IRVING, Texas – Black Hills State University football redshirt-senior,
Aaron Thiele was among the record-setting 203 semifinalists for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy®, when the list of the nation's top scholar-athletes was announced by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) on Wednesday. Thiele is one of 18 nominees that hail from NCAA Division II and is one of just two from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). The award received nominations from all three NCAA Divisions as well as the NAIA.
The linebacker from Buffalo, Wyoming, has started 36 consecutive games for the Green & Gold and has been a center piece on the defense since he first appeared on the field in 2020. Through three games in the 2024 season he has tallied nine tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one quarterback hurry. Overall, in his career he has recorded 202 tackles, 20.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, one interception, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He has received accolades such as All-RMAC Second Team (2022) and All-RMAC Honorable Mention (2021 and 2023).
Not only has Thiele found success on the field, but also in the classroom. He is a 2023 BHSU graduate in business administration with a minor in agricultural business and has gone on to pursue a master's in strategic leadership. He has been a 7-time dean's list honoree, a 2-time All-RMAC Academic First Team selection (2021 and 2022), an All-RMAC Academic Honorable Mention honoree (2023), and was recognized in 2022 on the CSC Academic All-District team. Outside of athletics and the classroom, Thiele is actively involved at the Newman Center, was a BHSU Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) member from 2021-22, and regularly volunteers to assist the Black Hills State rodeo team host events at the Seven Down Events Center.
The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 23, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 35th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior who will complete his final year of eligibility in the 2024 season or graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and participating in the 2024 season; 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.
