From South Eugene High School, former Axe quarterback, safety and centerfielder Bryce Boettcher won the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy as the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.
A year later, Boettcher is a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, also known as "The Academic Heisman," won by Justin Herbert in 2019 and Bo Nix in 2023. Herbert used to tutor in the biology lab.
It's named for William V. Campbell, a former head coach and player at Columbia, first awarded in 1990. It honors one player a year for academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.