Burr-Kirven (SHP '15) named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society
The reigning Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year & Pac 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year has been recognized by the National Football Foundation as a Hampshire Honor Society member.
IRVING, Texas (April 10, 2019) - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2019 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. An all-time high of 1,643 players from a record 424 schools qualified for membership in the Society's 13th year.
"We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "For more than a 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 at the 778 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The 1,643 players honored in 2019 sets a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 1,274 honorees in 2018. The 424 schools represented breaks the previous mark of 308 set in 2018.
The initiative has now honored 10,660 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.
Twenty-two schools had at least 10 honorees in 2019, including Amherst (MA), Brown, Carroll (WI), Central (IA), Dayton, Drake, Harvard, Johns Hopkins (MD), Macalester (MN), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Minnesota Duluth, Nebraska Wesleyan, Ohio Northern, Pacific Lutheran (WA), Pomona-Pitzer (CA), Princeton, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), Saint John's (MN), Springfield (MA), Washington Univ. in St. Louis (MO), Western New England (MA) and Westfield State (MA).
Division III's Saint John's (MN) led all schools in 2019 with 20 honorees. Brigham Young and Vanderbilt led all FBS schools with seven members each while Harvard topped the FCS with 16 honorees. Minnesota Duluth was the Division II leader with 10 members and Doane (NE) had the most honorees in the NAIA with nine.
Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the endowment 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 with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating his or her achievement.
"It was my great privilege to endow the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which has greatly increased the number of college student-athletes the NFF has been able to recognize during the past 13 years," said Hanson. "Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they are going on to become great leaders. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society continues to grow and allows us to shine a light on their hard work."
"We have honored more than 10,000 student-athletes in the last 13 years thanks to Jon Hanson's generosity," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "We are grateful for his passionate belief in the scholar-athlete ideal, and the Hampshire Honor Society allows us to showcase the names of tomorrow's leaders while inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps."
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:
- Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2018;
- Graduated players, who have remaining eligibility but will not return to collegiate play (e.g. declared for NFL Draft or retired from football), may also be nominated.
- Achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study;
- Met all NCAA- or NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements; and
- Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2018 season.
Twenty-nine colleges and universities have had at least one player in all 13 years of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society (2007-19), including Brigham Young, Brown, Bucknell, Colorado, Columbia, Dayton, Huntingdon (AL), Iowa, Johns Hopkins (MD), Kentucky, Lafayette, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Montana, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Penn State, Redlands (CA), Saint John's (MN), SMU, South Dakota State, Wartburg (IA), Washington Univ. in St. Louis (MO), Wayne State (MI), West Virginia, Wingate (NC), Yale and Youngstown State.
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 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 $11.5 million to 854 top scholars and community leaders.
Selected in the fall, each recipient of an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Additionally, The William V. Campbell Trophy® 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® 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.
What They're Saying About the NFF Hampshire Honor Society
(Alphabetically by last name.)Rick Chamberlin, University of Dayton Head Football Coach
"The NFF Hampshire Honor Society allows our recruits to see that not only can they play for an outstanding football program, but they can also be in a high academic culture that will benefit them after graduation. To have Dayton players recognized every year since 2007 shows everyone that this is who we are. It's not just something that happens every so often. It's part of our program every day."
Greg Chimera, Johns Hopkins University (MD) Head Football Coach
"To be among the very few Division III programs represented on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society every year is truly remarkable and something that our administration, coaching staff and players are extremely proud of. This is a prestigious honor reserved only for those individuals who have excelled at the highest levels in the classroom and on the field and those are exactly the individuals we are looking for at Johns Hopkins."
Gary Fasching, Saint John's University (MN) Head Football Coach
"Of all the awards our players receive, recognition from the NFF Hampshire Honor Society is the one that we value the most. It recognizes the true student-athlete. The expectations of our players is that they will be great in the classroom, great in the community, and great on the field. The recognition from the Hampshire Honor Society fits in line with what we expect of our student-athletes."
Kirk Ferentz, University of Iowa Head Football Coach
"Our Academic Student Services Department staff members do a great job helping our players succeed academically, while balancing the demands of both football and academics. We encourage a well-rounded athletic and academic experience for our student-athletes, and programs such as the NFF Hampshire Honor Society greatly assists our players in recognizing their academic accomplishments."
