Duke University senior linebacker David Helton, a former Baylor School standout, became the 25th recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy at the National Football Foundation awards banquet Tuesday night in New York City.
The trophy, which some have called the "Academic Heisman," is 24 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds and comes with a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. Helton was one of 18 finalists comprising the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.
"David Helton's exceptional accomplishments rank him among the best student-athletes in the history of our sport," NFF president and CEO Steven J. Hatchell said in the foundation's announcement release. "He truly embodies the NFF's mission of building leaders through football, and we are proud to have him as a member of this elite fraternity. We look forward to watching the future unfold for this incredible young man."
Helton also was first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference after leading the league in tackles for the second year in a row. He has 125 this year, including five for lost yardage, and his 10th in Duke history with 338 for his career. He also has a 3.64 grade point average as a psychology major with a minor in theater, according to the NFF release, and he plans to study sales/marketing in graduate school.
His community work also was mentioned in the Campbell Trophy announcement, including his volunteer work with the Durham (N.C.) Rescue Mission, wrapping Christmas presents for underprivileged children and taking part in an annual trash clean-up project on the Duke campus. And he started the Blair Holliday Fund that has raised more than $45,000 for his 2012 roommate's jet-ski accident.
The New York Athletic Club will host a luncheon reception in Helton's honor today, and he will be interviewed live before the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.