Kool Named Campbell Award Semifinalist

BROOKINGS, SD -- South Dakota State senior wide receiver Tyrel Kool recently was named a semifinalist for the 2012 National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Awards, including the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy awarded to the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.

A Yankton native, Kool is one of 147 college football players to be nominated for the Campbell Trophy. Candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade-point average 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 class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

Kool has played all over the field during his Jackrabbit career. He was primarily a kick returner and played some defensive back during his freshman season in 2009, then was the team's leading receiver in 2010 with 64 catches. He moved back to his natural position of running back in 2011, when he led the team in rushing with 534 yards. Kool returned to a wide receiver position this season and currently leads the team with 14 catches for 167 yardsa and a touchdown.

In addition, Kool has been a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll each of the past three seasons and is a recipient of the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award.

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Oct. 25. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2012 National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City to be honored Dec. 4 during the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.

Named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total post-graduate scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $300,000 in scholarships will be awarded at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $10.1 million.

Courtesy:  South Dakota State University