Posted: Apr 16, 2025

17 Hawks Named To NFF Hampshire Honor Society

IRVING, Texas (April 16, 2025) - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today a record number of members for the 2025 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which comprises college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers. Click here for the 2025 list of members.

A record 2,514 players from 339 schools qualified for membership in 2025, marking the largest class in the program's 19-year history. Since its inception, the initiative has honored 20,928 student-athletes. This year's members represented six divisions: 689 from the FBS, 531 from the FCS, 212 from Division II, 978 from Division III, 58 from the NAIA, and 46 sprint football players. They hailed from schools in every state and the District of Columbia—except Alaska, which does not sponsor an eligible college football program. The FBS cohort came from 120 schools, reflecting a 90 percent participation rate.

"In today's era of NIL and the transfer portal, we firmly believe that education remains the key to long-term success," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "These results reaffirm that academics are still top of mind for today's student-athletes. We salute the schools, coaches, and administrators who continue to champion education as a core part of the student-athlete experience. We'll keep doing everything we can to promote those academic ideals and ensure education stays central to the holistic development of every student-athlete."

Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must meet one of the following criteria:

Be a senior player graduating this spring/summer who completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2024; or
Be a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2024 season (even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play next season).

And must have:

Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale); and
Been starters or contributors throughout the 2024 season.

17 Hawk Football players matched this criteria in the 2024-2025 academic year. The athletes represented are as follows:

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 at the 774 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.

Division III's Saint John's (MN) led all programs among all divisions with 26 members, setting an all-time record for the most honorees from one school in a single year. Kansas topped the FBS programs with 22 honorees. Harvard led the FCS with 22 members. Colorado School of Mines set the high-water mark in Division II with 13 honorees. Morningside (IA) and Saint Xavier (IL) placed nine members each, tying for the most from the NAIA. Cornell headed all Collegiate Sprint Football League teams with 10 honorees.

Ohio State, North Dakota State, Ferris State (MI), and North Central (IL) ensured that last season's national champions were well-represented with a combined 37 members.

Ninety-seven (97) schools had at least ten honorees in 2025:

FBS (22): Colorado State, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Iowa State, James Madison, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, Southern California, Texas Tech, UNLV, Utah State, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Michigan.

FCS (22): Brown, Bucknell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Dayton, Drake, East Texas A&M, Eastern Washington, Elon, Harvard, Marist, Mercyhurst, Montana, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, North Dakota State, Northern Arizona, Princeton, South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Valparaiso, Yale.

Division II (7): Bentley (MA), Bloomsburg (PA), Colorado School of Mines, Indianapolis (IN), Northwest Missouri State, Tusculum (TN), Wingate (NC).

Division III (44): Amherst (MA), Berry (GA), Carleton (MN), Carnegie Mellon (PA), Case Western Reserve (OH), Central (IA), Claremont-Mudd Scripps (CA), Dubuque (IA), Gustavus Adolphus (MN), Hardin-Simmons (TX), Hobart (NY), Hope (MI), Huntingdon (AL), Johns Hopkins (MD), Kalamazoo (MI), King's (PA), Lake Forest (IL), Macalester (MN), Middlebury (VT), Montclair State (NJ), Muhlenberg (PA), North Central (IL), Oberlin (OH), Pacific Lutheran (WA), Saint John's (MN), Salve Regina (RI), Shenandoah (VA), Springfield (MA), St. Olaf (MN), Trinity (CT), Trinity (TX), Tufts (MA), Vermont State Castleton, Wartburg (IA), Washington & Jefferson (PA), Washington in St. Louis (MO), Wesleyan (CT), Western New England (MA), Wheaton (IL), Willamette (OR), Williams (MA), Wisconsin-River Falls, Wisconsin-Stout, Worcester (MA).

NAIA: N/A

SPRINT (1): Cornell.

Twenty-three colleges and universities have had at least one player selected in all 19 years of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society (2007–25). The exclusive list includes BYU, Brown, Bucknell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Dayton, Iowa, Johns Hopkins (MD), Kentucky, Lafayette, Minnesota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Penn State, Redlands (CA), Saint John's (MN), SMU, South Dakota State, Wayne State (MI), West Virginia, Wingate (NC), Yale, and Youngstown State.

Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funds to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. He made the contribution as part of his legacy to the organization after serving as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006. He currently serves the organization as chairman emeritus. Each player awarded membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating his or her achievement.

"When we launched the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007, our goal was to shine a brighter light on the thousands of college football players achieving greatness in the classroom," said Jon F. Hanson, chairman emeritus of the NFF and founder of The Hampshire Companies. "To now see more than 20,000 honorees and a record-setting class in 2025 is incredibly rewarding. These young men represent the next generation of leaders, and I'm proud that the Society continues to celebrate their success both on and off the field."

"This year's record-setting class reminds us just how many outstanding young men are using college football as a platform to launch successful futures," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "The Hampshire Honor Society continues to celebrate those who lead by example—excelling academically, athletically and as people of character. We're proud to honor them and deeply grateful to Jon Hanson for making this inspiring tradition possible."

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. Click here to learn more.

ABOUT THE HAMPSHIRE FOUNDATION
The Hampshire Foundation is the charitable arm of The Hampshire Companies, a privately-held, fully-integrated real estate firm that has more than 60 years of hands-on, cycle-tested experience in acquiring, developing, leasing, repositioning, managing, financing and disposing of real estate. Founded by Jon F. Hanson, who served as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006, Hampshire is headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. Learn more at www.hampshirere.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame museum in Atlanta; Future For Football; I Played; the William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & the Hatchell Cup presented by Bob's Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Bruin Capital, CAA Executive Search, Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hampshire Companies, Jostens, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, SideQuests and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.