Catch Penn State’s John Urschel at tonight’s national championship game while he’s being honored on the field at the end of the third quarter.
Urschel, the Nittany Lions’ math genius and standout senior guard, is being recognized for winning the Campbell Trophy. National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell will make the presentation to Urschel in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 93,000 fans in Pasadena. The title game between Florida State and Auburn begins at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
John Urschel will keep Penn State relevant at the national title game tonight.
The Campbell Trophy is presented to the nation’s premier college football Scholar-Athlete. Urschel will receive a total of $25,000 for post-graduate work.
A two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree and a 2013 Associated Press third-team All-American, Urschel is the first Penn State student-athlete to win the Campbell Trophy, which was first presented in 1990. Urschel claimed the 25-pound bronze trophy December 10 in front of a sold-out crowd during the 56th NFF Annual Award Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
“The national championship game provides the ultimate platform for showcasing the educational opportunities created by college football for the student-athletes who play our game,” said BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock. “The Campbell Trophy and 2013 recipient John Urschel represent the fulfillment of that promise at the highest level. By featuring the Campbell Trophy, we hope to inspire future young people to build a foundation that will benefit them long after they leave the playing field.”
Urschel established himself as one of the nation’s exceptional football student-athletes in recent years. A starter in all 24 games the past two seasons and the anchor of the offensive line, he earned a 4.0 grade-point average throughout his Penn State career.
Urschel earned his degree in math in three years, graduated with a master’s degree in math in one year, and is working on a second master’s, in math education, while maintaining his 4.0 GPA.