Weisman Named NFF Scholar-Athlete Candidate

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior running back Mark Weisman is one of 167 semifinalists for the 2014 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award.

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 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.

“It is a pleasure to recognize Mark Weisman as a semifinalist for the 2014 Campbell Trophy,” said Chris Kearney, volunteer board president of the Chicago Metro Chapter of the National Football Foundation. “I enjoyed meeting Mark in July. He has clearly earned this honor as one of college football’s top scholar-athletes, just as he was highly-regarded and well-respected at Stevenson High School in suburban Chicago. On behalf of the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter, we are delighted that Mark was selected for this distinction, based on his excellence on the football field and in the classroom. Congratulations to Mark, his family, Coach Kirk Ferentz, Gary Barta, and the Hawkeye football program for this outstanding recognition.”

As many as 16 of the candidates could be named finalists for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy in late October. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on a player’s academic and athletic accomplishments. Former Iowa linebacker James Morris was one of 16 finalists for the 2013 Campbell Trophy.

Weisman is a native of Buffalo Grove, Illinois (Stevenson High School). He has 1,974 career rushing yards and 20 touchdowns and could become the seventh Hawkeye to surpass 2,000 rushing yards while scoring as many as 20 rushing touchdowns. He is currently 13th in career rushing yards and tied for 21st in career scoring (126 points).

Weisman has led Iowa in rushing in each of the last two seasons, gaining 975 rushing yards in 2013. He has scored multiple touchdowns in five games, including two scores in the second half a week ago as Iowa rallied for a 24-20 win at Pittsburgh.

Weisman has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in each of the past two years. The health and human physiology major carries a 3.3 grade-point average, will earn a degree in December, and is a three-time member of the UI Dean’s List. Weisman is one of five seniors named to the 2014 Iowa Leadership Group, serving for the second straight year.

Iowa (3-1, 0-0) opens Big Ten Conference play Saturday at Purdue (11:01 a.m. CT, BTN).