IRVING, Texas (Aug. 21, 2019) – The Third Annual William V. Campbell Trophy Summit, sponsored by Intuit, took place Aug. 14-17 at Stanford University, solidifying the event's role as a powerful force for connecting more than 200 former Campbell Trophy nominees with some of the nation's top CEOs and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who imparted valuable life lessons for attendees at all stages of their careers.
 
"In three short years, the Campbell Trophy Summit has become one of the must attend events in the country," said Intuit Executive Chairman Brad Smith in addressing the attendees. "That is not hyperbole. We have had countless people ask how they can buy a ticket, but that's what makes this event so special, you can't buy your way in, you can only get here one way, you have to earn it."
 
Smith went on to inspire the group, challenging them to figure out the "why" of their careers by imparting his own personal decision to step down after 11 years as CEO of a $70 billion company to embark on the next stage of his life.
 
"It was the job of a lifetime, but I knew when I took it that it could not be a job for a lifetime," Smith said. "Like every chapter in our life, the end date is inevitable, and I had one goal when I became CEO: be a part of choosing that end date."
 
Jim Hansen, who won the 1992 Campbell Trophy and was a Rhodes Scholar, said he has spent the past 30 years of his life trying to recreate the meaningful relationships he experienced with his teammates as an offensive tackle at the University of Colorado.
 
"I think the closest that I have come outside of my immediate family are these Campbell Trophy Summits," said Hansen, who has attended all three summits and currently serves as the Naval Research Laboratory Marine Meteorology Division Superintendent. "These are my people, and I love being able to spend time with them… A common theme that we learned during the past few days is the importance and value of relationships. Bill Campbell has given us a great gift in the ability to bring together all these great men to build and maintain relationships and have an impact on our communities."
 
James Morris, a 2013 Campbell Trophy Finalist from the University of Iowa who played three years in the NFL including a Super Bowl ring with the 2014 New England Patriots, looks forward to putting lessons of the Summit to good use in his current professional life as Investment Analyst with the Principal Financial Group. He said the event allowed him to observe what creates success in others while also reflecting on his own life and the "actionable steps" he needs to take to get where he wants to go.
 
"It's humbling to be part of the [summit] because there are some really, really impressive guys here that are part of the network," said Morris. "It is really cool to get to interact with them and build relationships with them, the people behind it, the CEOs and benefactors of the event. It's pretty special and to be able to listen to those guys and interact with them… It's just neat to be with so many people with similar backgrounds. There is an unspoken understanding, which makes it a really special event."
 
Tyler Grassman, a 2015 Campbell Trophy nominee and a former punter at the University at Buffalo who now works as an Eli Lilly Global Sales Capabilities Senior Associate Consultant, said the Summit has made him realize that life is a lot less about him and more about how he can help others, noting that the sentiment was cited by every speaker as something Bill Campbell taught them as a key to their successes.
 
"Attending the Summit is truly life changing," Grassman. "We're able to learn from some of the best in the world that it's not about us, but it's about the impact that we can now have on other people. It's all about what we do when we leave here… Since, I started coming three years ago, I have done more in my community than I ever have. I have taken on new roles with my corporation where I am able to impact other people. It's becoming a lot less about me and more about how my life has changed so I can help others."
 
Each college in the country is allowed one nomination per year for the Campbell Trophy, proudly supported by Fidelity Investments, and the requirements include a 3.2 GPA or better and for the student-athlete to be a significant contributor on the team in their final year of eligibility. Covering every college and university from all divisions of play, the nomination process effectively creates a pool of the best student-athletes from each school in the nation who are then invited to attend the Summit.
 
"We are so proud of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete program and the Campbell Trophy, which is the crown jewel of our scholarship program," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Summit has become a powerful platform for us to showcase all the great nominees for the trophy while providing us a vehicle for mentoring them and subsequently sending them out into the workforce with many of the tools and concepts that Bill Campbell used to influence so many people in the business world. This is a great way for those who loved Bill and the great game of football to pay it forward."
 
