IRVING, Texas --- Moravian College senior defensive back and team captain Anthony Orlando has been named one of 135 semifinalists for the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments.
The NFF will announce 15 finalists on Oct. 29, and each of them will 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 58th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. At the event, one member of the class will be declared in dramatic fashion the winner of the 26th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
"These 135 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "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."
Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the 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. A total distribution of more than $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program's all-time distribution to more than $11 million.
"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments," 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."
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 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.
"This is an outstanding honor for Anthony to be included in the list of semifinalists," commented Moravian College Head Coach Jeff Pukszyn. "Anthony has been a leader on the field for our Greyhound family since he transferred here in 2013, but he is also a leader off the field with his work ethic in the classroom. He leads by example for all of our younger players and will be a success in all his future endeavors beyond his time here at Moravian."
Orlando is majoring in sociology at Moravian with a minor in law and society, and he has a 3.73 GPA as he prepares for a career in social work. Orlando was named to the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2014, and he is a two-time Centennial All-Conference player on the field, making the First Team in 2013 and the Second Team in 2014. Orlando is serving as a team captain for the Greyhounds this fall, and he has 172 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, six passes defended, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries with two returned for touchdowns in his Moravian career of 21 games. Including his freshman year at Colgate University, Orlando has played in 32 career games with 203 tackles.
2015 NFF WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
- 135 Nominations
- 56th Year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Program
- 3.60 Average GPA
- 52 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or Better
- 83 Team Captains
- 59 All-Conference Picks
- 24 Academic All-America Selections
- 8 All-America Selections
- 56 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- 23 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
- 20 Nominees from NCAA Division II
- 27 Nominees from NCAA Division III
- 9 Nominees from the NAIA
- 71 Offensive Players
- 52 Defensive Players
- 12 Special Teams Players
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and it has recognized 804 outstanding individuals since its inception. The Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks.
To view the full NFF release and list of 135 semifinalists, visit http://bit.ly/1NUvBht.
