It was recently announced that four Bulldog football student-athletes were among the 701 new members of the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.  The recently-graduated quartet that represented the University of Redlands with this academic honor included defensive lineman Zack Andrews (Santa Ynez, CA), defensive back Scott Payton (Sammamish, WA), linebacker Anthony Stephens (Cave Creek, AZ), and offensive lineman Dylan Wood (South Torrance, CA).

In addition to being in their final year of eligibility, the nominees must have been a starter or significant substitute at an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2.

These Bulldogs join the likes of University of Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley and University of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o in becoming members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society.

After receiving the U of R Scholar-Athlete award, Andrews finished out his career at Redlands with a degree in Biology.  While playing in seven of the team's nine games in 2012, he made solid contributions to the success of the defensive line.  He was credited with one sack for a loss of eight yards to go along with six total tackles. 

While ranking third on the team in total tackles with 49, Payton capped off a solid stint with the Bulldogs with 23 solo hits in his final season.  He also provided four pass break-ups and nabbed two interceptions, running one back for a touchdown during the Maroon and Gray's 32-13 victory over Chapman University.  He completed his double-major in Business Administration and Environmental Business earlier this spring.

Stephens provided solid depth to the linebacker position, earning more and more playing time toward the end of the season while recording 11 tackles in five games played.  He earned his degree in Accounting.

Wood served an integral role in protecting the quarterbacks and creating space for the running backs.  With Wood's assistance, the Bulldogs racked up more than 3,600 yards of offense and allowed less than one sack per game, which ranked the team 18th in the nation for this category.  Wood finished out his career at Redlands with a degree in History.

For a complete list of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, please visit the organization's web page.