From South Eugene High School, former Axe quarterback, safety and centerfielder Bryce Boettcher won the 2024 Burlsworth Trophy as the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.
A year later, Boettcher is a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, also known as "The Academic Heisman," won by Justin Herbert in 2019 and Bo Nix in 2023. Herbert used to tutor in the biology lab.
It's named for William V. Campbell, a former head coach and player at Columbia, first awarded in 1990. It honors one player a year for academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Boettcher is up against 178 nominees from all levels of college football, one of whom is a tight end at Harvard. Even so, his devotion and intensity as both a football player and a scholar-athlete remains worth recognizing, an inspiring story of a guy who walked on at Oregon in two sports, making himself into an all-conference, Gold Glove centerfielder and the heart of Tosh Lupoi's defense.
#Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher comes away with an early interception and great return putting the Ducks in great field position.
— Andy (@AndyyNFL) September 13, 2025
One of the LB prospects to watch for the 2026 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/NPWry1jSyP
In their 4-0 start Boettcher leads the Oregon defense with 27 tackles. He's a social science major with an emphasis in economics with multiple appearances on the Dean's List and Honor Roll, drafted by the Houston Astros in baseball.
A year ago after the Civil War, Dan Lanning said, “I love Bryce Boettcher. I wish I had a million Bryce Boettchers. This guy, the way he works, what you guys see in the game is what I see every single day in practice. Sometimes he hits one of our own players, and I’ve got to make him go run around the field goal post. It’s good when you’re playing another team because you’ve got that guy on your side.”
On Saturday, the only award he wants to win is a little blood on his jersey. The Nittany Lions have one of the best running attacks in college football, averaging 194 yards a game.