NEW ORLEANS – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2017 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.
A total of nine Sun Belt student-athletes were included in the announcement:
Arkansas State University - Cody Brown
Arkansas State University - Kendall Sanders
Arkansas State University - Jake Swalley
Georgia Southern University - Younghoe Koo
Georgia State University - Bobby Baker
New Mexico State University - Clayton Granch
Troy University - Ryan Kay
Troy University - Justin Lucas
University of South Alabama - Roman Buchanan
"We are pleased to see a record number of colleges and universities embrace the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the past decade, it has become a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives."
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the 777 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The 1,089 players honored in 2017 sets a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 882 honorees in 2016. The 297 schools with members breaks the previous record of 280 in both 2015 and 2016.
The initiative has honored 7,723 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.
Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include:
• Being a starter or a significant contributor in one's last year of eligibility (or a senior who has declared for the NFL Draft) at an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III or an NAIA college or university;
• Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and
• Meeting all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.
The Hampshire Honor Society represents an important component in the organization's rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal, which began in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Launched with a donation from Hall of Fame coach Earl "Red" Blaik, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, became the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic success, football performance and community leadership. Since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $11.1 million to 828 top scholars and community leaders.
Each recipient of an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Additionally, The William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and displayed at its official home inside the New York Athletic Club, is given to one member of each year's class as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation. The winner of the Campbell Trophy, claimed by First-Team Academic All-American and three-time All-MAC quarterback Zach Terrell (Western Michigan) in 2016, receives a total scholarship of $25,000 and a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy. Through its chapter network, the NFF also awards an additional $1 million to local high school student-athletes, bringing the NFF's annual scholarship distribution total to more than $1.3 million.