Wyoming’s Skyler Miller Named a Semifinalist
for the 2020 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy ® Presented by Mazda
Award Honors the Best Football Scholar-Athlete in the Nation
for the 2020 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy ® Presented by Mazda
Award Honors the Best Football Scholar-Athlete in the Nation
Laramie, Wyo. (Oct. 1, 2020) -- University of Wyoming senior fullback Skyler Miller from Torrington, Wyo., has been named one of the semifinalists for the 2020 National Football Foundation (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the nation’s best college football scholar-athlete each season. The 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy® is being Presented by Mazda.
Miller is one of a record 199 semifinalists selected for this year’s award from all levels of college football. Miller earned a 3.86 cumulative grade-point average as an undergraduate at UW. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business in May 2020, and is currently working on his master’s degree in public administration.
The list of semifinalists will be narrowed down to a list of 12 to 14 finalists in November. Each of the finalists will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 62nd annual NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. One member of the class will be named the winner of the 31st Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda. The winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy will have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
To qualify for the Campbell Trophy, a student-athlete must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or better on a 4.0 scale, must have outstanding football ability and be a first team player or significant contributor on his team and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
Each summer, Miller teaches at a youth football camp in his hometown of Torrington, Wyo. He has been a member of the Wyoming Football program since 2016. During his career, Miller has been part of a 2016 Cowboy team that won the Mountain Division of the Mountain West, hosted the 2016 MW Championship Game as the highest rated team in the conference and earned a bid to the 2016 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl. In 2017, the Pokes won the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl title. They followed that up with a third bowl-eligible season in 2018, and in 2019 won the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. He has been Wyoming’s starting fullback each of his final two seasons.
Miller has achieved at the highest levels academically throughout his college career. He was selected to the President’s Honor Roll at the University of Wyoming for the last six semesters, and was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll for the last two semesters. He was a 2019 Academic All-Mountain West Conference selection and a 2020 Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete honoree.
“This is terrific news. 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 even during these challenging times,” 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.”
“It is wonderful to see a record number of semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy® during such a turbulent year, proving the Future for Football is bright,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist’s achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates.”
In September 2019, Mazda announced a three-year partnership to become the presenting sponsor of the Campbell Trophy®, kicking off the automaker’s Power of Potential Platform. Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, serves as the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
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 and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000.
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Future For Football, The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Goodyear, Mazda, the New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Sports Business Journal. TJH
