MANHATTAN, Kan. (K-State Athletics) – Kansas State senior offensive lineman Cooper Beebe earned one of the most prestigious honors in major college football on Wednesday as he was selected as a member of the 2023 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Class and is a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
Beebe is one of 16 finalists – including one of nine FBS players – that were trimmed from a record-number 201 semifinalists. The 16 finalists are now in contention for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
A product of Kansas City, Kansas, Beebe is the ninth Wildcat all-time to be named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the Campbell Trophy, including the sixth in the last 13 years and the second straight. Previously honored during the 13-year stretch are Tysyn Hartman (2011), Tyler Lockett (2014), Dalton Risner (2018), Adam Holtorf (2019) and Adrian Martinez (2022).
With the inclusion by Beebe, K-State has the most NFF National Scholar-Athletes among all FBS programs since 2011, one more than second-place Duke.
By being named an NFF Scholar-Athlete, Beebe will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 5, where his accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
“We are extremely proud to announce the finalists for this year’s Campbell Trophy,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These young men have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives, and they represent all that is right in college football. As strong leaders in the vein of the trophy’s namesake Bill Campbell, they all serve as living examples that the ‘Future For Football’ is bright. We are excited to honor their hard work and outstanding leadership with postgraduate scholarships.”
A 2023 K-State graduate with a degree in social studies education, Beebe held a 3.84 GPA and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. He is a 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree and a three-time First Team Academic All-Big 12 performer.
A catalyst in the middle of the offensive line, Beebe has helped the Wildcats rush for 232.7 yards per game and 474.7 total yards per game to rank third and 13th in the nation, respectively. K-State is also averaging 36.9 points per game to also rank 13th in the country. Its 6.49 offensive yards per play and 5.62 rushing yards per carry are also the current top marks in school history.
Helping the K-State offensive line be named to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, Beebe was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sporting News and The Athletic. Following K-State’s 41-3 victory over TCU in which the Wildcats produced 587 yards of total offense – the sixth most in program history – Beebe was honored as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week.
Kansas State hosts Houston on Homecoming this Saturday in an 11 a.m., contest inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will be shown nationally on ESPN2.
Standing-room only tickets are available for the game against the Cougars, as those can be purchased online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets. Fans looking to purchase tickets through the secondary market are encouraged to do so through SeatGeek, K-State’s official secondary ticket partner. Fraudulent tickets are often seen on gamedays, and K-State Athletics can only verify secondary market tickets and assist fans with issues on gamedays with tickets that are purchased directly from SeatGeek.
