Two Eagles Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society

IRVING, Texas - A pair of seniors on last season's Boston College football team were named members of the 2017 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. A total of 1,089 players from 297 schools qualified for membership in the society's 11th year, both new single-year records in the history of the program as announced by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF).

Representing Boston College as members in the 2017 NFF Hampshire Honor Society were defensive end Kevin Kavalec and fullback Bobby Wolford.

Kavalec was a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American in 2016 – just the third Eagle in school history to earn Academic All-America honors. Named the 2016 recipient of the Thomas F. Scanlon Award, the highest honor presented to a Boston College football senior, Kavalec started all 13 games in 2016 and finished his career ranked among the school's all-time leaders in tackles-for-loss.

Wolford played in 11 games as a senior with five starts and earned the team's Courage Award at the senior banquet following the year. A rugged, hard-nosed player, Wolford appeared in 47 career games for the Eagles.

"We are pleased to see a record number of colleges and universities embrace the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the past 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 who play football at the 777 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.

The 1,089 players honored in 2017 sets a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 882 honorees in 2016. The 297 schools with members breaks the previous record of 280 in both 2015 and 2016.

The initiative has honored 7,723 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.

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 the chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their 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 11 years," said Hanson. "Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they're going on to be 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 7,700 student-athletes in the last 11 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."

Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include:

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 an NAIA college or university;
Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and
Meeting all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

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, presented by Fidelity Investments, 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 $11.1 million to 828 top scholars and community leaders.

Each recipient of an NFF National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Additionally, The William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments and displayed at its official home inside the New York Athletic Club, 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, claimed by First-Team Academic All-American and three-time All-MAC quarterback Zach Terrell (Western Michigan) in 2016, 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.

Boston College Athletics

Two Eagles Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society

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Kevin Kavalec

Bobby Wolford

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