For the second straight year, Northwestern State wide receiver Gavin Landry has been honored for his all-around student-athlete resume.
Landry, a sixth-year senior from White Castle, was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy on Wednesday, joining 175 other NCAA Division I, II and III and NAIA football players on the list announced by the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame.
The Campbell Trophy recognizes a player as the best college football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Nominees must be a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility, have a grade point average 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.
Landry is the lone Southland Conference player on the list and one of four Louisiana representatives among the semifinalists.
Through three games of the fall 2021 season, Landry has started every game, catching eight passes for 75 yards. He is coming off a five-catch, 55-yard performance against UT Martin on Sept. 18.
In the classroom, Landry earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in May 2020 with a 3.94 grade point average, graduating summa cum laude. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in 2020 and earned a spot on the Academic All-Southland Conference Team.
His overall resume made him a finalist for the 2020 Doris Robinson Student-Athlete Award as well.
Away from the field, Landry has been a four-year member of Northwestern State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was the group’s Community Service Outreach Representative. He is a four-year member of NSU’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving three years as a member of the Worship Team and as a Huddle Leader at middle and high school FCA retreats. He also volunteers with the Youth Group at Freedom Life Church in Natchitoches.
Landry earned the Joe Delaney Award as a permanent team captain in the spring 2021 season and is a past winner of the Chris Waddell Award, which is given to the Demon walk-on player who most exemplifies effort, unselfishness, leadership and character.
“Gavin’s story, overcoming heart surgery as a senior in high school, is matched only by his drive and determination,” said fourth-year head coach Brad Laird. “”He has gone from a walk-on to a key member of our wide receiver group, and his leadership skills are unmatched. He has been one of our most respected players for what he does on the field and away from it. He embodies the characteristics you want to see from every student-athlete – handling his business on the field and in the classroom while giving his time to make everyone’s experience at Northwestern State a better one.
“Those parts of his personality fit in line with what the Campbell Trophy represents, and we feel Gavin is a perfect representation of those.”
With Landry’s back-to-back selections, Northwestern State has produced a Campbell Trophy semifinalist for three straight years, starting with offensive lineman Chris Zirkle in 2019.
The NFF will announce 12 to 14 finalists on Oct. 27 with each student-athlete receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The finalists will travel to Las Vegas for the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7. The winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy will be announced that night and the awardee will have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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