Carnegie Mellon’s Lohmeier Named William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist

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National Football Foundation Release
Lohmeier Release from NFF (PDF)

(IRVING, Texas) – Selected as the best and brightest from the college gridiron, from a nationwide pool of 185 semifinalists among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that Carnegie Mellon's senior defensive end Michael Lohmeier (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Hinsdale Central) is one of 12 finalists for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Mazda. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Lohmeier is the lone Division III representative and is joined by Alex Goettl of Minnesota State University - Mankato as the only non-Division I honorees.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized for this award. I am incredibly grateful for my family, teammates, and coaches because their support has enabled me to accomplish this," said Lohmeier.

Lohmeier carries his on-field excellence into the classroom and community and becomes the Tartans' second NFF National Scholar-Athlete in the last three years and fifth overall. He joins 1987 honoree Bryan Roessler, 2006 honoree Aaron Lewis, 2008 recipient Brian Freeman and 2017 graduate Sam Benger. The five representatives is tied for the second most by a Division III institution.

The 12 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 30th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. The event will take place at the New York Hilton Midtown and will be streamed live, with specific broadcast information to be announced at a later date.

"Michael epitomizes the term 'student-athlete.' Michael's hard work, determination, and commitment to excellence is displayed in his incredible performance in the classroom and on the football field," said head coach Rich Lackner. "As one of our captains, Michael has earned the respect of his peers and coaches. In addition, Michael has given his time and effort to numerous community service projects including Team Impact and fund raising activities for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The entire Carnegie Mellon community is incredibly proud of Michael."

Lohmeier currently leads the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) with 14.0 tackles for a loss and ranks fourth with 7.0 sacks. The senior is tied for third on the team with 40 tackles, 23 solo, and has forced two fumbles and recovered another. He currently ranks fifth on the school's all-time sack list with 18.0 for his career. The senior is a two-time All-PAC and All-University Athletic Association (UAA) selection.

Lohmeier, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, carries a 4.00 GPA as a business administration major. He is a two-time UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team honoree, which recognizes student-athletes who earn first-team accolades and carry a 3.50 or greater cumulative grade-point average during the playing season. He is also a PAC honor roll and UAA All-Academic honoree.

This past summer, Lohmeier was an investment banking analyst at Lazard in New York City. Also off the field, he has been a market research analyst for Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Chicago. During the summer of 2018, Lohmeier worked as an equity research analyst for Robotti Securities & Company in New York.

The 2019 Tartan captain is the president of Carnegie Mellon's Investment Banking Academy, which is an organization that helps underclassmen land investment banking internships through interactive workshops, interview preparation, and the club's mentorship program.

Lohmeier has volunteered at the Western Spring Sectional competition of the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. Lohmeier is currently the liaison for the Tartans football team calendar fundraiser for the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. He is an undergraduate analyst intern for Scottie Ventures and a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity where he has served as the philanthropy and fundraising chair. The senior recently was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society and also is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

"Michael has achieved at the highest level both academically and athletically, and has been a terrific leader within our university community," said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. "Being named a finalist for this most prestigious award is recognition of Michael's excellence in all domains. We are so proud of him."

First awarded in 1990, The William V. Campbell Trophy Presented by Mazda is named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the former CEO and chairman of Intuit, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal. The award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total scholarship of $25,000. A total distribution of $223,000 in scholarships will be awarded December 10, pushing the program's all-time distributions to more than $11.7 million.

The NFF National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships for combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. Including the 2019 recipients, the NFF has honored 866 individuals with National Scholar-Athlete Awards. The Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's prestige, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and six first-round NFL draft picks.

2019 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class and Campbell Trophy Finalists
Spencer Blackburn - Eastern Washington
Rodrigo Blankenship - Georgia
Jordan Fuller - Ohio State
Alex Goettl - Minnesota State Mankato
Justin Herbert - Oregon
Adam Holtorf - Kansas State
Michael Lohmeier - Carnegie Mellon
Jordan Mack - Virginia
Dante Olson - Montana
Jelani Taylor - Cornell
Casey Toohill - Stanford
Jon Wassink - Western Michigan