Ohio) graduate is majoring in management information systems with a cyber security management minor.  He carries a 3.41 GPA.  He is a two-time member of the Pioneer Football League Academic Honor Roll, and last year was First Team Academic All-PFL.  He is also a two-year football team representative on UD's Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Easterling is one of a record 199 semifinalists from all levels of college football, and one of just 18 All-Americans in the nomination pool.  He is a part of 45 nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Davidson's Wesley Dugger, Marist's Grant Dixon, San Diego's Kama Kamaka and Stetson's Alex Brown join Easterling as one of five student-athletes from the Pioneer Football League.

UD has had at least a semifinalist for 15 straight years. Tim Simon was last year's honoree.  The others are David Leisring (2018), Jack Crain (2017), Chris Beaschler (2016), Danny Leach (2015), Will Bardo (2014), Colin Monnier (2013), Bill Petraiuolo (2012), Devon Langhorst (2011), Brandon Wingeier (2010), Sean Heenan (2009), Bart Bergfeld (2008), Brandon Cramer (2007) and Brandon Godsey (2006).  

Interestingly, the last three Flyer semifinalists have been safeties, and the last six have been defensive players.

Two of Dayton's semifinalists also advanced to be finalists for the award and attended the NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City – Brandon Cramer in 2007 and Chris Beaschler in 2016.

Dayton is the only PFL team to even have five consecutive semifinalists (Davidson has four). Among Division I schools, the Flyers are one of just two institutions with a semifinalist in the last 15 years. Bucknell is the other school with that proud distinction. 

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the award 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. 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.

"This is terrific. To set a record for the number of Campbell nominees is extra special during the pandemic because it shows how the stature of the award continues to rise," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "We have worked hard to expand the profile of the award, and it's extremely gratifying to have so many schools participate this year with nominations. We believe it sends an important message to the younger student-athletes that you truly can do it all, succeeding on the field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community."

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists in November, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. One of the finalists will be declared as the winner of the 31st William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy® is a 25-pound bronze trophy.  It has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013.  This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $11.9 million.

Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 62nd in 2020. 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 854 outstanding individuals since their inception. The Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda was first awarded in 1990 and is celebrating its 31st year in 2020.  The trophy adds to the program's prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks.

The past recipients of The William V. Campbell Trophy® include: Air Force's Chris Howard (1990); Ohio State's Bobby Hoying (1995); Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996); Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997); Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (2003); Tennessee's Michael Munoz (2004); Florida's Tim Tebow (2009); Army West Point's Andrew Rodriguez (2011); Alabama's Barrett Jones (2012); Oklahoma's Ty Darlington (2015); Virginia's Micah Kiser (2017); Clemson's Christian Wilkins (2018); and Oregon's Justin Herbert (2019).