Memphis quarterback Brady White has won the National Football Foundation’s Campbell Trophy for the 2020 season. The Campbell Trophy is rare among the postseason awards in that it combines the recognition for on field and academic achievement.
White threw for more than 3,300 yards this season with 31 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also had a 60% completion percentage. The yardage was second in the AAC behind Dillon Gabriel of UCF. The numbers paced slightly behind last year. But with COVID issues, the Tigers only played 11 games in 2020 compared to 14 last year. In the Tigers’ 8-3 season White had his best game in the 50-49 win over UCF when he was 34 of 50 for 486 yards and six touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown. The yards set a school record. The touchdowns tied the school and conference records.
He finished the season with 284 yards and three touchdowns against FAU a couple of weeks ago in the Montgomery Bowl. He was the MVP of the game.
White is a fifth-year grad transfer at Memphis. He graduated Cum Laude with a 3.5 GPA from Arizona State in three-and-a-half years. He got his Master’s in Sports Administration in one year at Memphis and is now working towards a doctorate degree in Liberal Studies. White is the first Campbell winner to be working towards his Ph.D.
In meeting with the media after the announcement of the award, White said time management was key in being able to get through the high level of classes and and the football training. “There was times when I would finish watching film up at the facility but I would just stay and up their use the computers to log into my UofM account and do my schoolwork up there.”
Studying opposing defenses can be challenging enough. White said the academics were a whole other level. “Classes that maybe don’t sound hard with the title of the course, but you start breaking down the contents and it’s things you never really thought of before. I think once you reach the graduate level, it’s a lot more research, a lot writing, and group projects, rather than little assignments. Everything jumps up a whole other level. The expectations are much higher.”
White said he has not yet decided what to do post-doctorate. He still hopes for a future in the NFL. He said ultimately he hopes to combine sports and business (his undergrad degree).
White has a roster spot on the East-West Shrine game line-up. None of the post season all-star games are being played. But they are doing virtual sessions with coaches and NFL scouts.
