WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University senior wide receiver Ryan McCarthy (Holden/Wachusett Reg. HS) has been named one of 185 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

McCarthy, who majors in economics-finance and minors in law, is one of two Northeast-10 Conference student-athletes on the list and one of 19 from a Division II institution.

McCarthy has played in 29 career games for the Falcons and has 46 receptions for 502 yards. His resume includes 663 all-purpose running yards and one TD. So far this season, he's caught six passes for 63 yards.

In his recommendation letter, McCarthy's position coach, Alex Tonnies, wrote "Ryan has been the backbone to our offense for the past two season. Having the ability to play multiple positions on the field, Ryan gives us the opportunity to be flexible in scheme, while providing a blue collar wide receiver on the perimeter. His uncanny effort each play creates a culture of toughness among his teammates.

"Portraying natural leadership qualities, young and experienced players have followed Ryan with his rhetoric and actions" continued Tonnies. "He has countlessly put his peers above himself staying up late to help teammates succeeded both in their classes and playbook. Persistently staying after practice to cultivate his football trade, he sets the bar for his teammates as they trail him in perfecting the details."

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 30, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 30th Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing 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.

"These 185 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "For more than 60 years, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program has showcased more than 800 college football players who have been successful on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. And we are excited to celebrate the 30th year of the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, which honors the best of the best. This year's semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders."

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $11.7 million.

Last month, Mazda announced a three-year partnership to sponsor the Campbell Trophy®, kicking off the automaker's Power of Potential Platform.

"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist's achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates."

NFF Release