It was announced early Thursday that senior wide receiver/kick return specialist Tyler Aubrey (Santee, CA) of the University of Redlands football team has been named as a semifinalist for the 2011 National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the sport's best scholar-athlete in the nation. In addition, Aubrey remains in the running as one of possible 16 recipients of the NFF Scholar-Athlete Postgraduate Award of $18,000. The Campbell Trophy, endowed by Health South®, increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000.
Aubrey joins 126 other candidates from all levels of collegiate football, including 29 from NCAA Division III. He is the sole representative of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and the West Coast.
Candidates for these awards must be in their final year of eligibility, boast a minimum GPA of 3.2, possess outstanding football ability as a significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
With a cumulative GPA of 3.563, Aubrey continues his work toward a degree in Financial Economics while pursuing minors in Accounting and Business Administration. Among his scholarly achievements, this six-time Dean's List member landed on the 2010 College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District First Team and collected his third of likely four UR Scholar-Athlete awards.
As a football player, Aubrey played an integral role in the Bulldogs' historical 8-1 run during the 2010 campaign. He made 20 catches for 183 yards, including a long of 41 and one touchdown. He also led the team with 12 kick returns for a total of 300 yards. Among these, he uncorked an impressive 83-yard return into the end zone during the team's 21-17 victory over Chapman University.
Earlier this season, Aubrey made strong contributions to the Redlands' upset win over then-third-ranked North Central College (IL), as well as the solid road victory of familiar foe Whitworth University (WA).
Beyond football, Aubrey consistently gives back to the community while revealing his compassionate leadership skills. During the 2010 May Term break, he organized and participated in Bulldog football's Strong Hands, Soft Hearts campaign for Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times®. He specifically coordinated housing, meals, and work crews for 75 teammates whose work continues to benefit 1,700 children with cancer and their families each year. He also served as an active participant in the Benevolent Bulldog program, which takes $100 seed money and grows it into as much as possible for a worthy cause. Aubrey joined forces with three teammates to raise a combined $5,900 for the Susan G. Komen San Diego Breast Cancer Research Fund during the past two summers.
"I am often amazed by Tyler's talent, high energy and profound commitment to shine at everything he does. Be it academics, service to the community, or football, Tyler Aubrey always brings his best effort and comes through with excellence," stated Head Coach Mike Maynard.
Redlands penned Aubrey as its nominee earlier this September and looks forward to the official announcement of the NFF Scholar-Athletes on October 26. All honorees will attend the 54th Annual NFF Awards Dinner on December 6 in New York City at the Waldorf-Astoria where one member of the group will be announced live as the winner of the coveted Campbell Trophy.
For a complete list of candidates, please log onto http://www.footballfoundation.org/nff/home.