IRVING, Texas (July 30, 2024) – The Sixth Annual William V. Campbell Trophy® Summit took place July 25-27 at Stanford University in California, serving as vehicle for perpetuating the ethos that helped Bill Campbell, the trophy's namesake, become one of the most influential business leaders of his generation. The event, which attracted more than 280 attendees from 133 colleges and universities, is proudly sponsored by Intuit, the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp.
 
Since 2017, the event has connected former Campbell Trophy® nominees with some of the nation's top CEOs and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who have imparted valuable life lessons to the attendees at all stages of their careers. Headline speakers at the 2024 event included Sam Acho (ESPN Analyst, NFL player and 2010 Campbell Trophy® recipient from Texas); Nikesh Arora (Palo Alto Networks CEO), Greg Johnson (Intuit executive vice president and former Air Force two-time all-conference halfback); Joe Moglia (former TD Ameritrade chairman & CEO and Coastal Carolina head coach); Brad D. Smith (Marshall University president and former Intuit Chairman & CEO); and Jeremy Utley (Stanford d.school Executive Education Director, venture investor and author).
 
"The Campbell Trophy® Summit has created a truly unique platform for connecting mentors and mentees around the lessons of leadership, who then return home to carry on the legacy of Bill Campbell in their respective communities," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The 2024 Summit represents a continuation of the NFF's work in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal that began more than seven decades ago and our commitment to highlight football's role in creating educational opportunities for those who play our sport."
 
Organized as a tribute to the late Bill Campbell, the former CEO and Chairman of Intuit, the event serves as a vehicle for the many leaders impacted by Campbell to pass on his insights about success, leadership and personal growth. The 2024 event provided all past Campbell Trophy® nominees a unique chance to interact and learn from many of the nation's top entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley CEOs.
 
This year's 280-plus attendees represented 133 colleges and universities from all divisions, and their current careers range from doctors, engineers, lawyers, physicists and business and civic leaders. They carried an average GPA in college of 3.68 and 59 percent have subsequently earned advanced degrees. They came from 40 different states and Dubai, and more than half played Division I football while another 28 percent played professionally. More than 59 percent have attended a previous Summit, and their ages ranged from the early 20s to 69 with an average age of 35.
 
Brad D. Smith, who currently heads Marshall University and was mentored by Bill Campbell during his tenure at Intuit, kicked off the three-day event with a tribute to the event's namesake and the attendees who gathered to carry on his legacy.
 
"Bill Campbell became a CEO, a chairman, and he became an icon," said Smith. "He could have done anything he wanted to do in each of those roles. The one thing he remained true to was he was kind. He was kind to everyone around him. And so now you are his namesake… So, I ask you to leave with this thought…. I hope you will channel your inner Bill Campbell…and I hope that that you can choose to do one thing, I hope you choose to be kind."
 
A three-day event, the 2024 Summit included leadership workshops, team building activities, and several other social networking activities designed to build relationships, including a non-tackle ultimate football game, a casino night at the Stanford Alumni Center, and a welcome reception at the Stanford Home of Champions. The panels covered a wide range of topics designed to foster leadership, personal growth and the career development of the attendees.
 
MWF Advisors CEO Mark Flynn, a former linebacker at Saint John's (MN) who was a volunteer coach for an eighth-grade boys-and-girls' flag-football team with Campbell, has played the lead role in organizing the event since its inception in 2017.
 
"The Summit is about a group of former student-athletes who have become great leaders and are willing to travel great distances to share and learn very important lessons about leadership, mentoring and paying it forward, all virtues and values espoused by Bill Campbell," said Flynn. "The Summit is a place where leaders sharpen leaders."
 
The Summit is open to all former nominees for the Campbell Trophy®, which has been presented since 1990, and the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, which have been bestowed since 1959. The approach of inviting all the past nominees stretching back to 1959 has created a unique community of recent college graduates as well as professionals in the middle of their careers and retirees who can serve as mentors.

After Smith kicked off the event, a wide range of issues were tackled. Sam Acho took the stage, using the metaphor that small hinges swing big doors as a tool for attendees to think about taking small actions that will lead to big changes. Joe Moglia followed, sharing with the group his remarkable story, which started with him as an assistant college football coach, becoming a Wall Street titan and returning to football as the head coach at Coastal Carolina. Tom Bratton, Medallion Partners CEO, and Diane Flynn, ReBoot Accel Co-founder and CEO, conducted a workshop, which engaged the attendees in a series of exercises designed to tackle the epidemic of loneliness by stressing mentorship and building relationships.
 
After lunch, Greg Johnson was interviewed by his former Air Force teammate and 1988 Campbell Trophy Finalist David Hlatky. The conversation covered career paths, work-life balance and the time management challenges of high-level corporate executives. Alan Eagle, the author of "Learned Excellence" spoke about the mental discipline of high-level performers and the mindset required to overcome setbacks and become an elite producer. Stanford Adjunct Faculty Member Burke Robinson, who helped the San Francisco 49ers develop their vision statement, concluded the first day with a workshop on the six elements of quality decision making in the face of uncertainty.

