Sept. 24, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt senior tight end Steven Scheu was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, as announced by The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Thursday.
Known as the “Academic Heisman,” the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. Scheu is one of 56 FBS players selected as a semifinalist for the honor that requires a candidate to be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2, be a significant contributor on the field and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
The NFF will announce 15 finalists on October 26, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. Finalists will travel to New York City for the 58th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 8. At the event, a winner will be named and awarded a postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
In total, 135 student-athletes across all divisions have been named semifinalists for the 26th William V. Campbell Trophy. Scheu is one of seven semifinalists from the Southeastern Conference.
“These 135 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “It is important for us to showcase their success on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”
A 2014 Second Team All-SEC selection, Scheu led all SEC tight ends in catches and ranked second in yards last season. His 525 receiving yards were the most by a Vanderbilt tight end since 1983. In two games this season, Scheu has four catches for 55 yards.
A native of Evansville, Ind., Scheu will graduate in December with a degree in medicine, health and society and plans to seek an MBA. He is a three-time selection to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and two-time member of the team’s leadership council.
The last two summers, Scheu has completed internships in the Nashville area, working in the accounting and finance departments with Ingram Industries and MediCopy Services, respectively. In the community, Scheu has made regular visits to Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital and actively participated in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has also volunteered at Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home in his hometown and read to underprivileged children as part of the Upper Room program. This summer, Scheu joined team members to clean up the grounds at a local park.
This is the latest honor for Scheu, who was also named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award and on the Mackey Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top tight end.