Berrios Named Finalist for Campbell Trophy
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami wide receiver Braxton Berrios was among the 13 finalists for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, it was announced Tuesday.
The Campbell Trophy, which is awarded by the National Football Foundation and prominently displayed at its official home inside the New York Athletic Club, recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
Berrios was one of two finalists from the ACC, joining Virginia’s Micah Kiser.
“Being named Campbell Trophy finalists is a tribute to Braxton and Micah’s consistent hard work and commitment throughout their college careers,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We are proud to see these two role models added to the list of ACC finalists for this prestigious award, and we look forward to celebrating their many accomplishments both on and off the field.”
The 13 finalists will each 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 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will be declared the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The ceremony, which will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown, will be live streamed on ESPN3, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Boasting a nearly perfect 3.96 GPA, Berrios is the leading receiver for undefeated and top 10-ranked Miami. His impressive resume earned his spot as the Hurricanes’ fourth NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
A two-time Academic All-District and Academic All-ACC selection, Berrios is on pace to graduate in December as a double major in finance and entrepreneurship. The 2015-16 Miami Scholar-Athlete of the Year also received the football team’s 2016 Mariutto Family Scholar-Athlete Award. A Dean’s List member every semester of his college career, Berrios earned President’s List honors three times and was named to the Provost’s Honor Roll seven times.
Berrios has 32 receptions this season for a team-high 415 yards and six touchdowns, and his 16.3 punt return average is the best in the ACC. He earned ACC Receiver of the Week honors after his multi-touchdown performance against rival Florida State on Oct. 7, which snapped Miami’s seven-game losing streak to the Seminoles.
Berrios has been a force on the field for the Hurricanes, playing wide receiver and returning punts. He has helped Miami reach three consecutive bowl games, including a win over West Virginia in the 2016 Russell Athletic Bowl in which he had 64 receiving yards and a touchdown. As a junior, Berrios finished 11th nationally in punt return average (11.3 yards) and was awarded the 2016 University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame Unsung Hero Award.
Off the field, Berrios is a two-time participant in the football team’s annual bone marrow drive. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native has visited Holtz Children’s Hospital and took part in the Hurricanes’ hospital visit during the 2015 Sun Bowl.
The ACC boasts three past Campbell Trophy winners among its current member institutions. Duke’s David Helton is the most recent, as he received the honor in 2014. Virginia’s Thomas Burns was recognized in 1993 and Miami’s Joaquin Gonzalez in 2001.
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $241,000 in scholarships will be awarded Dec. 5, pushing the program’s all-time distributions to more than $11.3 million.
“The NFF Awards Committee did an excellent job in selecting this year’s National Scholar-Athletes,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “Selected from an impressive group of semifinalists, they should be extremely proud of their accomplishments, as they have undoubtedly distinguished themselves as some of the best student-athletes in the country. Each of these men is also a leader in his respective community, and we know that they have only begun to reach their potential.”
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2017 recipients, the NFF has honored 841 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The honorees have used the financial support to earn more than 150 medical degrees, 100 law degrees, 80 MBAs and 43 PhDs. Continuing their excellence on the field, more than 200 recipients have played in the NFL with an average career of six seasons or double the length of a typical NFL player. Past recipients also include 13 Rhodes Scholars.
