Sam Edwards Named Semifinalist for Campbell Trophy
9/25/2025 4:39:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State sixth-year graduate senior linebacker Sam Edwards has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is considered the nation's premier scholar-athlete award in college football, by the National Football Foundation.
Celebrating its 36th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
A four-year letterwinner who has played in 33 career games at MSU, Edwards is in his sixth year with the Spartans and was voted a co-captain by his teammates for the 2025 season. He has excelled in the classroom throughout his entire Spartan career and has provided leadership for the program both on and off the field.
The Williamston, Michigan, native and Lansing Catholic product earned Academic All-District honors for the second consecutive season in 2024, and was on the final ballot for the Academic All-America Team. He also garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors for the fourth year in a row and has earned the team's Scholar-Athlete Award three straight years. Edwards currently represents the program on the NCAA Division I Football Student-Athlete Connection Group.
On the field, Edwards plays on multiple special teams units, and he has also served as the team's long snapper on field goals and PATs during portions of the past two seasons.
Edwards graduated with a double major in political theory and constitutional democracy / international relations in May 2024, finished his minor in political economy in December 2024, and started a master's program in marketing research in the 2025 spring semester. He finished with a 3.904 undergraduate GPA and currently owns a perfect 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
Edwards has also helped with numerous community events throughout his time in East Lansing, including: student-athlete food drive; Beautiful Lives Project; Jack Breslin/McLaren Golf Classic volunteer; March is Reading Month; Be the Match – Bone Marrow Registry; peer tutoring service; visits to the Sparrow Hospital pediatric ward; and Teams for Toys.
The NFF will announce 12-16 Campbell Trophy finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 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 36th 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 who will complete his final year of eligibility in the 2025 season or a graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and is participating in the 2025 season; 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, NFF College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 67th year in 2025. 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 938 outstanding individuals since the program's inception. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $13.2 million.
Celebrating its 36th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
A four-year letterwinner who has played in 33 career games at MSU, Edwards is in his sixth year with the Spartans and was voted a co-captain by his teammates for the 2025 season. He has excelled in the classroom throughout his entire Spartan career and has provided leadership for the program both on and off the field.
The Williamston, Michigan, native and Lansing Catholic product earned Academic All-District honors for the second consecutive season in 2024, and was on the final ballot for the Academic All-America Team. He also garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors for the fourth year in a row and has earned the team's Scholar-Athlete Award three straight years. Edwards currently represents the program on the NCAA Division I Football Student-Athlete Connection Group.
On the field, Edwards plays on multiple special teams units, and he has also served as the team's long snapper on field goals and PATs during portions of the past two seasons.
Edwards graduated with a double major in political theory and constitutional democracy / international relations in May 2024, finished his minor in political economy in December 2024, and started a master's program in marketing research in the 2025 spring semester. He finished with a 3.904 undergraduate GPA and currently owns a perfect 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
Edwards has also helped with numerous community events throughout his time in East Lansing, including: student-athlete food drive; Beautiful Lives Project; Jack Breslin/McLaren Golf Classic volunteer; March is Reading Month; Be the Match – Bone Marrow Registry; peer tutoring service; visits to the Sparrow Hospital pediatric ward; and Teams for Toys.
The embodiment of what it means to be a Spartan. pic.twitter.com/8D5hQBWHjS
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) September 24, 2025
The NFF will announce 12-16 Campbell Trophy finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 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 36th 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 who will complete his final year of eligibility in the 2025 season or a graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and is participating in the 2025 season; 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, NFF College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 67th year in 2025. 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 938 outstanding individuals since the program's inception. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $13.2 million.
Players Mentioned
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