CLICK HERE for more on Spencer Blackburn Being a Finalist for the Campbell Trophy

Highly-decorated and highly-regarded during his Eastern Washington University football career, the cache of Spencer Blackburn is missing one thing. A tuxedo.
 
The sixth-year senior All-America center was selected to the 2019 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Class on Oct. 30 and is one of 12 finalists nationally for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda. The Campbell Trophy annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The winner of the award will be announced on Dec. 10 at a black-tie gala in New York City, hence the need for a tux rental for the 6-foot-2, 290-pound Blackburn.
 
But first, Blackburn and 19 other seniors will get one last chance to win at "The Inferno." And they've been pretty good at it too -- EWU is 37-14 overall (72.5 percent) and 26-5 (83.9 percent) in Big Sky Conference play in the last three-plus seasons. If the dominoes fall correctly on Saturday, the Eagles could win the Big Sky title and perhaps advance to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs for the third time in those four seasons.
 
 "He hits the books harder than football, and he hits football pretty hard," said Eastern head coach Aaron Best. "It's more than football in our program here at Eastern, and he's the epitome of that."
 
Blackburn is a 2014 graduate of Meridian High School in Bellingham, Wash., and has a streak of 48 consecutive starts since taking over the center position in the fourth game of the 2016 season. He's earned second-team All-Big Sky honors in each of the last three seasons, and earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors a year ago.
 
He has completed his economics major, but won't graduate until he finishes his second major in accounting this fall. In addition, Blackburn was a team co-captain in both 2019 and 2018, and was also named both years to the Academic All-District 8 Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He has also earned three Big Sky All-Academic honors, and has a 3.69 grade point average. He was the 2017 recipient of the Larry Hattemer Offensive Lineman Scholarship.
 
Last summer, Blackburn was one of just 28 players nationally to be honored on the Athlon 2019 Preseason NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team.  It was one of four preseason All-America honors Blackburn earned in the summer, as he also earned second team preseason All-America honors from STATS, Hero Sports and Phil Steele.  
 
Blackburn is a sixth-year senior in 2019 after he received approval from the Big Sky Conference and the NCAA for their hardship waiver requests to receive a sixth year to complete four years of eligibility.  He redshirted in 2014, but couldn't play in 2015 because of a thumb injury. In 2018 he earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors by Associated Press (second team) and STATS (third team).
 
 
Q: How Does it Feel to Be a Finalist for the Prestigious Campbell Trophy?
"It's a huge honor, and it's a testament to not just being a player on the field but being a student in the classroom as well. I wouldn't be able to earn an honor like this if it wasn't for the coaching staff and the people around me. It's cliché to say that, but it's a group which actually truly says school comes first."
 
Q: How Does the EWU Program Stress Academics?
"If you have to miss practices for class, they say do it. That's truly one thing that they do believe in, and a lot of other programs don't. There are interviews out there where people say there is a lot of ulterior motives about school versus football, and that you're not actually able to get a degree that you really want to get because of the demands. Our staff is completely committed to academics. The last two years I've missed at least two practices a week, and during this year's preseason camp I was working at least six hours for a summer school internship at a firm, then would come here and practice."

Q: What is it Like Still Going to College After Finishing Your Degree?
"I've already finished my economics degree, and for my accounting degree I just have just one class left I'm taking now. I saved it so I could have a class left while my last season was coming around. Once I'm done with this class I will have both bachelor's degrees."
 
Q: Is Pro Football in Your Future?
"If I had the opportunity to play football, I would go down that path, but I also understand that football is not forever. There's a reason that I took class serious. If I don't pursue anything with football, I actually already have a job at an accounting firm and I would be starting this January."
 
Q: Will You Be Able to Use the $18,000 Postgraduate Scholarship?
"It's kind of tough with an accounting degree, because unless you're going into the tax side of a public accounting firm, it's not necessarily needed. I won't rule that out yet, but you can get your CPA license with a four-year degree."
 
Q: Where Does Your Work Ethic Come From?
"My dad works for the railroad, kind of a blue-collar job. I remember him talking to me in my first year here when I was considering quitting. Every day I would call him and ask why am I doing this, and I remember him telling me, 'In the winter you don't want to be someone who is out in the cold working, you want to be able to sit down and do the job that you enjoy. You want a job where you can take care of your family and one where your body is not just beat to pieces by the time you are 40 or 50 years old.' He told me you want to enjoy your entire life and to be able to enjoy retirement, and that by taking school serious then you can do that. It was one of those things that made me realize I'm here for a reason. Football only lasts so long. And if you don't have a backup plan or an actual plan, why are you doing it?"
 
Q: How Have You Handled the Disappointments This Season After Last Season's Success?
"I think a lot of people thought just because we were in a national championship, it would be easy this time around. We have a lot of the same players, but that is the most frustrating part about it. The performance as a whole was not there for the first several games, and that's been the most difficult part about it."
 
Q: How Hard Was it Going So Long Without a Road Win?
"I got sick of hearing about it -- I know it, everyone knows it. It was eating us up as players, because it's not that hard of a task. In our first five games on the road we had some sort of flaw or hindrance. At Jacksonville State we blew a 28-7 lead. At Idaho we didn't start moving the ball until the fourth quarter. Washington was just a tough road game. With Montana we started out strong and then not necessarily became sloppy, but we slowed down and weren't able to produce."
 
Q: November is Going Well So Far, But How Hard Was September and October?
"At this point we know that we dug ourselves into a bit of a ditch with where we are. At this point we are playing to have a winning season. We are playing to be over .500. Anyone who is looking at the season can understand that. We want to finish out as winners. We have to do this."
 
Q: This is Your Second Senior Season, What Is That Like?
"Fortunately for me I had the opportunity to steal another year. It's one of those things where going into your sixth year you have to know you're going to enjoy it. You have to look at it that way, because there are so many people that are wishing they could be still be playing. Especially with this season and where we are at, I have to just enjoy what I have left. I only have one more game on the red wearing the Eastern uniform. Enjoy every minute of it, that's all you can do at this point."