PELLA—Central College corner back Gavin Smith (senior, Audubon) was announced as the football program's nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy® as the nation's top football scholar-athlete.
           
The award is presented by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
           
The NFF will announce semifinalists in late September and 12-14 finalists at the end of October with each receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The winner will be announced Dec. 9 at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, having his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
           
Nominees must be a senior or graduate student with a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average, have outstanding football ability and demonstrate strong leadership and citizenship.
           
Smith is an accounting and business management double major with a 3.94 grade point average. Smith was a College Sports Communicator Academic All-American in 2024.He is also a two-time American Rivers Academic All-Conference honoree and two-time Collegiate Sports Communicators Academic All-district pick. As a junior, he was chosen for the Associated Press Division III All-America second team. He has five career interceptions and 24 pass break-ups. He averaged 1.4 passes defended in 2024, a top-25 mark in Division III.
           
Central opens the 2025 season at Illinois Wesleyan University next Saturday, September 6.