Oklahoma WR Drake Stoops Named Semifinalist for Prestigious College Football Award
By OU Media Relations
Oklahoma wide receiver Drake Stoops has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy for the second consecutive year, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday.
The Campbell Trophy, in its 34th year, is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
A sixth-year senior, Stoops received his bachelor’s degree in communication last December and is pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in integrative studies. He has maintained a 3.45 GPA throughout his college career.
Stoops is a four-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree (2019, ’20, ’21 and ’22) and was selected to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team in 2018. He has earned Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll distinction in all 10 of his completed semesters, was named to the OU President’s Honor Roll (4.0 semester GPA) in spring 2022 and was on the OU Dean’s Honor Roll (3.5+ semester GPA) in the fall of 2021.
The Norman product received the 2023 OU Athletic Director’s Leadership Award, which is presented to student-athletes who perform highly in the classroom, serve as a positive influence for teammates, display leadership away from the field and represent the university well. Stoops served as a weekly captain for two games during the 2022 season and was selected as a permanent team captain prior to the bowl games. He was also a game captain for this season’s opener against Arkansas State.
Stoops has volunteered at the OU Children’s Hospital since 2019, participating in the Art with a Heart program, which celebrates the artwork created by the children at the hospital. He has also worked with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and previously spent three years as a volunteer coordinator for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
Stoops began his career as a walk-on but earned a scholarship in the spring of 2021. He caught two passes in his first career game against Florida Atlantic in 2018 and is believed to be the first OU true freshman walk-on to record a catch in a season opener. He has played in 53 career games and made 22 starts, registering 1,085 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 100 receptions.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 25, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5. During the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Former Sooner center Ty Darlington was awarded the Campbell Trophy in 2015, and former center Gabe Ikard and former defensive back Pat Fields were finalists in 2013 and 2021, respectively.
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