Day two began with a presentation by Stanford d.school Executive Education Director Jeremy Utley, who challenged the attendees to embrace Generative AI as a tool to enhance personal creativity; create organizational transformation; and problem solve. Nikesh Arora, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, was joined on the stage by Ron Johnson, the former Apple Senior Vice President & Founder of the Apple Retail Stores. The two discussed career transitions, leadership styles, and the challenges of being a CEO.

After a break, Shawn Vanderhoven, a partner in the Wiseman Group and a collaborator on second edition of The New York Times bestseller "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter" conducted a workshop on leadership styles that lead to the success of the team by maximizing everyone's natural talents. Nate Boyer, a 2014 Campbell Trophy® semifinalist from Texas who also played in the NFL and served in the Army as Green Beret, concluded the event. Boyer introduced the attendees to Merging Vets & Players, a nonprofit he co-founded, which brings together combat vets and former professional athletes to help them find purpose and identity after they lose the uniform.

Christian Ponder, a 2010 Campbell Trophy Finalist from Florida State who played six seasons in the NFL, attended for the first time this year. Ponder founded The Post, a private community providing professional development resources to former athletes who are now business leaders, and he said the Summit has helped him reevaluate how he can become a better leader.

"I should be investing in the next generation leaders, whether it's my kids or the people I'm working for or working with," said Ponder. "It's been a lot of information. I feel motivated, energized, with a to-do list that's 1,000 items long…. When you get around guys who have the same passion for football and now a similar passion for business and a hunger to continue to learn [it's powerful] … The Summit does such a good job in bringing in speakers and creating workshops and the opportunity to connect with everyone and learn, develop and grow as leaders."
 
Gordie Lockbaum, a 2001 College Football Hall of Fame inductee and a 1987 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from The College of the Holy Cross, also attended for the first time. Lockbaum, who has worked in the insurance industry for the past 35 years, becoming a principal with the Sullivan Insurance Group in Worcester, MA, said the Summit came at the perfect time in his life as he transitions to a new stage in his career and life.
 
"[The Summit] addresses the type of values, things and the challenges that I've experienced recently, where I need to do better, and it takes coaching," said Lockbaum. "I benefited from coaching in all my athletic endeavors over the years, and from my teachers at school and professors, but coaching in business and personal development is something that has a very high value and something that I needed at this point."
 
Dontez Ford, a 2016 Campbell Trophy Semifinalist from Pitt, returned for his second Summit. Ford, who played in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and then in the Alliance for American Football, currently works for Medtronic as a Senior Clinical Specialist & Field Sales Trainer, and he felt it was important for him return to the Summit.
 
"The Summit provides you invaluable experiences and access to people who can share their wealth of knowledge with you," said Ford. "It's not very often you have leaders in technology, in politics, with speakers like Condoleezza Rice, and in sports, who can all come together and share a wealth of information and ideas… Relationships are everything. We learned that early on as football players… You build lifelong relationships, and they become your family and your brothers, and now here at the Campbell Trophy Summit, you're able to build those same type of relationships and continue to build those networks."

DAY ONE PRESENTATION LINKS
(Chronological Order)
 
Brad D. Smith: Mister Rogers and the Essential Elements of Leadership
 
Sam Acho: Small Hinges Swing Big Doors
 
Joe Moglia: Leadership Insights from a Business Titan and FBS College Football Coach
 
Tom Bratton: Tackling the Epidemic of Loneliness by Stressing Mentorship and Building Relationships
 
Lunch Break
 
Greg Johnson: The Role of Mentorship and Lifelong Learning in Career Success
 
Alan Eagle: Mastering Mental Discipline and Achieving Learned Excellence
 
John Lynch & Burke Robinson: Understanding the Secret Sauce of the San Francisco 49ers
 
DAY TWO PRESENTATION LINKS
 
Jeremy Utley: AI Ignites Human Creativity
 
Shawn Vanderhoven: Transforming Leadership Styles to Boost Team Morale and Performance
 
Nikesh Arora: Values, Vision, and Victory, a CEO's Insights on Navigating Careers and Business
 
Nate Boyer: Helping Combat Vets & Professional Athletes Face Challenges After They Lose the Uniform
 
