The Wayne State University football program was recognized on April 8 by the National Football Foundation (NFF) for having at least one player earn Hampshire Honor Society accolades in each of the last 20 years. Wayne State is the only school in Michigan to achieve this distinction every season since the honor society began.
This recognition highlights a longstanding commitment to academic achievement among student-athletes at Wayne State, as well as across college football. The Hampshire Honor Society requires nominees to be seniors or graduates with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 and to have contributed on the field.
Over two decades, Wayne State has had 104 players inducted into the Hampshire Honor Society, ranking second among all NCAA Division II institutions behind Bentley University, which has had 108 honorees. This year’s recipients from Wayne State include Angel Carrillo, Joe Clark Jr., Will Fennema, Ethan Gates, Colby Horn, Nick Ostas and Quincy Salter.
NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said, “Twenty years ago, college coaches around the country came to the National Football Foundation asking us to recognize not just their top student-athlete, but the numerous student-athletes on their teams who were also excelling at the highest levels in the classroom. Their voices led to the creation of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, and two decades later, the results speak for themselves. Year after year, we continue to see remarkable academic achievements across college football.”
Archie Manning, chairman of NFF added: “To see this program reach 20 years with a record number of honorees is really special. As the world of college football faces an era of transition, one thing remains the same: the game’s ability to develop well-rounded student-athletes committed to excellence in the classroom as well as on the field.”
The Wayne State Warriors Men’s Football team operates within intercollegiate athletics and competes in NCAA Division II’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference according to its official website. The team plays home games in Detroit and uses green and gold as its colors according to its official website. In addition to academic achievements like those recognized by NFF’s Hampshire Honor Society program—which has honored over 23,000 athletes from nearly 700 schools—the Warriors finished as national runner-up in NCAA Division II competition in 2011 according to its official website.
As more changes come across collegiate sports nationally and locally for programs like Wayne State’s Warriors football team—both on and off field—the tradition of recognizing academic achievement alongside athletic success continues.
