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Dillon DeBoer Named a Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
9/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 28, 2016
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Dillon DeBoer, a Florida Atlantic University senior offensive lineman, has been named as a semifinalist for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy on Tuesday. The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) created the award to recognize the top scholar-athletes in college football.
DeBoer, a 2015 Conference USA All-Academic team member, was voted as a team captain during the 2016 preseason camp and just days later his leadership skills were put to the test when fellow offensive lineman and two-year starter Reggie Bain was lost for the season due to an automobile accident. Just days after that the Owls lost their starting right guard to an injury. A week later, the right guard returned but, FAU lost its starting center and right tackle in game number two. In game four, the starting left guard suffered a season-ending injury leaving DeBoer as the lone preseason starter who has remained healthy through the first four games.
DeBoer, a graduate student from Tarpon Springs, Fla., has been the mainstay for the program. He move to left tackle for a game and then returned to center where he provides a calming influence for the younger, less-experienced players.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1 and each will 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 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, 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 in dramatic fashion the winner of the 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards 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.
Players Mentioned
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