IRVING, Texas - Duquesne offensive lineman Jake Dixon (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bethel Park) was named a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award as announced by the National Football Foundation on Wednesday. 

Celebrating its 32nd year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

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 playing 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.

Dixon was one of 176 semifinalists and one of 36 nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). 

Past winners of the Campbell Trophy® include Justin Herbert, Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning. 

Dixon, who garnering second team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) following last season, was also a 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic Second Team All-American. He posted a 3.96 cumulative undergraduate grade point average as an accounting major before earning his master's degree in accounting from Duquesne, recording a 4.0 GPA . In 2020, he was Duquesne's recipient of the Pennsylvania Institute of Public Accountants Outstanding Senior Award and is a four-time member of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Commissioner's Honor Roll. 

The Pittsburgh native has appeared in 43 career games, movie from tight end to left tackle prior to the 2020-21 campaign, a season which saw Dixon collect All-America accolades at his new position. He helped the Dukes win their fifth NEC title in 2018 before winning their first-ever NCAA FCS Playoff game in program history. 

Off the field and outside of the classroom, Dixon has also served his community, working as a volunteer at Camp Aim - a YMCA camp in Pittsburgh for children and young adults who have physical, cognitive, emotional, social and communication challenges. 

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas for the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 7, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

2021 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS NOTES

• 32nd year of the William V. Campbell Trophy®
• 63rd year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
• 176 Nominations
• 3.66 Average GPA
• 105 Nominees who have already earned their bachelor's degrees
• 12 Nominees who have earned a master's degree
• 5 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 52 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
• 65 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or better
• 34 Academic All-America Selections
• 107 Captains
• 97 All-Conference picks
• 22 All-Americans