Michigan State football senior DB Dominique Long named semifinalist for top academic honor

Chris Solari
Detroit Free Press

Michigan State football's Dominique Long is a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.

Long, a senior mechanical engineering major, has bounced from safety to cornerback and back while emerging as a guided missile on special teams. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, he maintains a 3.61 GPA in a field that requires hyperfocus and is competing for a starting job on defense this fall.

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Michigan State safety Dominique Long takes a selfie with fans after a 31-10 win against Northwestern, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Evanston, Ill.

Long has 38 career tackles, most which came in the past two seasons on special teams. The Westerville, Ohio, native played just 49 snaps on defense a year ago but has played in 37 career games since 2018.

The Campbell Trophy — awarded to the player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance — is given annually in December. There were a record 199 semifinalists announced Thursday.

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MSU has had three finalists (Kirk Cousins, Max Bullough, Mike Sadler) for the Campbell Trophy the past nine years. Long becomes the Spartans’ ninth semifinalist, alongside Cousins, Bullough, Sadler, Jack Allen, Josiah Price, Brian Allen, Khari Willis and Cole Chewins.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.