National Football Foundation

As the second NFF National Scholar-Athlete in school history and first since 1992, Travis Nissley stands among the greatest student-athletes ever to play at Bucknell University.

Nissley, who hails from Mount Joy, Pa., was named the Patriot League's Football Scholar-Athlete of the year in 2009. He was also the recipient of the Charles F. White Memorial Prize for Scholar Athletes. With a near-perfect GPA, the mechanical engineering major has also qualified for the Tau Beta Pi honor society and has also been involved in research investigating surface preparation on the fatigue life of cold-sprayed aluminum samples.

After working his way into the starting lineup two games into the 2009 season, Nissley finished second on the squad with 93 tackles, which placed sixth among all Patriot League defenders. For his career, Nissley has recorded 226 tackles (114 solo), five tackles for loss, nine passes defended and two interceptions in 40 career games and 21 starts.

A member of the Player's Value Committee, Nissley is an annual volunteer for Toys for Tots and has participated in the National Marrow Donation program. The Bucknell Classics Club member has also coached flag football for Manheim Central Youth League and has served as an assembly technician for Pik Rite vegetable harvesting equipment over the last two summers.

Nissley earned his master's in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University (Md.) in 2013 and is currently a technical support engineer for Baker Hughes, one of the world's largest oilfield services companies.