IU football linebacker Kyle Kennedy, safety Mark Murphy and fullback Mike Replogle are members of the 2015 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF announced ?Wednesday.
Recognition is given to college football players who maintained a 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.
“We continue to raise the bar each year for the number of student-athletes who qualify for membership in the Hampshire Honor Society,” NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell said. “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 award has honored 5,744 student-athletes since its launch in 2007. Jon F. Hanson, chairman and founder of the Hampshire Companies, provided an endowment to start the Honor Society that year. Each player honored will receive a certificate for their achievement.
NFF Chairman Archie Manning, father of NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, said it’s because of Hanson’s generous donation that the award is possible.
“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,” Manning said.
The Hampshire Honor Society attempts to promote the “scholar-athlete ideal,” beginning in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, which have awarded $10.7 million through the years.
The NFF honors 16 individuals each year and distributes more than $300,000.
Of this year’s additions to the Hampshire Honor Society, one will be chosen as the recipient of the Campbell Trophy and will receive a total scholarship of $25,000 as well as a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy.
Grace Palmieri
