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. Smith is among 177 semifinalists
           
The NFF will announce 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.

Smith follows Central's most recent Campbell Trophy semifinalists, tight end Grant Nelson (2024), wide receiver Jeff Herbers (2023), quarterback Blaine Hawkins (2021), kicker Jon Alberts (2019), running back Pat Gray (2018) and wide receiver Sam Markham (2017).