From K-State
Kansas State senior center Adam Holtorf is one of 71 FBS players and 185 from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA to be named a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame (NFF) announced Wednesday. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
A native of Seward, Nebraska, Holtorf is the sixth Wildcat semifinalist for the award in as many years, joining Tyler Lockett (2014), Stanton Weber (2015), Will Davis (2016), Trent Tanking (2017) and Dalton Risner (2018). Lockett, Risner and Tysyn Hartman (2011) were all named finalists for the award.
The William V. Campbell Trophy criteria states a player must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2, have outstanding football ability and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
A career 28-game starter, Holtorf earned 2018 First Team Academic All-America honors in addition to First Team Academic All-Big 12 accolades for a second-straight season. Holtorf, who earned his bachelor’s degree in agribusiness in December 2018, completed his undergraduate work with a 3.916 GPA. He was one of four Wildcats that were nominated for Academic All-Big 12 honors last year with a perfect 4.0 GPA, while he also earned Second Team Academic All-America honors as a sophomore in 2017.
On the field, Holtorf has helped the 22nd-ranked Wildcat start the 2019 season with a 3-0 record as they rank seventh nationally in rushing (280.0 yards per game), 13th in scoring (44.0 points per game) and fourth in third-down offense (57.9%). Off the field, Holtorf has participated in Cats in the Classroom, Senior Cats and Special Olympics among other community-service initiatives.