Four Cougars earn NFF honors: BYU leads all FBS programs with 39 honorees

PROVO, Utah (May 26, 2015) —Four players on the 2014 BYU football team have been recognized by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) as members of the 2015 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 career.

The four selections for BYU were quarterback Christian Stewart, wide receiver Jordan Leslie, punter Scott Arellano and long snapper Kevin O’Mary. Overall, BYU continues to lead all FBS programs for the most all-time selections to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society with 39 honorees since the program began in 2007. Army, Minnesota and Nebraska follow BYU with 35 selections while Ohio State has had 33 and Northwestern 31.

BYU was one of 16 FBS programs to have four or more players earn recognition on the 2015 Hampshire Honor Society. Those programs include Stanford (10), Akron (5), Arkansas State (5), Colorado (5), Kansas State (5), Army (4), Baylor (4), California (4), Eastern Michigan (4), Fresno State (4), Minnesota (4), Nebraska (4), Northern Iowa (4), Rutgers (4) and Texas (4).

Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include the following:
• 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 NAIA college or university
• Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study
• Meeting all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements

A total of 825 players from 280 schools in all divisions qualified for membership in the society’s ninth year, setting a new record for the number of schools represented in the history of the program.

“We continue to raise the bar each year for the number of student-athletes who qualify for membership in the Hampshire Honor Society,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hampshire Honor Society plays an important role in highlighting that college football players clearly play a leadership role in the classroom as well as on the playing field. We congratulate each of these young men for their commitment to excellence.”

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 772 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide. The initiative has honored 5,752 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007. The 280 schools represented in 2015 is a new high water mark, eclipsing the 267 schools in 2014. The total of 825 players in the 2015 class is the second-most in the program’s history, only 13 behind the 838 honored last year.

Currently, the NFF distributes more than $300,000 a year at the national level through the program to 16 individuals. Each winner of a National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Additionally, the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and hosted at the New York Athletic Club, is given to one member of each year's class as the absolute best. The winner of the Campbell Trophy, claimed by Academic All-American and All-ACC linebacker David Helton (Duke) in 2014, 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 $1.3 million to local high school student-athletes, bringing the NFF’s annual scholarship distribution total to more than $1.6 million.

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