WSU's Andrew Bates Chosen For NFF Hampshire Honor Society Membership
Release courtesy of Jeff Weiss and the WSU Sports Information Department
Andrew Bates, a
member of the 2008 Wayne State University football team, was
inducted into the 2009 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire
Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from
all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. The
announcement was made by the National Football Foundation &
College Hall of Fame.
Bates and Ferris State's Jake Visser were the only two GLIAC
players inducted by the NFF.
This marks the third consecutive year at least one WSU football
player received Hampshire Honor Society accolades. Ryan Oshnock was
inducted following the 2006-07 school year, while Guye Goodlow,
Frank Lietke, Dale Knuth and Kenny Schmidt were inducted a year
ago.
Qualifications for membership in the inaugural NFF National Honor
Society include:
* Being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of
eligibility at an accredited 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-mandated progress towards degree
requirements.
A total of 564 players from 266 schools qualified for membership in
the society's third year, a 27 percent increase from the 2008
class. In its inaugural year in 2007, the Hampshire Honor Society
honored over 300 students from 195 schools.
The National Honor Society becomes the latest component of the
organization's efforts to promote combined athletic and academic
success. Launched in 1959 with a donation from Hall of Fame coach
Earl "Red" Blaik, the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete Awards program
became the first initiative in history to credit a player for his
combined academic success, football performance and community
leadership.
"There is no question that the lessons learned on the field
translate directly into success later in life," said NFF Chairman
Archie Manning, "And the members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society
serve as the perfect example of football's ability to teach
leadership skills. We are proud to showcase the accomplishments of
this group as part of the NFF's mission in promoting the
scholar-athlete ideal."
Since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards
program has awarded $8.9 million to 708 top scholars and community
leaders. Currently, the NFF distributes more than $300,000 a year
at the national level through the program to 15 individuals. Each
winner of a National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000
post-graduate scholarship. Additionally, the Draddy Trophy,
presented by HealthSouth, is given to one member of each year's
class as the absolute best. The winner of the Draddy, claimed by
Cal center Alex Mack in 2008, receives a total scholarship of
$25,000 and a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy. Through,
its chapter network, the NFF awards an additional $800,000 to local
high school student-athletes, bringing the NFF's annual scholarship
total to more than $1.1 million.
