Shea Pitts Named Semifinalist for Campbell Trophy

UCLA linebacker Shea Pitts was announced on Wednesday by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) as one of the 156 semifinalists for the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award. The list of candidates boasts an impressive 3.62 average GPA, with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor's degrees.
 
Pitts, a reserve linebacker and contributor on special teams over the years for the Bruins, has seen action in 38 career games at UCLA. He has been credited with four tackles in the first four contests of the 2022 campaign. Last season, Pitts picked up a quarterback sack in the win in the Coliseum and saw action in five games during the shortened 2020 season. He played in 23 of a possible 24 games throughout the 2018 and 2019 seasons, making his biggest splash in the later campaign when he tallied 13 tackles, including the first sack and forced fumble of his career.

Following the 2020 and 2019 seasons, Pitts was named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. The conference previously announced All-Academic Teams, which Pitts received honorable mention to in 2018. Pitts earned his undergraduate degree in political science and completed the Transformative Coaching and Leadership program at UCLA. He is currently enrolled in the Master of Legal Studies program at UCLA Law. He has made the Athletic Director's Honor Roll on 10 occasions since enrolling in Fall 2017, posting a GPA of at least 3.0 while passing 12 or more units over the course of each quarter.

Active in his campus and local communities, Pitts has frequently served as a mentor to children from the Los Angeles Unified School District while speaking to the advantages to staying in school. He was honored by the 186th Street Elementary School for his annual involvement with the kids. Pitts has given back in other ways, as well, helping to raise money for Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Los Angeles Blind Children's Center and victims of genocide in Myanmar through different on-campus endeavors.
 
Celebrating its 33rd year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
 
 
2022 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
 

• 33rd year of the William V. Campbell Trophy®
• 64th year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
• 156 Semifinalists
• 3.62 Average GPA
• 93 Nominees who have already earned their bachelor's degrees
• 6 Nominees who have earned a master's degree
• 4 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 42 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
• 60 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or better
• 20 Academic All-America selections
• 97 Captains
• 23 All-Americans
• 81 All-Conference picks

 
"These 156 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "During the past seven decades, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards have recognized 891 college football players who excelled as the best our great sport has to offer. This year's semifinalists build on the tradition, further illustrating the power of football in developing the next generation of influential leaders."
 
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 26, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2022 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.