Photo of Johnny Smith-Rider by Russell Marwitz/russellmarwitz.com/True To The Cru
BELTON–Heading into his senior year with The Cru, UMHB linebacker Johnny Smith-Rider has been nominated for the prestigious Campbell Trophy. The annual honor is regarded as college football’s top scholar-athlete award, with three areas of criteria being evaluated; academics, community service, and on-field performance.
Smith-Rider, an exercise physiology major, encompasses all three of those, and last season was selected to the ASC’s Distinguished Scholar-Athlete team in addition to being named Second Team All-ASC. A 10-game starter in 2023, the Fort Worth native tallied 21 solo tackles, 38.0 total tackles, and was one of four Crusaders with at least two interceptions on the year.
In his first three seasons at UMHB, Smith-Rider saw action in a total of 34 contests, with 136 tackles and 22 tackles for loss. He enters 2024 as a two-time all-conference honoree and a three-time academic all-conference selection. Playing alongside D3football.com Preseason All-American Durand Hill in the middle of the UMHB defense, Smith-Rider figures to be a key contributor in his fourth varsity season this fall. One of the top returning linebackers in the ASC, the former Haltom High School standout is exceptional in pass coverage, as his seven pass breakups last season were the most on the team. He is also solid when defending the run, with a great tackling ability that was displayed by his 17.5 tackles for loss in 2022.
The Campbell Trophy has been awarded since 1990, with its past recipients including Peyton Manning, Danny Wuerffel, and Tim Tebow. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix won the 2023 award. Of the 33 winners since 1990, only one—WashU’s Brandon Roberts in 2002—played at the Division III level. In order to be considered, a student-athlete must be either a senior or a graduate student, hold a GPA of 3.2 or above, be a key contributor to his team on the field, and “have exhibited exemplary leadership on the field, in the classroom and within the community.”
Semifinalists are typically announced at the end of September, with the list of finalists released by late October. The National Football Foundation honors the winner in early December, with the recipient also earning a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
