Campbell Trophy® Semifinalist Announcement
 
IRVING, Texas – Slippery Rock University senior football captain Teddy Gregory Jr. was announced Wednesday as one of 19 NCAA Division II players and 206 total collegiate football players to be named national semifinalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
 
Gregory, a senior linebacker from Stow, Ohio, is only of just 82 total defensive players from all levels of college football on the national semifinalist list for the "Academic Heisman."
 
"Every year, I'm amazed by what these young men are able to accomplish," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Playing college football takes an enormous commitment, and to perform at a high level on the field while also excelling in the classroom and serving as a leader on campus is something special. These 206 semifinalists have a lot to be proud of, and it's a privilege to recognize their accomplishments."
 
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior in the 2026 season who will graduate in 2026-27 or a graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and is participating in the 2026 season; 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 class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, NFF College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
 
Gregory owns a 3.62 GPA after passing more than 100 credit hours while majoring in mechanical engineering at SRU. He was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team last fall in addition to earning Academic All-PSAC honors and earning spots on both the PSAC Scholar-Athlete list and the D2ADA Academic Achievement honorees list.
 
On the field, Gregory was named to All-PSAC Western Division honors last fall after tallying 61tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one touchdown. That effort followed a 2024 season in which Gregory racked up 57 tackles in a year that was shortened by injury.  
 
Voted as a team captain by his teammates entering this fall, Gregory currently ranks second on the SRU defense with 17 total tackles through three games in 2026. He also has 1.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble while helping The Rock to a No. 10 national ranking and a 3-0 start.
 
In addition to his accolades on the field and in the classroom, Gregory has been active in the community during his time at SRU. This summer, he met with the Grove City High School football team to talk about leadership and volunteered with the Grove City Little Eagles youth football program. He has volunteered at the Special Olympics in each of the last three years and has participated in the "Read Across America" program, visiting local elementary schools to read to children in each of the last three years.
 
"Teddy is a terrific young man who has the potential to be one of the best linebackers in Division II if he can stay healthy this year," said SRU head coach Shawn Lutz. "He has battled injuries that cut his seasons short in each of the last two years, but still was among our team leaders in both of those years. Our players think so highly of him and voted him a captain this year. In the classroom, he maintains a high GPA while majoring in a tough program (mechanical engineering). He is a positive role model for our program and a great representative of SRU and what we want our student-athletes to be. We have had some really special nominees for this award over the last decade and Teddy fits in line with that group of men."
 
The NFF will announce 12-16 national finalists for the Campbell Trophy® Oct. 21 and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas Dec. 8, 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 37th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
 
Slippery Rock has had three national finalists for the Campbell Trophy® since 2017 with Marcus Martin (2017), Henry Litwin (2021) and Brayden Long (2024) each being recognized as finalists for the award. The Rock are the only program from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference to ever have a national finalist and rank second all-time in Division II, trailing only the four finalists from Colorado School of Mines.
 
Gregory is one of only two semifinalists from the PSAC and just three semifinalists from Super Region One. He is joined by Nico Marchitelli from Edinboro and Amin Rahim from Bentley as the only semifinalists from Division II's Super Region One.
 




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