IRVING, Texas – Max Olson of the Gustavus Adolphus College football team has been named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation (NFF) 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy: college football's premier scholar-athlete award. Olson is one of 206 semifinalists in the nation and one of just 44 from NCAA Division III to be in contention for the award.
 
Celebrating its 37^th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Past Campbell Trophy recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners, and ten first-round NFL Draft picks.
 
Olson is a two-time MIAC All-conference honoree and two-time team captain who helped the Gusties win the 2023 MIAC Northwoods Division Championship. The senior accounting major also excels academically, having earned CSC Academic All-District and MIAC Academic All-Conference awards twice each. In his career, Olson has played in 30 games with 116 total tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
 
"Max has been a dominant force on the field for four years," said Gustavus head coach Peter Haugen. "One of our league's premier defensive lineman. His athleticism is rare but what's even more impressive is the way he conducts himself as a leader of our team. He is humble and leads by example in everything he does. This style of leadership has had a great impact on our program, and he has won the respect of our players and staff. Great leaders make those around them better and Max is that guy. He has committed himself to the mentoring of our players and their performance has improved because of his influence and his expectation for excellence."
 
Nominated by their schools, each candidate must be competing in the 2026 season as a senior in his final year of eligibility or a graduate student/graduate transfer who has already earned a degree; have a cumulative undergraduate 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 composed of a nationally recognized group of media, NFF College Football Hall of Famers, and athletics administrators.

The NFF will announce 12 to 16 finalists on October 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68^th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 8, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. During the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 37th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.