Elijah Hicks Named Semifinalist For Campbell Trophy

IRVING, Texas – Elijah Hicks was named a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.

Now in its 32nd year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas for the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 7, 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 32nd Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Schools are limited to one nominee each and candidates for the award 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.

Below are notes on Hicks with his extended bio available by clicking on his name.
 
Elijah Hicks, S, 5-11, 200, Sr., 5th Season At Cal, Long Beach, CA (La Mirada HS/St. John Bosco HS)
— Graduated from Cal in December of 2020 with a bachelor's degree in American studies and picked up a certificate in the school's entrepreneurship program in the spring/summer of 2021 and is on track to earn another certificate in business administration in December of 2021
— 2021 All-Pac-12 Third-Team Preseason (Athlon), Honorable Mention Preseason (Pac-12 Media); Cal Game Captain (Nevada); NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board; No. 13 National Draft Eligible Tight End (Phil Steele); Players To Watch (Athlon)
— Has played in all 46 games possible with 38 starts over the last four-plus seasons since his arrival in January of 2017
— Cal's active career leader with 164 tackles and four forced fumbles, while adding 9.0 tackles for loss (-25 yards), 2.0 sacks (-7 yards), two interceptions that he has returned for a combined 64 yards and one touchdown, 12 pass breakups and 14 passes defended
— 2021 All-Pac-12 Third Team Preseason (Athlon), Honorable Mention Preseason (Pac-12 Media); NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board; No. 13 National Draft Eligible Safety (Phil Steele); Players To Watch (Athlon)
— Has started each of the first four games of his 2021 senior season and is fourth on the team with 23 tackles, while adding two forced fumbles for an average of 0.67 per game that is third in the Pac-12 and tied for 12th nationally
— Member of the AFCA All-State Good Works Team® as a 2020 junior
— Started a nonprofit called Intercept Poverty and then raised approximately $60,000 to help families feed their school-aged children during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic