Former Hart High School quarterback Brady White was named the winner of the 31st William V. Campbell Trophy, honoring the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance.

Recognized for his final season with the University of Memphis Tigers, White was selected for the award, commonly known as the “Academic Heisman,” from a field of 11 other finalists who had previously been selected from a record number of 199 semifinalists.

“My time here at Memphis has been so special,” said White in a release from Memphis Football. “The football accomplishments speak for themselves, but I also hope I am walking out of here having positively impacted people in this city by giving them hope, excitement and joy. I also hope I helped establish what the culture is on this team, and I can’t wait to see that carried out over many years to come. I’ll bleed blue for the rest of my life. I’m a Memphis Tiger forever.”

With his win, White receives a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship, the other 11 finalists each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.

White set multiple school records in his 2020 season, including wins as a starting quarterback with 28, passing yards with 10,690 and passing touchdowns with 90.

In his final season at Memphis White led the Tigers to an 8-3 record, he was named MVP of the Montgomery Bowl in Memphis’ first bowl victory since 2014, and finished the year with the fifth-most passing touchdowns and sixth-most passing yards in the country with 31 touchdowns and 3,380 yards, respectively. 

After the win in the Montgomery Bowl, White announced he now intends to pursue an NFL career.

On the academic front, White is currently a Ph.D. candidate in liberal studies and he previously earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Arizona State and a master’s degree in sports commerce at Memphis.  

White has received multiple academic honors previously, including being named to American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in 2018-19 and 2019-20, and CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2019. White was a Dean’s List student at Memphis for the 2018 fall and 2019 spring semesters while earning his master’s degree in addition to being a Tiger 3.0 Club member for three consecutive semesters. At Arizona State, White was named to the 2016 PAC-12 Conference All-Academic first team.  

“A doctoral student who ranks as Memphis’ all-time leading passer, Brady White is the epitome of what the Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda represents,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “Working towards one’s Ph.D. is a daunting challenge by itself. To do it while excelling at the highest level of college football is truly exceptional. Brady embodies the scholar-athlete ideal, and we are proud to have him as a member of this elite fraternity.” 

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