Martinas Rankin is one of 10 SEC student-athletes named a semifinalist for the 2017 Campbell Trophy.
Martinas Rankin Named Semifinalist for 2017 Campbell Trophy
September 27, 2017 | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Recognizing one of the most outstanding groups of scholar-athletes in the history of college football, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) named Mississippi State offensive lineman Martinas Rankin a semifinalist Wednesday for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy, which honors the top football scholar-athlete in the country.
Rankin working towards a degree in kinesiology with a focus in clinical exercise physiology and currently holds a 3.31 GPA. This past spring, he was named to the Mississippi State Dean's List for the first time as a Bulldog. The three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member plans to pursue a career in the field of physical therapy.
The Mendenhall, Miss., native is also active within community service projects and has served as a MSU Football Big Brother for the last two seasons. He is also currently serving as a member of the MSU Football Leadership Council for the 2017-18 academic year and is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. For his outstanding leadership, both on and off the field, Rankin was selected to represent MSU at the 2017 SEC Football Media Day.
Transferring to Mississippi State for his junior season, Rankin made an immediate impact on the field and proved to be the most dominant member of MSU's offensive line. A team captain for the 2017 season, Rankin has appeared in 17 games over the course of his collegiate career with 14 starts. This season, Rankin is part of a MSU offensive line that has not allowed a sack. The Bulldogs are the only team in the SEC to not allow a sack in 2017. His dominance on the line has allowed MSU to rush for 1,070 yards through the first four games of the year, which ranks second in the conference. Rankin is also a prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft.
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. One finalist will be named the winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy at the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5 in New York City, and his postgraduate scholarship will be increased to $25,000.
Since 2010, MSU is tied for the SEC lead in number of NFF National Scholar-Athletes produced with two. In 2015, Taveze Calhoun was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and a National Scholar-Athlete.
Candidates for the award 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. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
For more information on Brown, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
Rankin working towards a degree in kinesiology with a focus in clinical exercise physiology and currently holds a 3.31 GPA. This past spring, he was named to the Mississippi State Dean's List for the first time as a Bulldog. The three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member plans to pursue a career in the field of physical therapy.
The Mendenhall, Miss., native is also active within community service projects and has served as a MSU Football Big Brother for the last two seasons. He is also currently serving as a member of the MSU Football Leadership Council for the 2017-18 academic year and is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. For his outstanding leadership, both on and off the field, Rankin was selected to represent MSU at the 2017 SEC Football Media Day.
Transferring to Mississippi State for his junior season, Rankin made an immediate impact on the field and proved to be the most dominant member of MSU's offensive line. A team captain for the 2017 season, Rankin has appeared in 17 games over the course of his collegiate career with 14 starts. This season, Rankin is part of a MSU offensive line that has not allowed a sack. The Bulldogs are the only team in the SEC to not allow a sack in 2017. His dominance on the line has allowed MSU to rush for 1,070 yards through the first four games of the year, which ranks second in the conference. Rankin is also a prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft.
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. One finalist will be named the winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy at the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5 in New York City, and his postgraduate scholarship will be increased to $25,000.
Since 2010, MSU is tied for the SEC lead in number of NFF National Scholar-Athletes produced with two. In 2015, Taveze Calhoun was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and a National Scholar-Athlete.
Candidates for the award 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. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
For more information on Brown, follow the MSU football team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateFB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
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