THE FLATS – Georgia Tech offensive lineman Ryan Johnson (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy) is a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced on Wednesday. The Campbell Trophy recognizes college football’s top scholar-athlete.
The recognition comes on the strength of Johnson’s high academic achievement, which includes having earned three prestigious college degrees in just five-and-a-half years. He began his collegiate career at the University of Tennessee, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in just two-and-a-half years (with a 3.86 grade point average) and a master’s degree in structural engineering in just a year-and-a-half. He arrived at Georgia Tech in January 2020 as a graduate transfer and needed just a year-and-a-half to complete coursework for a master’s degree in analytics.
Highlighting his long list of academic accolades, Johnson became the 10th student-athlete in Georgia Tech football history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors last season, marking the third time in his collegiate career that he’s received the recognition.
Johnson has also been a leader on the field and in the locker room for Georgia Tech since his arrival on The Flats. He has started all 14 games at right guard over the last two seasons for the Yellow Jackets and, in those 14 games, he’s served as a game captain five times. Prior to joining the Jackets, he appeared in all 36 games at Tennessee from 2017-19, making 19 starts and playing a total of five different positions (including tight end).
In community, he has been involved with various service projects with Tech football, including volunteering at the Salvation Army and participating in Lift for Life.
Johnson is one of 176 semifinalists for the 2021 Campbell Trophy, spanning all levels of college football. Candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final season of athletic eligibility, have a GPA of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor and demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
He is the Yellow Jackets’ first Campbell Trophy semifinalist since Brad Stewart in 2018.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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