Rick George, University of Colorado Athletics Director and NFF Board Member
"Having a member every year since 2007 is a testimony to the Herbst Academic Center staff… The NFF Hampshire Honor Society plays an important role because it's not a popularity contest subject to the vote of whoever. You meet or exceed the minimum requirements, you make the list. That's beneficial for the student-athlete on his academic resume, and it's a proud accomplishment for the school. Membership is an excellent reward for their hard work in the classroom, and people do take note of academic honors and awards."
Rick Hart, Southern Methodist University Director of Athletics
"SMU is proud to be one of the few schools to have had a member of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society every year since its inception. It is a tremendous honor for all the young men who have been selected and rightfully brings attention to their hard work in the classroom. It would be our goal that SMU continue to be represented on this prestigious list."
Bobby Hauck, University of Montana Head Football Coach
"We've always believed that success on the field and success in the classroom go hand in hand. The NFF Hampshire Society is important in that it allows us to recognize the hard work these men put into their studies. It helps promote better all-around student-athletes and better citizens. We are proud to have had a Grizzly enter the NFF Hampshire Society in each of its 13 years, and we look forward to celebrating our academic achievements into the future."
Tom Holmoe, Brigham Young University Director of Athletics
"The NFF has always done an excellent job of recognizing outstanding student-athletes who achieve success both on the field and in the classroom. BYU football players make it a goal to be included in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society and we have been fortunate enough to have had student-athletes selected 13 years in a row. I'm grateful to the NFF for shining a positive light on the accomplishments of amateur football players and inspiring our athletes to perform."
Larry Kindbom, Washington University St. Louis (MO) Head Football Coach
"Selection to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society embraces those who have committed their talents to playing four years of college football while pursuing success at the highest level in the classroom. In our eyes, this is among the highest of honors a scholar-athlete can receive. The honor highlights a job well done by these men, representing one of the top academic schools in the country. They are role models for the young people choosing to be a part of this great game."
Matt Larsen, North Dakota State University Director of Athletics
"The fact that North Dakota State has had a member in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society every year since its inception underscores the importance we as an institution place on academic success and preparing student-athletes for life after college. The national recognition this society provides amplifies the value placed on academic achievement in the game of football."
Shane Lyons, West Virginia University Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President
"West Virginia University is extremely proud of our student-athletes recognized by the National Football Foundation through membership in the Hampshire Honor Society. This great initiative showcases these deserving players, not only because of their on-field achievements, but their hard work in the classroom and the community as well. It's truly an all-inclusive honor encompassing an entire career."
James Perry, Brown University Head Football Coach
"Brown University salutes the role the NFF Hampshire Honor Society has played in the last 13 years in promoting the outstanding academic and athletic achievements of our senior student-athletes. We take great pride in the accomplishments of our student-athletes both on and off the field, and we appreciate the work of the NFF in fostering the student-athlete ideal that we are so committed to here at Brown."
Tony Reno, Yale University Head Football Coach
"Any type of recognition related to the National Football Foundation is special, so being honored as an NFF Hampshire Honor Society member epitomizes the elite level our players aim to achieve in the classroom."
Bubba Schweigert, University of North Dakota Head Football Coach
"A University of North Dakota player has been selected for this honor for 13 consecutive years. Fighting Hawks football takes great pride in supporting and developing our players to be the best they can be on and off the field of competition. All of us at UND football appreciate the time and effort put forth by the NFF Hampshire Honor Society to recognize the young men in our program throughout the years who represent us in a positive manner each and every day."
Ron Strollo, Youngstown State University Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
"Being named to the Hampshire Honor Society shows the dedication of not only YSU football student-athletes, but all student-athletes on the field and in the classroom. The Hampshire Honor Society is an honor our student-athletes can take great pride in achieving. It is a testament to their hard work and dedication throughout their collegiate careers."
Jermaine Truax, Bucknell University Director of Athletics & Recreation
"Bucknell Athletics has a long-standing tradition of scholar-athlete excellence, so it is a point of great pride that our football program has been represented in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in each of the last 13 years. We consider membership in the Hampshire Honor Society a prestigious achievement, and we hope to see many more Bucknell student-athletes represented in future years."
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, N.J. 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 and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments – a proud partner of the Campbell Trophy®, Goodyear, Herff Jones, New York Athletic Club, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Sports Business Journal, SportsManias, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at footballfoundation.org.
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Sacred Heart Schools Atherton
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12
