Troy Andersen awarded NFF National Scholar-Athlete

Troy Andersen, a senior linebacker from Dillon, has proved himself as an irreplaceable asset to the Montana State football team. In this football program's history, he currently stands second in rushing touchdowns (23), ninth in rushing yards (2,263), and set the record for most points scored in a season in 2018 (128). His resume goes on with many awards, such as Big Sky Freshman of the year honors in 2017 as a running back,First Team All-Big Sky honors and Third Team All-American in 2018 as quarterback. In 2019 he earned First Team All-Big Sky honors and First Team All-American honors at linebacker. He has also been named team captain twice.

Recently, Andersen earned himself yet another very prestigious award. He has been selected as one of the 13 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, known as the "Academic Heisman," making him a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete. The Campbell Trophy is given to players who perform exceptionally well in academics, community service and on the football field. The award was named for William V. Campbell, a former player and head coach at Columbia University, Campbell was a successful businessman and served on the board of directors at Apple.

Andersen graduated last semester with a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business. Through college, he maintained a 3.91 GPA, making the Dean’s and President’s list every semester. He also coached youth football camps and volunteered in Bozeman Public Schools. For this accomplishment, Andersen will receive a post-graduate scholarship of $18,000. The NFF will announce the winner of the Campbell Trophy at the ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Montana State has only had five NFF scholar-athletes, the last one being Ryan Johnson in 2002.

"This is a tremendous and most deserved honor for Troy," Leon Costello, MSU Director of Athletics, said in a press conference. "Troy is an outstanding student, gifted athlete and consummate leader on and off the field. He is the model representative for Bobcat football, the athletic department and Montana State University."

When asked about what type of legacy he wants to leave behind, Andersen says, "I just want to be known as a good teammate, somebody who showed up every day and, you know, put in the work and worked hard."

Andersen is looking forward to the next game this season against Eastern Washington, being the focused athlete he is. "We have a big challenge this upcoming week, but I think we are ready, and we are excited to go showcase our skills against the best offense in the nation." When asked to give remarks to the team regarding his achievement Andersen simply said, “let’s go beat Eastern Washington.”

Andersen and the fourth-ranked Cats are set to travel to Cheney and face off against the fifth-ranked Eagles in a top-five clash. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. You can watch the game on ESPN+ or listen to the Bobcat Radio Network.