Bluffton University senior athlete Ethan Williams of Van Wert, is a semi-finalist in the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy competition.

An Honorable Mention All-HCAC guard in 2017, he helped the Beavers throw for 278.6 yards per game, the fourth-highest total in the Heartland Conference and the best passing season in school history. He is one of just two Heartland Conference football players and 41 from NCAA Division III to be honored by the National Football Foundation.

The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.

The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.

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.