The event, which aims to help attendees with their personal and career growth, pays tribute to Bill Campbell, the award's namesake who passed away in 2016. Campbell, who played and coached at Columbia before a switch to the business world, became one of the most influential individuals in Silicon Valley, using the lessons of the gridiron to mentor Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt of Google, Scott Cook and Brad Smith of Intuit, and countless others. The event, which attracted 212 former nominees and featured 38 speakers, served as the perfect vehicle to carry on Bill's legacy of mentoring. (See below for a full list of participants.)
 
MWF Advisors CEO Mark Flynn, a former linebacker at Saint John's (MN) who coached eighth-grade boys-and-girls' flag-football team with Campbell for thirteen years, played the lead role in organizing the event.  
 
"The storyline of how we were able to put this together involved multiple people, saying how can we pull together something in the legacy of Bill Campbell and share some of his values, and make a difference because that was what Bill was about," said Flynn. "We took the concept to Brad Smith who said 'We are all in whatever it takes and whatever resources you need, Intuit is behind this'... All of you made it a priority to get out here, so our job is to make sure that it's worth your while that we help you advance your life, your career, and we help you with your goals and ambitions."
 
Taking place over four days, the 2019 Summit attracted attendees from 136 colleges and universities from all divisions. The nominees traveled from Finland, Japan, Tanzania, England, Canada, 44 states, and the District of Columbia, and their careers ranged from doctors, engineers, lawyers, physicists, actors, film producers and business and civic leaders.
 
Activities included leadership workshops, a career expo, team building activities, a physical and mental competition dubbed the "Campbell Championship Series," a dinner cruise of San Francisco Bay and several other activities designed to build relationships. The panels explored a wide range of topics designed to foster leadership, personal growth and the career development. The sessions included a Hall of Fame panel with Ronnie Lott (USC) and 1983 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Steve Young (BYU); a workshop with Liz Wiseman, the author of The New York Times bestseller "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter;" and sessions with Intuit CEO Brad Smith, SoFI CEO and former Army West Point linebacker Anthony Noto, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner and retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal.
 
Companies participating in the career expo included Altamont Capital, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deloitte, Enjoy, EY, Google, Intuit, JMI Sports, McChrystal Group, SoFi, Sonim Technologies, WeDriveU and the XFL as well as professionals from the medical and real state fields and several entrepreneurs from a diverse range of emerging companies.

Hoping to expaand the Summit's impact, organizers launched the "Campbell Trophy Mentor Challenge," which will encourage attendees to continue Bill's legacy of mentoring by volunteering with a local community-based organization after returning to their local communities. Setting a modest goal of 50 attendees committing to 200 hours of community service, organizers hope to achieve an impact of 10,000 hours during the next year.
 
All accommodations and meals are provided at no charge for the attendees, and first-time attendees who need assistance receive a $400 travel stipend. To learn more about the specifics, the NFF produced daily recaps, please click:

• Day One Recap
• Day Two Recap
• Day Three Recap

"We at the National Football Foundation try to do the right thing to protect the game, and Mark Flynn came to us, saying we can make a difference. We can add a new chapter, putting together the summit and putting the wind in its sails," said Hatchell. "And Brad Smith said I'll go shoulder-to-shoulder with you, and I'll walk every step with you, and I'll make it work. So for three years, this wonderful, spectacular event, which defines college football in the very best way is because of these two people, so thank you."

