Photo by Sheridan King for Merchant Marine athletics

On Wednesday morning, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced the finalists for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy senior linebacker and team captain Joshua King was selected as one of just 13 finalists for the 2021 Campbell Trophy out of an impressive list of 176 semifinalists nationwide across all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA.
 
As a finalist, King 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 all travel to the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 7, where one of them will be named the winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event will take place at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas and will be streamed live, with specific broadcast information to be announced at a later date.

The last time a Division III football player received this award was in 2003, when Brandon Roberts of Washington U. was awarded what was then known as the Draddy Trophy.
 
The 13 finalists for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy® are:

• Troy Andersen, LB – Montana State (3.91 GPA - Agricultural Business)
• Thomas Booker, DE – Stanford (3.88 GPA - Economics & Communications)
• Mike Caliendo, OL – Western Michigan (3.90 GPA - Biomedical Sciences)
• Sean Clifford, QB – Penn State (3.45 GPA - Public Relations)
• Cameron Dukes, QB – Lindsey Wilson [KY] (3.89 GPA - Physical Education & Health)
• Patrick Fields, DB – Oklahoma (3.82 GPA - Accounting)
• Matt Henningsen, DE – Wisconsin (4.00 GPA - Electrical Engineering)
• Aidan Hutchinson, DE – Michigan (3.54 GPA - Applied Exercise Science)
• Joshua King, LB - U.S. Merchant Marine Academy [NY] (3.73 GPA - Marine Engineering)
• Charlie Kolar, TE – Iowa State (3.99 GPA - Mechanical Engineering)
• Henry Litwin, WR – Slippery Rock [PA] (3.66 GPA - Safety Management)
• Sean Mahone, S – West Virginia (3.60 GPA - Management Information Systems)
• Grant Morgan, LB – Arkansas (3.66 GPA - Kinesiology)

Submitted by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the Campbell Trophy® 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 Campbell Award is a tremendous honor," said USMMA head coach Mike Toop, a 1977 graduate of the academy. "Josh King embodies the ultimate in a student-athlete and USMMA Midshipman: excellence in Academics, the Regiment, Sea Year and Athletics. What further distinguishes Josh is his excellence in community service. Josh works to make the world a better place, he has put himself out there and picked up the cause making societal issues inclusive, meaningful and positive. Josh King has earned everything he has accomplished in life and is truly deserving of this honor."
 
Planning to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard following graduation, King has excelled at facing the rigors of balancing academics and athletics while attending a service academy. The Haymarket, Virginia, native becomes USMMA's first NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
 
Maintaining an outstanding 3.73 GPA, King will graduate in June 2022 with a degree in marine engineering and shipyard management. He has earned high honors on the Dean's List every trimester of college.
 
This season, King is second on the Mariners with 44 tackles and third on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss while also adding 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The team captain has guided USMMA to a 7-0 start and the top spot in the NEWMAC standings.
 
In 2018, King led the Mariners to an 8-2 record and a win in the New England Bowl. In 2020, he recorded seven tackles in USMMA's only game of the season, the Mariners second straight win in the Secretaries' Cup over rival U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

"Josh is a model student-athlete and leader within the Regiment here at USMMA, and his hard work and dedication throughout his four years at Kings Point have been exemplary," said athletic director Kristofer Schnatz. "He is the type of Midshipman that comes to mind when we think of our mottos here – 'Excellence in Athletics' and 'Acta Non Verba.' He is always respectful of his coaches, teammates and opponents. All that, combined with his academic successes, makes Josh a great candidate for this award."

"We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year's Campbell Trophy®," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003. "These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy's namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the Future for Football is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships."
 
Within the Regiment of Midshipmen, King currently serves as a Company Fitness Officer during First Rotation. He has completed a number of deployments and internships, including a four-month deployment working in the engine room aboard the USCGC Polar Star sailing to the Arctic; a two-week internship with the U.S. Coast Guard in Florida; and a five-week internship with Naval Sea Systems Command at General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego and Washington, D.C.
 
In June 2020, King organized and led a peaceful Black Lives Matter event in his hometown featuring activists, law enforcement, religious leaders and a voter registration. A year later, he participated in the Brunch of Hope anti-racism event in Haymarket.
 
The vice president of both the Coast Guard Club and the Cultural Diversity Club, King is also active with the Athletics' Diversity & Inclusion Committee and serves as the president of the student-athlete advisory committee. He is the solo-appointed midshipman representative for the USMMA Historical Review Panel, and he served as a platoon commander for the training of incoming Academy plebe candidates in July. Upon graduation, King plans to commission as an ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard.
 
"Midshipman student-athlete Josh King represents the very best of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He is a natural born leader who excels in class, on the field, with his fellow midshipmen, and in his personal life," said Vice Adm. Jack Buono, Academy Superintendent. "He will take the leadership lessons he learned here at USMMA to the fleet once he graduates and we have great expectations for him. We are thrilled that his performance and potential are being recognized as a finalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy ®."