IRVING, Texas (September 29, 2021) – For the second straight fall, Northern Arizona All-American punter
DJ Arnson has been named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the nation's top scholar-athlete by the National Football Foundation.
Arnson, now officially entering his final season with the Lumberjacks after being granted an additional year of eligibility following the football season's move to the spring last year, is an eight-time All-American between preseason and postseason honors. Additionally, Arnson earned 2020 FCS Punter of the Year for his play during the spring and entered the 2021 season on the watchlist for the award once again.
Now in his fifth season on the field for the Lumberjacks, Arnson arrived at Northern Arizona University in the spring of 2017 after attending Cochise Community College for a semester. The native of Chandler, Arizona completed his bachelor's degree in biomedical science with a minor in chemistry in the spring of 2019 and also finished a master's degree in education with an emphasis in human relations this past spring. Once his football career is complete, Arnson has his sights set on attending medical school.
Celebrating its 32nd year, the Campbell Trophy honors academic success, on-field performance and leadership within the community. Arnson is also a four-time Big Sky All-Academic honoree and four-time Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award recipient in addition to his numerous honors for his excellence on the field.
A member of NAU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Arnson spent 2019 as the chairman of community engagement. Arnson has helped paint Flagstaff's Murdock Community Center, provided meals at the Flagstaff Women's Center and aided in filling sandbags to protect against possible flooding following the Museum Fire in 2019.
A total of 176 student-athletes were named semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy this fall from all levels of college football, including 36 players from the FCS and just three from the Big Sky Conference. Before Arnson was named a semifinalist in the past two years, NAU linebacker Jake Casteel was also named as a semifinalist for the award in 2018.
The NFF will announce 12 to 14 finalists on Oct. 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. All finalists will travel to the ARIA Resort & Casino on Dec. 7 where one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
