South Dakota State’s outstanding running back Zach Zenner is in the running for a big national honor this week.
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame has announced that ESPN3.com will carry live the two main events associated with the 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Tuesday in New York City.
Among the evening’s festivities will be the presentation of the William V. Campbell Trophy. As one of 17 members of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, South Dakota State University running back Zach Zenner will receive at minimum an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and is a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in all of college football. The winner of the Campbell Trophy will receive a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total of $25,000.
The awards dinner is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Central Time, with the recognition of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class at approximately 7:25, followed by the Campbell Trophy presentation.
The NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class also will be introduced during a press conference to air on ESPN3 at 10:05 a.m. Central Time on Tuesday.
Zenner, a senior from Eagan, Minnesota, concluded a record-breaking career on the gridiron by becoming the first player in Football Championship Subdivision history to rush for 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He set Missouri Valley Football Conference career records for rushing yards (6,548), all-purpose yards (8,211), rushing touchdowns (61) and total touchdowns (69). He also set conference single-season records with 2,044 rushing yards in 2012 and 2,350 all-purpose yards (2,019 rushing, 331 receiving) in 2014.
A biology/pre-medicine major who has maintained a 3.86 grade-point average, Zenner was named last week as the Capital One Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for Division I football. He earned his third consecutive berth on the Academic All-America squad, including his second straight first-team selection.
