It was announced on Thursday that senior offensive lineman Calhoun Helmberger (Tahoma, WA) represents the University of Redlands as one of 199 semifinalists for the National Football Foundation (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy®.  In its 31st year, this award recognizes the best football student-athletes from four-year colleges and universities for academics, athletics, and leadership. 

As one of the 40 honorees from NCAA Division III, Helmberger well exceeds the minimum GPA requirement of 3.2 as a repeat Redlands Scholar-Athlete.  This consistent member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) All-Academic Team looks forward to graduating later this spring with a degree in Political Science.

Last season, Helmberger was a major player in the Bulldogs' impressive run that culminated in a 9-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in conference.  Redlands earned a national ranking of No. 18 from D3football.com and No. 22 from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).  The squad also advanced to the NCAA Championships for the ninth time in its Division III history. 

While competing in 10 games as an offensive lineman, Helmberger contributed to the Bulldogs' offense that tallied 40.5 points per game overall and 44.4 points against conference foes.  In addition, he played a significant role in the team's 212.0 rushing yards per game and 419.3 yards of total offense per game.

Helmberger is a two-time All-SCIAC Second-Team honoree for the Maroon and Gray.

This year's class of 199 semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy boasts an average GPA of 3.67, 110 All-Conference selections, and 18 All-Americans.  Helmberger is the only semifinalist from either the SCIAC or the Northwest Conference.

For a complete list of the semifinalists, please visit the NFF's website.