Grand Valley Football Player Up for National Award

Larger schools in college football tend to get all the recognition but this year a Grand Valley State University linebacker is up for one of the national awards.

According to MLive, Grand Valley's Tyler Bradfield is one of 12 finalists in contention of the William V. Campbell Trophy that is awarded to one player annually to excels on the football field and in the classroom.

Bradfield has quite the pedigree on and off the field. Off the field he has a 3.99 grade point average as a finance student. On the field he is team captain, a second team all conference selection and the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year. That is all good stuff right there.

As a finalist Bradfield will get an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and if he wins the award, his scholarship will then be bumped up to $25,000.

A little history on the William V. Campbell award. It was once called the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy but the name changed 31 years ago. The National Football Foundation gives the award to a player who has the best combination of academics, community service, and on field performance. Some say the award is the Academic Heisman.

It's exciting seeing players who work hard on the field and off the field but even more exciting when the player is from Grand Valley State.

According to MLive, other accolades that have put Brandfield in this position to win the award are his being selected to the 2020 AFCA Good Works Team. He participates in the Timberwolf Young Life Camp each spring. He has done charity work with the Make a Wish foundation by raising $10,000 3 years in a row. He volunteers for summer and winter youth football camps, visits mentally disabled children and even volunteered to be a part of reading days at Allendale Elementary School.

Bradfield is a true champion of studies, community work and of course his hard work on the field for Grand Valley State.