RENO, Nev. – Senior offensive lineman
Austin Corbett has been selected as a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, which is presented to the top football scholar-athlete in the nation by the National Football Foundation.
Corbett, who is one of 181 semifinalists, is earning the honor for the first time in his career. He earned a slew of preseason recognition including watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Wuerffel Trophy as well as a nomination to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
A local product from Sparks, Corbett is a longtime starter on the offensive line for the Wolf Pack and has put together a string of 40 consecutive starts dating back to the 2014 season. Corbett was named second team All-Mountain West as a junior after he paved the way for former running back
James Butler to run for more than 1,000 yards for a second consecutive season and average 111.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Corbett, who has many hours of community service under his belt, also has a strong GPA and has already earned his bachelor's degree in public health.
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 NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, 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 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. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nevada opens the Mountain West portion of the 2017 season this Saturday at Fresno State at 7 p.m. Season tickets are on sale now by calling (775) 348-PACK or visiting NevadaWolfPack.com.
