University of Delaware standout football scholar-athlete Jalen Randolph joined a select group this week as he was named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy.

Randolph, a running back who is a graduate student at UD, was one of 156 college football players nationally to advance to the semifinal round. The award, which is presented by Fidelity Investments and prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club, recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments.

The finalists will travel to New York City for the 59th annual NFF awards dinner on Dec. 6, 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 27th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

“These 156 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “It is important for us to showcase their success on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. This year’s semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders.”

A fifth-year senior, Randolph has enjoyed an outstanding career both on the playing field and in the classroom during his time at UD.

A four-year letter winner, he serves as a team co-captain and plays a pivotal role in one of the nation’s top rushing attacks. He is currently the team’s third leading rusher with 196 yards on 35 carries (5.6 average) and leads the squad with four touchdowns. For his career, he has rushed for 1,294 yards and 18 touchdowns and has caught 24 passes for 242 yards and three scores.

 In the classroom, Randolph earned his degree in health behavior science from the College of Health Sciences in May with a 3.6 cumulative grade point average and is currently enrolled in UD’s prestigious master of business administration (MBA) program in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

He is a four-time member of the Colonial Athletic Association Academic All-Conference team, has earned Dean’s List honors multiple times, and is a two-time member of the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA) District 2 All-Academic team. He is also one of the team’s most active participants in community service-related activities.

Randolph was among 36 players from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Series classification to make the cut and was joined by four other Colonial Athletic Association rivals, including John Gallagher (Elon), Casey DeAndrade (New Hampshire), Jake Ryder (Towson), and Hunter Windmuller (William and Mary).