• Chase Beeler, Altamont Capital, senior associate, and former Stanford and NFL center
• Thomas D. Burns Jr., Parsons' Salt Waste Processing Facility, senior vice president, 1993 William V. Campbell Trophy recipient, former Virginia linebacker
• Dennis Carlson, WeDriveU, president & CEO
• Gordon Davidson, Fenwick & West LLP, chairman
• Pat Dillingham, Windy Hill Spirits, co-founder and CEO, former Notre Dame quarterback
• Damon Dunn, Lagunita Industries LLC, managing member, former Stanford and NFL wide receiver, 1997 William V. Campbell Trophy finalist
• Alan Eagle, Google, director of executive communications and co-author of The New York Times best-seller: "The Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell"
• Diane Flynn, ReBoot Accel, co-founder and CEO
• Mark Flynn, MFW Advisors CEO, and former Saint John's (MN) linebacker
• Peter Fortenbaugh, Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, CEO
• Pat Gallagher, San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, executive vice president of marketing, partnerships and communication, author
• Dan Giovacchini, Livongo, project finance manager, former Brown linebacker, 2014 Campbell Trophy semifinalist
• Diane B. Greene, Google Inc., senior vice president; former founder and CEO of VMWare
• Ted Gregory, Columbia University, director of Diversity Initiatives and Talent Retention, and former Columbia defensive back
• Jim Hansen, Marine Meteorology Division of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, superintendent, 1992 William V. Campbell Trophy recipient, former Colorado offensive lineman
• Steve Hatchell, National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, president & CEO
• Dean Jacobson, Accel-KKR, managing director, former Harvard offensive lineman, 1998 Campbell Trophy semifinalist
• Gary Kirkham, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, managing director
• Ronnie Lott, Lott Auto Ventures, CEO, 2002 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, former Southern California safety, 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, NFF Board Member
• Craig Mahoney, Orthopaedic Surgeon, 1990 William V. Campbell Trophy finalist, former Iowa State tight end
• Jeffery Marx, 1986 Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author of numerous books, including The New York Times bestsellers "Season of Life" and "The Long Snapper"
• Stanley McChrystal, McChrystal Group, founder, and four-star general (Ret.)
• James McGillicuddy, entrepreneur, former Stanford offensive lineman
• Allan Mishra, Stanford University Medical Center, adjunct clinical associate professor
• Joe Mucat, EY, Redwood Shores managing partner
• Ogonna Nnamani Silva, Stanford All-America volleyball player; two-time Olympian and University of California, San Francisco, medical student
• Anthony Noto, SoFi, CEO and former Army West Point linebacker
• Peter Pilling, Columbia University, Campbell Family director of intercollegiate athletics
• Ted Robinson, television and radio sportscaster
• Jonathan Rosenberg, Google, former Senior Vice President and co-author of The New York Times bestseller: "The Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell"
• Jason Rosenthal, Google, vice president for Product Management
• Yogi Roth, Pac-12 Networks College Football analyst and walk-on wide receiver at Pittsburgh
• Mike Silva, Vulcan Capital, Growth Equity, former Stanford linebacker
• Brad Smith, Intuit, chairman and CEO
• Shawn Vanderhoven, Wiseman Group, partner & collaborator
• Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn, CEO
• Liz Wiseman, author of The New York Times bestseller "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter"
• Steve Young, HGGC, co-founder and managing director, 1983 NFF National Scholar-Athlete (Brigham Young), 2001 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee

   
*Campbell Trophy finalist and NFF National Scholar-Athlete
**Campbell Trophy winner
ǂ NFF National Scholar-Athlete prior to 1990 and the bestowing of the Campbell Trophy
ǂǂ NFF National Scholar-Athlete prior to 1990 and a College Football Hall of Fame inductee
 
The captain of Columbia's 1961 Ivy League championship team, Bill Campbell found his true calling after an unlikely career change at age 39 from football coach to advertising executive. His ability to recruit, develop and manage talented executives – all lessons learned on the gridiron –  proved to be a critical component of his ability to inspire his business teams to the highest levels of success.
 
Campbell joined the NFF Board in 1978 while he was still a coach at Columbia, and he continued to serve with distinction until his passing in 2016. In 2004, the NFF recognized Campbell's contributions and accomplishments by presenting him with the NFF Gold Medal, the organization's highest honor. In 2009, the NFF renamed college football's premier scholar-athlete award as The William V. Campbell Trophy in his honor.
 
Celebrating the 30^th presentation in 2019 as one of college football's most sought after and competitive awards, the trophy identifies one individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. Made of 25-pounds of bronze and 24-inches in height, the trophy is currently displayed at its official home inside the New York Athletic Club and accompanied by a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship. Fidelity Investments serves as a proud partner of both the Campbell Trophy and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
 
The centerpiece to the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, the Campbell Trophy was first presented in 1990 and adds to the prestige of the program, which was launched in 1959 as the first initiative in history to award postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic, athletic and community accomplishments. The program has awarded $11.5 million to 854 top athletes since its inception, and it currently distributes around $300,000 each year. Coupled with the money distributed by its local chapters, the NFF has distributed more than $32 million.