BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 30, 2021) -- Morgan State senior defensive tackle Shimano Merinio "Mo" Dendoe was named on Wednesday as one of 176 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded to the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance.
"(We) would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments," National Football Foundation president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in a statement.. "We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist's achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level."
Dendoe is from Amsterdam, The Netherlands and transferred from the College of Siskiyous as a Nor-Cal All-conference honorable mention in 2018. He has accumulated 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 12 games with the Bears. The preseason All-MEAC selection earned his undergraduate degree in business administration in May and is currently pursuing an MBA in Business Administration.
Considered the "Academic Heisman," the award is named for William Campbell, a former player and head coach at Columbia University who later served as an executive at Apple, Claris, Intuit and GO Corporation.
The semifinalists are nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each. They must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade-point average of at least 3.2, be a starter or significant contributor on the field and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship off of it.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas for the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 7, 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 32nd Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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 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 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."
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 63rd year in 2021. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and the NFF has recognized 878 outstanding individuals since the program's inception. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $12.1 million.
The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program's prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and seven first-round NFL draft picks. Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the venue.
As part of its support of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, Fidelity Investments helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives at each of the institutions with a finalist for the Campbell Trophy®. Once the finalists are selected, the NFF will present each of their faculty athletics representatives with a plaque and Fidelity will donate $5,000 for the academic support services at each school. The salutes have recognized 139 FARs since the program's inception, and Fidelity has made a total of $690,000 in donations.
Breakdown of the 2021 Campbell Trophy® semifinalists by division and position:
- 79 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- 36 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
- 15 Nominees from NCAA Division II
- 39 Nominees from NCAA Division III
- 7 Nominees from the NAIA
- 95 Offensive Players
- 64 Defensive Players
- 17 Special Teams Players
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
