Duke football fans can attest that the program has had countless honorable, unselfish individuals–even when suffering through decades of losing–and Ben Humphreys is certainly worthy of being on that list.
It isn’t at all surprising that Ben Humphreys remains in the running to win the William V. Campbell Trophy. What is surprising is that he would only be the second Duke football player to have ever won the award since its inception in 1990 (former Blue Devils linebacker David Helton took home the honor in 2014).
On Wednesday, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the 179 semifinalists–limited to players in the final year of their eligibility from across all divisions–for the Campbell Trophy, which recognizes “the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.” The panel–including media members, former players, and athletics administrators– who are responsible for selecting the ultimate winner take into account each candidate’s GPA, football ability, leadership, and citizenship.
Humphreys can check all these boxes.
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According to Duke Sports Information, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior linebacker from Newport Beach, Calif., has a 3.25 GPA and is pursuing a major in public policies, a minor in economics, and a certificate in markets and management. He has twice appeared on the All-ACC Academic Football Team and the ACC Academic Honor Roll.
Beyond the classroom, Humphreys has been a recipient of a Ronald McDonald House Heart of Gold Award. He has volunteered with the Habitat for Humanity. In his time with the McDonald house, he has become friends with and spent more than 20 hours a week with a five-year-old boy named Beckham Prescott, who suffers from Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD).
As for his play on the field, he has made 239 tackles and nine sacks across his four seasons in Durham. He drew two starts as a true freshman in 2015. The next season, he was a third-team All-ACC pick after recording 106 tackles. In 2017, despite having to sit out a couple of games due to injury, he had 70 tackles. This season, he has been part of a defensive unit that has stifled opposing offenses and is quickly catching the eyes of experts as one of the best units in the country.
On Oct. 31, the Campbell Trophy panel will announce 12-14 finalists who will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and an invitation to attend an awards dinner on Dec. 4. At that dinner, there will be an announcement of the ultimate winner, who will then have his scholarship amount increased to $25,000 and take home the trophy.
From this Duke football fan’s perspective, it’s easy to envision Humphreys holding that trophy.
On Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN2, Humphreys will help lead the 4-0 Blue Devils as they face 3-1 Virginia Tech at home.