Oklahoma center Ty Darlington wins Campbell Trophy

Oklahoma center Ty Darlington, one of the leaders of a team that won the Big 12 and earned a place in this season's College Football Playoff, is the winner of the 26th Campbell Trophy recognizing the best combination of on-field performance, academic achievement and off-field service among college football players.

"Ty Darlington's exceptional accomplishments rank him among the best student-athletes in the history of our sport, making him the ideal Campbell Trophy recipient," National Football Foundation President & CEO Steve Hatchell said in a news release.

"He truly embodies the NFF's mission of building leaders through football, and we are proud to have him as a member of this elite fraternity. We look forward to watching the future unfold for this incredible young man."

Darlington called it "an incredible honor … because it's not an on-the-field thing, but because it's a character award, the way you deal with all aspects of life."

The Campbell Trophy, considered the "academic Heisman", includes a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship for the winner and $18,000 grants for the 11 other finalists.

Darlington, a senior who has been called "an athletics director in training" by Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione, had a 3.91 GPA while earning a bachelor's degree in arts & sciences in just 2 ½ years. He is working toward a master's degree in higher education.

From Apopka, Fla., Darlington is the center of the offensive line on a Sooners offense that ranks in the top five nationally in scoring and the top 10 in total offense.

Candidates for the Campbell Trophy and NFF Scholar-Athlete recognition must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, and excel on the field and their community.