Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Photo by: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma
Heinecke Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
September 24, 2025 | Football
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday.
The Campbell Trophy, in its 36th year, is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Heinecke received his bachelor's degree in business administration in December 2024 and is pursuing a master's degree in accountancy. He graduated with a 3.59 undergraduate GPA and maintains a 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
Heinecke was named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2024, earned Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction in four of his completed semesters, was named to the OU President's Honor Roll (4.0 semester GPA) for two semesters and was on the Dean's Honor Roll (3.5+ semester GPA) for three semesters. He served as a game captain for OU's 2024 contest at Ole Miss.
The Tulsa, Okla., product has seen his on-field role increase substantially this season. After totaling 11 tackles in 26 games over the last two seasons while playing primarily on special teams, Heinecke has played in all four games this season as part of the primary linebacker rotation. He ranks fifth on the team in total tackles (14), which includes 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack, and has registered two pass breakups. He entered this season with no tackles for loss and no pass breakups.
Off the field, Heinecke has volunteered during OU's open weeks and other times throughout the year to improve the Oklahoma City metropolitan community. For the last three years, Owen has spent time during the team's open weeks working with the 111 Project to build more than 300 beds for children involved in child welfare across the state of Oklahoma and to pack and deliver bags of supplies for foster families in the Norman area. He also visited a local group home to mentor some of the youth living in the home. This week, Heinecke and his teammates worked with the Beacon Project to put together care packages of school supplies and clothes for children in the local community.
In January 2023, he helped with the beautification of a two-mile stretch of Martin Luther King Ave. in Oklahoma City, worked on the community garden and helped paint and clean up the grounds of The Bridge Impact Center for youth and young adults in Oklahoma City. In 2024, he and teammates packed more than 40,000 meals to be sent to people in need in Haiti. Additionally, for the last three years, Heinecke has worked with the OU Children's Hospital and Art with a Heart (a philanthropic event benefiting the Oklahoma Children's Cancer Association, Cavett Kids Foundation and the K Club).
Heinecke began his college career at Ohio State University, where he played lacrosse for one season and appeared in three games. His uncle, Cory Heinecke, was an OU defensive end from 1999-2001 and member of Sooners' 2000 national championship team.
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9. During the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 36th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, candidates for the award must be a senior in their final year of playing eligibility or graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree, have a 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 comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Former Sooner center Ty Darlington was awarded the Campbell Trophy in 2015, and former center Gabe Ikard and former defensive back Pat Fields were finalists in 2013 and 2021, respectively.
The Campbell Trophy, in its 36th year, is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Heinecke received his bachelor's degree in business administration in December 2024 and is pursuing a master's degree in accountancy. He graduated with a 3.59 undergraduate GPA and maintains a 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
Heinecke was named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2024, earned Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction in four of his completed semesters, was named to the OU President's Honor Roll (4.0 semester GPA) for two semesters and was on the Dean's Honor Roll (3.5+ semester GPA) for three semesters. He served as a game captain for OU's 2024 contest at Ole Miss.
The Tulsa, Okla., product has seen his on-field role increase substantially this season. After totaling 11 tackles in 26 games over the last two seasons while playing primarily on special teams, Heinecke has played in all four games this season as part of the primary linebacker rotation. He ranks fifth on the team in total tackles (14), which includes 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack, and has registered two pass breakups. He entered this season with no tackles for loss and no pass breakups.
Off the field, Heinecke has volunteered during OU's open weeks and other times throughout the year to improve the Oklahoma City metropolitan community. For the last three years, Owen has spent time during the team's open weeks working with the 111 Project to build more than 300 beds for children involved in child welfare across the state of Oklahoma and to pack and deliver bags of supplies for foster families in the Norman area. He also visited a local group home to mentor some of the youth living in the home. This week, Heinecke and his teammates worked with the Beacon Project to put together care packages of school supplies and clothes for children in the local community.
In January 2023, he helped with the beautification of a two-mile stretch of Martin Luther King Ave. in Oklahoma City, worked on the community garden and helped paint and clean up the grounds of The Bridge Impact Center for youth and young adults in Oklahoma City. In 2024, he and teammates packed more than 40,000 meals to be sent to people in need in Haiti. Additionally, for the last three years, Heinecke has worked with the OU Children's Hospital and Art with a Heart (a philanthropic event benefiting the Oklahoma Children's Cancer Association, Cavett Kids Foundation and the K Club).
Heinecke began his college career at Ohio State University, where he played lacrosse for one season and appeared in three games. His uncle, Cory Heinecke, was an OU defensive end from 1999-2001 and member of Sooners' 2000 national championship team.
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9. During the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 36th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, candidates for the award must be a senior in their final year of playing eligibility or graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree, have a 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 comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Former Sooner center Ty Darlington was awarded the Campbell Trophy in 2015, and former center Gabe Ikard and former defensive back Pat Fields were finalists in 2013 and 2021, respectively.
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