IRVING, Texas — After distinguishing himself on the field, in the classroom and in the community, William & Mary senior punter Will Whitehurst was selected as a semifinalist for the 2023 Campbell Trophy.
The award, which is announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame, honors an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Whitehurst is one of 201 distinguished semifinalists vying for the national honor.
A preseason All-CAA selection, Whitehurst currently ranks third in the conference in punting (43.3). Additionally, he has posted four punts of at least 50 yards and pinned opponents inside their own 20 four times.
A four-year starter, the Greenville, N.C., native is averaging 41.2 yards per punt during his career with 17 punts of at least 50 yards. Additionally, he has pinned opponents inside their own 20 with 26 of his 105 punts.
One of his best performances came in the Tribe’s victory at Elon in 2021 when he was honored as the CAA Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 46.7 yards per punt.
An outstanding student, Whitehurst earned his undergraduate degree in government with a minor in film and media studies. He is currently pursuing his MBA. His long list of academic honors includes being recognized on the Dean’s List and CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll multiple times.
In addition to serving on the team’s leadership council, Whitehurst’s leadership and volunteer work extends well beyond the football field. He registered for the Be The Match Bone Marrow Drive and has organized, coached and volunteered at numerous camps and clinics for multiple sports, including football, tennis, basketball and soccer.
A member of the MBAA Marketing Club, Whitehurst worked with the Entrepreneurship Hub to start the “Park Pal” venture that allows people to list and rent their parking spaces. He has also served as a social media and marketing coordinator at Eclipse Holsters and Holster Builder, while he is the creator, co-host and editor of the heatcheck podcast.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 25, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments. The award winner will be announced during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5 and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
