Lake Forest College Lineman Named Semifinalist For Campbell Award

LAKE FOREST, IL — A Lake Forest College senior has been named a semifinalist for the premier award for football scholar-athletes.

Jamari Tansmore, a four-year starter on the Foresters' defensive line and team captain for the last two seasons, is one of 176 nominees for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, which has been awarded by the nonprofit National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame since 1990.

Candidates must be seniors or graduate students who demonstrate both outstanding football ability and strong leadership and citizenship, have earned a grade point average of 3.2 or greater on a 4.0 scale and be in their final year of playing eligibility, according to the foundation, which became the first to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both academic and athletic accomplishments in 1959.

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“I’m so blessed and honored to be considered as a semi-finalist for this prestigious award," Tansmore told Patch. "I never do anything — on the field, or off — for the sole purpose of being acknowledged. I just feel that I owe it to God, myself, my family, my teammates, my coaches, and all my peers to always put my best foot forward in whatever I choose to put my head, hands, and heart to —because those are the people who continue to sharpen me everyday."

Tansmore, a native of Chandler, Arizona, is pursing a double major in economics and data science: statistics, earning a 3.52 GPA while fulfilling three internships, according to the college. On campus, he has served as president of the Lake Forest College Black Men's Group and the Foresters' Student Athlete Advisory Committee representative to the Midwest Conference. He is a two-time Academic All-MWC honoree.

"When being the best ‘you’ that you can be remains the focus, all of the accolades will come with it," he added. "So I am very thankful for the recognition and I hope this can inspire those around me to also strive to be the best version of themselves that they can be.”

Tansmore has played in every single Lake Forest College football game since the start of the 2018 season, a period during which the Foresters defense has conceded an average of just 19.3 points per game, according to the school. He has contributed 73 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and three sacks during his career.

"Jamari is the type of individual that not only makes his teammates better, but all that he comes into contact with," Jim Catanzaro, Lake Forest College athletic director and football coach, said in a statement. "He is a fierce competitor on and off the field, but the kindest and most thoughtful soul we have in our program. He is someone that younger players look to for mentorship and he supplies it with a passion that is unparalleled."

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According to the National Football Foundation, somewhere between 12 and 14 finalists will be announced on Oct. 27 to take part in the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. One winner announced at the dinner as the 32nd winner of the 32nd Campbell Trophy will receive a $25,000 scholarship.

Past Campbell Trophy winners have included two Heisman Trophy winners, two Rhodes Scholars and seven first-round NFL draft picks. No one from a college in Illinois has even won the award.

"These 176 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively, before launching careers as NFL quarterbacks. "This year's semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders."