Football captain dedicates his senior year to academics, athletics and service at Bluffton University
By Cara Echols, student news writer
Bluffton University senior Ethan Williams’ hard work and dedication on the field, in the classroom and within the community has earned him national recognition as a semifinalist for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy.

“The nominations are out of every single college in the nation, from Division I through Division III,” said Williams, a math major who plans to earn his Adolescent/Young Adult teaching licensure.

“It’s pretty unique. It’s awarded to the athlete who shows the best academics, best on the field performance and best community service.”

Each year, The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame recognizes student-athletes for their accomplishments in these areas with the Campbell Trophy providing scholarships for postgraduate studies.

This year, 179 nominees, including the Van Wert native made it to the semifinals. The winner will be announced in December with finalists traveling to New York City for the presentations.

Nominees must meet strict standards. They must be senior or graduating students with a GPA no lower than 3.2, have significant or notable football ability and showcase strong leadership and citizenship skills. With encouragement and letters of support from his coaches, Williams applied for the award at the beginning of summer.

On the field, Williams helped the Beavers throw for 278.6 yards per game in 2017, for the best passing season in school history. The offensive lineman is one of just two Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference players to be recognized as a semifinalist and one of just 41 from NCAA Division III schools.

“Not all awards are so widespread,” explained Williams. He noted that Bluffton has been integral in providing service opportunities for students to encourage responsible citizenship and develop leadership roles.

“We do a lot of community service with football,” said Williams. “We’ve helped at retirement homes, worked on landscaping and provided water for Flint, Michigan. For my cross-cultural, we went to Iceland and did community service.”

Williams said he came to Bluffton because “it felt like home compared to other schools” that he had visited. “I heard they had a great education program here, so that worked best for me,” Williams continued. “And I got a chance to play football.”

Currently, Williams is working hard to balance all of his interests through the use of the Academic Game Plan, an approach to academic time management, required by Bluffton’s football team. He also has encouragement from his coaches and the drive to push himself.

“I try to get ahead so I don’t have assignments due later or procrastinate. Physically, I go to practice and do additional work on my own to get better. It’s time consuming, but I find a way to make it work,” he said.

Upon graduation, Williams is looking forward to continuing to contribute to the community. “I always wanted to give back somehow and the best way I think I can do that is to help younger kids get a better education.”