From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
Case Western Reserve University senior running back Donald Day III was selected as one of 176 semifinalists for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award.
Day was one of 39 nominees from an NCAA Division III program this year and one of three from the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Day has appeared in 22 games during his collegiate career, carrying the ball 163 times for 635 yards and eight touchdowns, including 25 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown through four games this year (for a career-high 4.6 yards per carry). He has added 21 catches for 154 yards and a score over his career.
Day has earned a spot on the Presidents' Athletic Conference Academic Honor Roll twice as a Spartan and is a two-time University Athletic Association Fall-All-Academic honoree. As a biology major with minors in chemistry and sports medicine at CWRU, he has recorded a cumulative grade point average of 3.674. Day has been named to the Dean's List five semesters during his collegiate career as well.
Outside of academics and athletics, Day has received his certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. He is the Vice President of the African American Association at CWRU and is a participant in the Black Latinx Athlete Coalition at the school. In addition, he has worked as a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club.
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 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.
The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks. Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the venue.
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.