   
Arizona State University - Skyler Fulton (2003)
Arizona State University - Kyle Williams (2019)
Augustana College (IL) - David Lee (2011)
Ball State University - Alex Joss (2018)
Benedict College (SC) - Loobert Denelus (2023)
Berry College (GA) - Jake Weitkamp (2022)
Boise State University - Kekaula Kaniho (2020)
Brigham Young University (BYU) - Adam Pulsipher (2018)
Brown University - Justin Anagonye (2023)
Bucknell University - David Frisbey (2006)
Bucknell University - Sam Oyekoya (2012)
Bucknell University - Grayson Cherubino (2021)
Butler University - Mike Goletz (1999)
Butler University - David McMahon (2006)
Campbell University - Thomas Hartshorn (2018)
Case Western Reserve University (OH) - Marco Toth (2023)
Cornell University - Jelani Taylor (2019)
Dakota State University (SD) - Jason Grady (2015)
Dartmouth College - Kevin Noone (2002)
Dartmouth College - Jay Barnard (2003)
Dartmouth College - Jack Heneghan (2017)
Dartmouth College - Evan Hecimovich (2021)
Delaware State University - Peter Gaertner (2006)
Delta State University (MS) - Tyler Sullivan (2016)
Doane University (NE) - Ty Martinsen (2023)
Drake University - Ryan Horvath (2005)
Earlham College (IN) - Drew Hosier (2008)
Eastern Illinois University - Harry Woodbery (2020)
Eastern Kentucky University - Patrick Ford (2012)
Fairfield University (CT) - Adam Ferreri (2000)
Faulkner University (AL) - Elliott Graves (2015)
Florida State University - Christian Ponder (2010)
Fresno State - Jacob Vazquez (2016)
Gardner-Webb University - William McRainey (2023)
Georgia State University - Bobby Baker (2016)
Grinnell College (IA) - Ibuki Ogasawara (2016)
Hamline University (MN) - Charlie Wilson (2023)
Hampden-Sydney College (VA) - Michael Harris (2022)
Harvard University - Michael Mancinelli (2014)
Hobart College (NY) - Cade Frucci (2022)
Hope College (MI) - Kirby Crook (2014)
Hope College (MI) - Brandon Ellsworth (2017)
Hope College (MI) - Daniel Romano (2022)
Indiana University - Beau Robbins (2022)
Iona College - Terence Kehayas (2005)
Iowa State University - Craig Mahoney (1990)
James Madison University - Arthur Townsend (2004)
Kansas State University - Brooks Barta (1992)
Knox College (IL) - Robert Monroe (1987)
La Salle University (PA) - John Travers (2001)
Lake Forest College (IL) - George Vidas (2015)
Lake Forest College (IL) - Jamari Tansmore (2021)
Lake Forest College (IL) - Justin Albee (2023)
Lehigh University - Pete Haffner (2020)
Liberty University - Brook Farrel (2005)
Marist College - Mike Arrington (2022)
McMurry University (TX) - Malachi LeCadre-Grey (2023)
McNeese State University - Wes Hines (2000)
Methodist University (NC) - Brandon Bullins (2023)
Middle Tennessee State University - Leighton Gasque (2014)
Middle Tennessee State University - Jordan Parker (2015)
Millsaps College (MS) - Steele Liles (2018)
Monmouth College (IL) - Daniel Cotter (1987)
Monmouth College (IL) - Clark Gaden (2019)
Montana State University - Jordan Craney (2010)
Morehead State University (KY) - Nick Feldman (2008)
Newberry College (SC) - Jawanza Adams (2018)
Nicholls State University - Zack Bernard (2023)
North Central College (IL) - Benjamin Hare (2005)
North Central College (IL) - Alex Pirela (2012)
North Dakota State University - Kevin Feeney (1998)
Northern Arizona University - Jacob Crissup (1999)
Northern Arizona University - Eric Damko (2001)
Northern Arizona University - Michael Herrick (2010)
Ohio State University - Gregory Frey (1990)
Ohio University - Matthew Miller (2005)
Oklahoma State University - Brad Lundblade (2017)
Old Dominion University - Jonathan Plisco (2012)
Oregon State University - Andrew Levitre (2008)
Oregon State University - Isaac Hodgins (2023)
Penn State University - John Walsh (1980)
Penn State University - Jeff Hartings (1995)
Pittsburg State University (KS) - Darian Taylor (2018)
Rowan University (NJ) - Chris Popper (2012)
Rutgers University - Quentin Gause (2015)
Rutgers University - Billy Taylor (2020)
Rutgers University - Mayan Ahanotu (2023)
Sacramento State - Peter Buck (2010)
Saint John's University (MN) - Blake Elliott (2003)
Saint John's University (MN) - Dominic Haik (2009)
Saint John's University (MN) - Steve Johnson (2012)
Saint John's University (MN) - Carter Hanson (2016)
Saint John's University (MN) - Jackson Erdmann (2019)
Saint John's University (MN) - Michael Wozniak (2022)
Saint Mary's College (CA) - Sean Laird (1997)
San Jose State University - Tom James (1998)
San Jose State University - Jeff Wucinich (1999)
Sewanee: The University of the South (TN) - Jason Forrester (1992)
Shenandoah University (VA) - Noah Temme (2023)
Springfield College (MA) - DJ Brown (2023)
St. Ambrose University (IA) - Brad Cook (2006)
