IRVING, TX – Johns Hopkins senior defensive end Luke Schuermann is one of 16 national finalists for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy it was announced today by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame.  The 16 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®.
 
Schuermann becomes the third finalist in Johns Hopkins history as he joins John Arena '14 and JR Woods '22 on the distinguished list of Blue Jays to be honored.  Among the 16 finalists, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
 
Schuermann is one of just three honorees in this year's class from an NCAA Division III program and Johns Hopkins is one of just three schools to have produced a member of the NFF's Scholar-Athlete Class in each of the last two years (Holy Cross, Kansas State).

Drumroll, please...

We are proud to announce the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy finalists and National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by @Fidelity.

Here to do the honors is @TheSamAcho, the 2010 #CampbellTrophy recipient. pic.twitter.com/G3bji3fDhf

— National Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) October 25, 2023

 
The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th Annual NFF Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.  There, the 2023 Campbell Trophy® winner will be announced.
 
"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy®," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy's namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the 'Future For Football' is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships."
 
Schuermann is in his third season as a starter at defensive end for the nationally-ranked Blue Jays (7-0).  Since his freshman year (2020) was canceled due to the COVID pandemic, he has helped Johns Hopkins to a 27-3 record, one Centennial Conference title (2021), one trip to the NCAA Playoffs (2021) and a victory in the 2022 Centennial-MAC Bowl Series.
 
Individually, Schuermann already ranks as one of the most decorated players in Johns Hopkins history.  He has twice been named a First Team All-American by D3football.com, has twice earned AP All-America honors and was named First Team All-Centennial Conference and the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022.  In addition, he has twice earned First Team D3football.com All-Region honors and was the 2021 D3football.com Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Schuermann currently counts 156 career tackles, 59 tackles for loss and 33 sacks to his credit.  He is Johns Hopkins' career leader in sacks and ranks second in tackles for loss and also set JHU single-season records for sacks (14) and tackles for loss (26.5) in 2022.  Entering this week's game, he ranks second among active players in all divisions of the NCAA in career sacks per game (1.14) and first in tackles for loss per game (2.03).
 
Schuermann is majoring in mechanical engineering and carries a 3.61 cumulative GPA.  A two-time CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American, he is the team leader for Johns Hopkins football's Team Impact initiative and completed an internship in Research & Development with Rawlings Sporting Goods last summer.  Among the initiatives he worked on at Rawlings was the opportunity to explore the effectiveness of vinyl nitrile foams and 3D-printed lattice configurations to determine the optimal placement of a lattice or foam to reduce the severity of a baseball impact on a batting helmet.
 
Schuermann also participated in the Leadership Coaching Program at Johns Hopkins through the Office of Student Development, where he engaged in weekly self-reflection and twice-monthly coaching sessions to identify and implement strategies to enhance interpersonal skills, especially regarding leadership.  The program applies one-on-one professional leadership coaching to the athletic, academic, and community spheres to improve personal leadership capacity and enhance aptitude in team-oriented environments.
 
Following the 65th Annual NFF Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas, the recipient of the 2023 Campbell Trophy® will be honored at several other prestigious events. On Thursday, Dec. 7, he will be interviewed live during the "The Home Depot College Football Awards" on ESPN. On Sunday, Dec. 10, he will sit on the dais during the Heisman Trophy dinner. Then, on Monday, Dec. 11, a reception will be held in his honor at the New York Athletic Club (NYAC), the official home of the trophy since 2013.
 
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 65th year in 2023. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. Since 2011, Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of workplace savings plans in higher education, has served as the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
 
Submitted by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® must be either a senior player who will complete his final year of eligibility during the 2023 season or be a graduated player who has been enrolled in school at least three (3) years (even if he has remaining eligibility); must have minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; must have outstanding football ability as a starter/significant contributor; and must have exhibited exemplary leadership on the field, in the classroom and within the community.