Senior National Champion Marvin Campbell Honored As Bulldogs' Jimmy Swears Courage Award Recipient
Note: This is the first of four major FSU Athletics Awards that will be presented over the next week for the 2021-22 campaign.
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University senior tailback Marvin Campbell (Detroit/Loyola), who was a member of the first NCAA Division II Football National Championship team in school history last fall, has been chosen as the recipient of Ferris State Athletics' Jimmy Swears Courage Award for the 2021-22 campaign.
The Jimmy Swears Courage Award is presented to a deserving student or current personnel within the Bulldog Athletics program, who when confronted with a life-altering or difficult situation, has used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the odds while inspiring others.
"Marvin Campbell is deserving of this recognition in being named the Jimmy Swears Courage Award recipient," said FSU Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank. "He had an unfortunate ending to his collegiate career this past fall, but remained a huge part of Bulldog Football during its national championship run. He had an outstanding career and sacrificed so much as a student-athlete."
An FSU graduate, Campbell returned for his seventh season in a Bulldog uniform last fall and started the first five games of the season in the offensive backfield before suffering a season-ending knee injury in FSU's road victory at Northwood. The highly-talented student-athlete was a multi-year starter for the Bulldogs and remained an inspirational team leader and captain for FSU during the historic 2021 fall season after his injury, which was the second of his career.
After helping the Bulldogs to a national championship game appearance as a starter in 2018, Campbell led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals in 2019 and graduated from FSU on the same day the Bulldogs fell to West Florida in the semifinals. He made plans to return to FSU as a graduate senior for his final season and a national title quest in 2020 before COVID forced the cancelation of the campaign and he had to wait yet another year for his final season as a Bulldog.
"Marvin is an exceptional young man who made huge sacrifices as a Bulldog," said FSU head coach Tony Annese. "He was an outstanding competitor on the field and a tremendous individual off the field. He served as an inspiration to our team and is an awesome choice to receive this honor."
Campbell, a Detroit native, began his career with the Bulldogs as a redshirt freshman in 2015 and played in 11 games as a rookie in 2016 before missing all of the 2017 campaign with an injury. He became a two-time all-conference performer as FSU's starting tailback in 2018 and 2019, eventually concluding his career with 2,260 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns. He ranks eighth on the school's career rushing chart and averaged more than five yards per carry in his Bulldog career.
The Jimmy Swears Courage Award is named in honor of longtime FSU Athletics booster Jim Swears, who passed away Jan. 17, 2007, at the age of 64 following a lengthy bout with cancer. A local businessman and community activist, Swears was a strong supporter of Ferris State men's ice hockey, football, and basketball. He worked diligently to help develop and maintain FSU's status as a NCAA Division I men's ice hockey program. Additionally, Swears served on the board of directors for the Big Rapids Area Junior Hockey Association and was an active member of the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association. He was the 2006 recipient of the Northern Lights Lifetime Achievement Award for business and industry in the Big Rapids (Mich.) area.
Nominees for the award are an inspiration to their peers, serve as a role model to others and are a team leader while responding to adversity. Those individuals nominated for the award must be involved with the Bulldog intercollegiate athletics program and possibly include student-athletes, student managers, student coaches and/or student athletic trainers in addition to current athletics department personnel.
Campbell becomes the 14th-ever winner of the Jimmy Swears Courage Award and the second Bulldog Football student-athlete to earn the recognition. Former women's basketball guard Kylie Muntz is the only two-time winner of the prestigious honor, making this year's honor the 15th time overall in which the award has been bestowed.
Along with Campbell, nominees for this year's award also included hockey senior captain Ethan Stewart and men's basketball senior standout Dorian Aluyi.
Jimmy Swears Courage Award Recipients
2021-22 - Marvin Campbell (Football)
2020-21 - Morgan Waller (Women's Tennis)
2019-20 - D'angelo Hughes Men's Basketball)
2018-19 - Jackie Kirkpatrick (Softball)
2017-18 - Tavierre Thomas (Football)
2016-17 - Chad McDonald (Men's Ice Hockey)
2015-16 - James Chappell (Men's Basketball)
2014-15 - Simon Denis (Men's Ice Hockey)
2013-14 - Will Huntington (Men's Tennis)
2012-13 - Kylie Muntz (Women's Basketball)
2011-12 - Kylie Muntz (Women's Basketball)
2010-11 - Natalie Diorio (Women's Tennis)
2009-10 - Richard Weisenberger (Men's Golf)
2008-09 - Aaron Lewicki (Men's Ice Hockey)
2007-08 - No recipient