LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky kicker Miles Butler has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious 2018 Campbell Award, it was announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. The award recognizes the nation’s best football scholar-athlete.
Butler, a native of Paducah, Kentucky, earned a full scholarship from head coach Mark Stoops during fall camp for his work ethic on and off the field during his four-year career as a Wildcat. This season as the starting place kicker, he has hit 2-of-3 field goals and all 18 extra points.
Off the field, Butler excels in the classroom and in leadership roles. He is on track to graduate in December with a perfect 4.0 grade point average and will earn two degrees in finance and accounting, along with a minor in economics. He is a three-time Southeastern Conference Honor Roll member and has been named to the Dean’s List seven semesters. This summer, Butler completed an internship with Financial Intern, Ullico in Washington, D.C.
Butler is a Beta Alpha Psi Business/Accounting fraternity member and the coordinator/tutor for the LEAP Tutoring Lab where he was selected as the student coordinator in the summer of 2017. He oversees all tutors, coordinates schedules, attends meetings with faculty to help improve accounting curriculum across the college of business. He also serves as the team liaison with the athletic ticket office and serves as a recruitment liaison by hosting, meeting with, and giving tours to potential special team recruits and their families.
He’s also been active in community service projects, working with the Special Olympics, serving food to homeless people for Lighthouse Ministries, volunteering at the Indian Summer Camp for children’s cancer survivors and participating in food packing and delivery for God’s Pantry.
Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF’s Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy® is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient’s grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year’s postgraduate scholarships will push the program’s all-time distribution to more than $11.5 million.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, 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.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 61st NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 4, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 29th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
