SLIPPERY ROCK — From walk-on to walking among the best.

Henry Litwin's story is one of determination, expectation, motivation and inspiration.

“I don't know where to begin in talking about Henry,” Slippery Rock University football coach Shawn Lutz said of the senior wide receiver. “He is what college football is all about.”

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Litwin is one of 13 finalists — and the only NCAA Division II player — for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented to college football's premier scholar-athlete. The award recognizes a player as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and leadership.

“It's basically the academic Heisman,” Lutz said. “Henry qualifies on all counts.”

Litwin carried a 3.66 grade point average as a graduate from SRU's safety management program. He is carrying a 4.0 GPA as a graduate student at The Rock.

And he drives defensive backs and defense coordinators crazy on Saturdays.

“I attack the classroom the same way I attack the football field,” Litwin said. “That's always been my mentality. I'm motivated to be the best I can be in anything I do.”

Litwin has 201 career receptions for 3,163 yards and 40 touchdowns at SRU. His touchdown receptions mark a school record. Teammate Jermaine Wynn Jr. is next in line with 30.

He needs 15 catches and 220 yards to break Greg Hopkins' SRU career marks of 215 and 3,382. Hopkins set those records in 1994 and they have been considered virtually unbreakable since.

Litwin is a team captain and two-time Acadenmic All-American as well.

Litwin led all Pennsylvania high schools in touchdown catches and receiving yards his senior year at Conneaut Area. He received full scholarship offers from other PSAC schools and some offers from lower-tier Division 1 college programs.

His heart was set on Slippery Rock.

“Recruiters from other schools would tell me their goal was to win the PSAC Western Division,” Litwin recalled. “Slippery Rock said their goal was to win the national championship.

“I wanted to go there, but they said they had no money for me. I know they had other receivers they wanted more, were recruiting more heavily, and that motivated me as well.

“But coming from a small town in Linesville ... my family is great, always supported me, but we didn't have much money. It was so hard turning down scholarship offers from other places. I told my parents I'd take one of the scholarships to help them out. They told me to do what I wanted to do, go where I wanted to go. I wanted to go to Slippery Rock,” Litwin added.

But not for selfish reasons.

“I loved the safety management program (at SRU),” he said. “My long-range goal is to come back and take care of my family. Getting a degree and pursuing a career in that field is my best way to do that.”

Even that motivation changed as Litwin's career took off. Scouts from every NFL team have been around campus to see him.

Litwin isn't shy about going down that path.

“My dream has always been to play football at the highest level,” he said. “If I get a shot to do that, I'm taking it.”

He became a scholarship player at The Rock by his sophomore year. Now he's on as large a scholarship as the football program provides.

There were 176 national semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy. Litwin becomes SRU's second player — joining Marcus Martin in 2017 — to be named a finalist for the award.

Rock sports information director Jon Holtz pointed out that “only 26 Division II schools have ever had a finalist and only eight have had two.”

Super Region One — consisting of four Div. II conferences and 44 schools — has only had Campbell Trophy finalists from two schools: SRU and Ashland (Ohio).

“This is great publicity for the football program and the university,” Holtz said. “Marcus Martin and Henry have similar traits. Both are humble leaders of their football teams.

“Henry went out of his way to thank me for the work we did on his nomination for this. How many young athletes do that anymore?”

The Campbell Trophy is presented by the National Football Foundation. An NFF committee that includes college football Hall of Famers and athletic administrators make the selections.

“Henry is just a great story,” Lutz said. “His hard work and dedication are off the charts. Everybody in his community back home looks up to him.

“He is as genuine a person as they come.”

As one of the 13 finalists, Litwin already receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He will attend the NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 7 in Las Vegas, where the winner will be announced.

The Campbell Trophy winner gets his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

No Division II player has ever won the award.

“This whole thing still hasn't sunk in yet,” Litwin admitted. “I'm still focused on doing what I can to help our team win football games.”

No surprise there.