UCF senior defensive back Sean Beckton earned a special honor Thursday as he was selected as a semifinalist for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
UCF was the only school in the state of Florida at any level (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA) to have a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. A total of 167 student-athletes received recognition, including 62 at the FBS level.
Beckton boasts a 3.496 grade-point average and already holds a bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise science. He is currently working toward a second degree in interdisciplinary studies.
A native of Orlando and a graduate of University High School, Beckton has participated in several community service activities during his career and is an active member of the team’s Bible study group.
On the field, Beckton has been a consistent member of UCF’s special teams, and has played in 30 games overall with 19 tackles to his credit. In 2014, he ranks second on the team in special teams tackles with three through three games.
Candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of 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 NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced Oct. 30. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments.
Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. The Campbell Trophy was first awarded in 1990.