St. Cloud State University (MN) - Matt Theis (2011)
St. Olaf College (MN) - Brian Senske (2003)
St. Olaf College (MN) - Ben Hestorff (2023)
Stanford University - Jet Toner (2020)
Stetson University - Austin Tyrrell (2017)
Tennessee State University - Bryson Rosser (2005)
The College at Brockport (NY) - Matt Mangona (2009)
The College of the Holy Cross - Gordon Lockbaum (1987)/College Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2001)
The College of the Holy Cross - John Macomber (2013)
The College of Wooster (OH) - Rick Drushal (2006)
Troy University - Clayton Ollendieck (2023)
Tufts University (MA) - Khalif Jeter (2020)
Tufts University (MA) - Mike Pedrini (2021)
Tufts University (MA) - Johnathan Oneal (2022)
United States Air Force Academy - David Hlatky (1988)
United States Naval Academy - Cameron Kinley (2020)
University at Buffalo - Lee Skinner (2014)
University of Arizona - Darrell Brooks (2005)
University of Arkansas - Brooks Ellis (2016)
University of California, Davis - Jonathan Grant (2006)
University of Central Florida (UCF) - Joey Grant (2015)
University of Central Florida (UCF) - Jordan (Kelton) Johnson (2019)
University of Central Florida (UCF) - Eriq Gilyard (2021)
University of Chicago (IL) - Dan Philips (2000)
University of Chicago (IL) - Nicholas D'Ambrose (2022)
University of Colorado - Jim Hansen (1992)/Campbell Trophy® winner
University of Colorado - Nate Bonsu (2013)
University of Dayton - Martin McNamara (2001)
University of Delaware - Laith Wallschleger (2014)
University of Florida - Johnny Townsend (2017)
University of Georgia - Drew Butler (2011)
University of Kentucky - Antoine Huffman (2005)
University of Maine - Eric Lee (2009)
University of Maryland - Jonathan Claiborne (1977)
University of Massachusetts (UMass) - Douglas White (2002)
University of Michigan - Zoltan Mesko (2009)
University of Minnesota - Anthony Brinkhaus (2007)
University of Minnesota - Adam Weber (2010)
University of Missouri - Robert Droege (2003)
University of Missouri - Sean Culkin (2016)
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) - John Greer (2000)
University of North Alabama - Derrick Chatman (2008)
University of Notre Dame - Timothy Ridder (1998)
University of Oregon - William Musgrave (1990)
University of Pennsylvania - Matt Rader (1998)
University of Pittsburgh - Dontez Ford (2016)
University of Redlands (CA) - Mitch Kidd (2017)
University of South Alabama - Harrison Louden (2017)
University of Texas - Sam Acho (2010)/Campbell Trophy® winner
University of Texas - Nate Boyer (2014)
University of Tulsa - James Kilian (2004)
University of Virginia (UVA) - Thomas Burns (1993) /Campbell Trophy® winner
University of Virginia (UVA) - Brendan Farrell (2022)
University of Wisconsin - Stout - Jared Allen (2017)
University of Wyoming - Stuart Williams (2014)
University of Wyoming - Cooper Rothe (2019)
Utah State University - Nick Heninger (2021)
Valparaiso University - Bobby Wysocki (2011)
Valparaiso University - Alex Grask (2013)
Wartburg College (IA) - Garrett McGrane (2012)
Washington & Jefferson College (PA) - B.J. Monacelli (2013)
Washington State University - Kenny Alfred (2009)
Wayne State University (MI) - Nick Thomas (2012)
Wayne State University (MI) - Trent Brodbeck (2016)
Wayne State University (MI) - Drake Reid (2023)
Wesleyan University (CT) - Justin Johnson (2021)
Wheaton College (IL) - James Hoxworth (2003)
Widener University (PA) - Brandon Richards (1998)
William & Mary - Will Whitehurst (2023)
Wingate University (NC) - Trevor Grant (2023)
Yale University - Sterling Strother (2019)
 
*Campbell Trophy® Finalists and NFF National Scholar-Athletes are bolded. Three Campbell Trophy® winners: Sam Acho (Texas), Thomas Burns (Virginia), Jim Hansen (Colorado) attended. One College Football Hall of Fame inductee attended: Gordie Lockbaum (Holy Cross).
 
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 its 35th year in 2024, the trophy identifies one individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership, and it has become one of college football's most sought after and competitive awards. 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. The trophy is accompanied by a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
 
The centerpiece to the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments, 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. Using the recipients of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards as the pool of finalists, the NFF selects one member of the class as the winner of the Campbell Trophy®. The program has awarded $12.6 million to 922 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 $39.3 million.