IRVING, TEXAS-- Seven Trine football seniors were recognized by the National Football Foundation as members of the 2014 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the foundation announced Tuesday.
Ben Clark (Bradley, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais Community), Blaek Combs (Rushville, Ind./Rushville Consolidate), Jeff Harbrecht (Lowell, Ind./Lowell), Tony Miranda (Goshen, Ind./Northwood), Caleb Nitz (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore), Derek Posey (Newark, Ohio/Utica) and Jim West (Berne, Ind./South Adams) were all recognized as members of the 2014 NFF Hampshire Honors Society. The society is comprised of football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better throughout their college careers. A total of 838 players from 267 schools qualified for membership in the society's eighth year. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their achievement.
"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."
Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include being a starter or significant contributer in one's last year of eligibility, achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average throughout the entire course of undergraduate study, and meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.
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 a chairman emeritus.
"We have honored more than 4,900 student-athletes in the last eight 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."