IRVING, Texas - Senior defensive lineman Matt Hoch (Harlan, Iowa) has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy, as announced Thursday by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). The trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation, and up to 16 of the candidates will be named recipients of a prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award, also presented by Fidelity Investments.
Hoch graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in middle school education and an impressive 3.97 cumulative grade point average in August. The Tiger defender has 27 career starts to his credit, a total that ranks second in the Southeastern Conference among defensive linemen.
For the 2014 season, Hoch is continuing his studies with postgraduate work in the University of Missouri's renowned positive coaching field. Hoch's post-playing career plans revolve around his interest in working with students and becoming a teacher and coach.
Hoch was a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American last season and has been honored with conference academic recognition each of the last three seasons. He was additionally recognized as Mizzou Football's Scholar-Athlete of the Year following the 2013 campaign.
Hoch is one of 62 candidates for the NFF awards, who are nominated by their schools. Candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 recipients, and the results will be announced via a national press release on Thursday, Oct. 30. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and they will vie as finalists for Campbell Trophy. Each member of the 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class will also travel to New York City to be honored Dec. 9 during the 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will also be announced live at the event as the winner of the Campbell Trophy.