Senior linebacker Jason Johnson, the 2022 American Athletic Conference Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is UCF’s 2023 nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the top football scholar-athlete.
Johnson’s academic credentials include a 3.64 undergraduate grade-point average. He earned his UCF degree in integrative general studies in May and is pursuing a second undergraduate degree in sociology this fall. He was named to the 2022 AAC All-Academic Team for football.
Johnson is a first-team linebacker pick on the 2023 preseason All-Big 12 Conference teams selected by Lindy’s and Phil Steele. He has been named to preseason watch lists for three major national honors--the Bronko Nagurski (presented by Football Writer Association of America to top defensive player), Dick Butkus (by Butkus Foundation to top linebacker) and Chuck Bednarik (by Maxwell Football Club to outstanding defensive player) awards.
Johnson was tabbed a 2022 All-AAC first-team selection in the vote by league coaches and by Phil Steele after starting each of the Knights’ 14 games last season. He recorded a team-high 126 tackles (more than twice as many as any other UCF player), ranking 31st in the country and third in the American with an even nine per game, and he wreaked havoc on the defensive side throughout the year.
The Chicago native’s 126 tackles were the most by a UCF player since 2002 and the ninth most in program history. Johnson tallied 10 or more tackles in six games last year, headlined by a season-high 15 tackles at East Carolina.
Before coming to UCF in 2022, Johnson played three seasons at Eastern Illinois, starting 23 games and recording 234 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss. He led the Ohio Valley Conference in tackles in 2021.
Finalists for the Campbell Trophy®, or members of the National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments, will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be showcased in Las Vegas at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 5, alongside the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame inductees. The Campbell Trophy® recipient, whose scholarship earnings will increase to $25,000, will also be recognized during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show and honored at two in-person events in New York City.
Fidelity Investments enters its 13th year as a proud partner of the NFF’s academic initiatives. The partnership includes the NFF Faculty Salute program, which honors the faculty athletic representative (FAR) of each Campbell Trophy® finalist. As such, Fidelity will donate $5,000 to the student-athlete academic services department at each Campbell Trophy® finalist’s school.