Kyle Sanning Named Semifinalist For National Academic Honor
Senior defensive end is one of 39 NCAA Division III nominees for prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy.
Springfield, Ohio – The National Football Foundation (NFF) has selected Wittenberg senior defensive end Kyle Sanning (Fairborn, Ohio/Tecumseh) as a candidate for the 2013 National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, and a semifinalist for the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by HealthSouth.
The NFF launched its Scholar-Athlete Awards program in 1959, becoming the first initiative to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy has been awarded since 1990 to recognize academic and athletic success, leadership and citizenship.
The NFF received 170 nominations in 2013, a record number since the minimum cumulative grade point average increased to 3.2 in 2006. Sanning is one of 39 nominees representing NCAA Division III programs.
After starting his career at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio, Sanning has earned varsity letters following each of the last two seasons at Wittenberg while compiling 104 tackles as a linebacker. After starting all 12 games a year ago, Sanning has moved into a starting position on the defensive line in 2013, recording 18 tackles in the first four games.
A mathematics major at Wittenberg, Sanning has done volunteer work at the Springfield YMCA and at local youth football camps during his collegiate career.
Ranked 18th nationally by D3football.com and 19th by the American Football Coaches Association, Wittenberg stands 3-1 on the 2013 season. Following a 49-24 loss to Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse Butler, the Tigers have outscored NCAC rivals DePauw, Oberlin and Hiram 153-9.
Next up for Wittenberg is the annual Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 12. The Tigers will host NCAC rival Denison, which is off to its best start since 1986 at 4-1, in a game that kicks off at 1 p.m. at historic Edwards-Maurer Field.
The NFF Awards Committee, chaired by famed National Football League quarterback Archie Manning, will select up to 16 recipients of the Scholar-Athlete Awards to be announced Oct. 31. Each recipient will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will vie as finalists for the 2013 William V. Campbell Trophy. Honorees will be recognized at a banquet on Dec. 10 in New York City.
Written By: Ryan Maurer