Matt Hoch Named Semi-Finalist for William V. Campbell Trophy

Senior defensive lineman Matt Hoch has been chosen as a semi-finalist for The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy. The trophy is awarded to the 16 best student-athletes in college football.

The Harlan, Iowa native earned his degree in middle school education, boasting a 3.97 grade point average.

Nominees for the William V. Campbell Trophy must be a senior or graduate student playing out their final year of eligibility and carry at least a 3.2 grade point average. They must also be a first-team player or substantial contributor to the team, in addition to exhibiting stout leadership.

Last season was certainly a productive one for Hoch, as he was a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American and earned Mizzou Football’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well. He’s also received conference academic recognition in each of the last three years.

This year, Hoch is enrolled in Mizzou’s prestigious Positive Coaching program as a graduate student. He would like to coach in the future, in addition to his teaching aspirations.

The scholar-athlete winners, who will be announced on Oct. 30, will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and vie as finalists for the Campbell Trophy. They will also head to New York City for the 57^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, which will highlight their accomplishments in front of the biggest names in all of sports.

ESPN’s College GameDay will turn its attention to Mizzou as Hoch and the rest of the team face the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1) at 6 p.m. on September 27. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN.