Ball State University Athletics

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Football's Alex Joss Named Semifinalist for Campbell Trophy
September 27, 2018 | Football
Finalists to be selected Oct. 31, winner announced Dec. 4
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State offensive lineman Alex Joss was named a semifinalist for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy by the National Football Foundation.
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The award recognizes an individual as the best scholar-athlete in the nation based on academic achievement, football ability, leadership and citizenship. The NFF announced a list of 179 semifinalists Wednesday.
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Joss, a fifth-year senior from Novi, Michigan, owns a 3.53 GPA in accounting and posted a 3.93 mark last fall during the football season. He is a past member of the Academic All-MAC Team and the 2017 recipient of Ball State's Gene Booker Academic Award.
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One of the team's top linemen, Joss started 11 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2016 and helped the Cardinals to their best rushing output in nearly 40 years at 220 yards per game.
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The past two seasons have revealed his character as he has been forced to persevere through injuries that have kept him from the field. He has remained an integral part of the offensive line room as a mentor to younger players.
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Nominated by their schools, candidates for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2, have outstanding football ability 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.
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The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal.
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The award recognizes an individual as the best scholar-athlete in the nation based on academic achievement, football ability, leadership and citizenship. The NFF announced a list of 179 semifinalists Wednesday.
Â
Joss, a fifth-year senior from Novi, Michigan, owns a 3.53 GPA in accounting and posted a 3.93 mark last fall during the football season. He is a past member of the Academic All-MAC Team and the 2017 recipient of Ball State's Gene Booker Academic Award.
Â
One of the team's top linemen, Joss started 11 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2016 and helped the Cardinals to their best rushing output in nearly 40 years at 220 yards per game.
Â
The past two seasons have revealed his character as he has been forced to persevere through injuries that have kept him from the field. He has remained an integral part of the offensive line room as a mentor to younger players.
Â
Nominated by their schools, candidates for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2, have outstanding football ability 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.
Â
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Â
The trophy is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal.
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