IRVING, TX- The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2022 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.
Among them were seven Bulldogs including Linebackers Joe Bennett (San Diego, CA), Ryan Place (Alta Loma, CA) and Michael MacDonald (Chino Hills, CA), Defensive Back Jadin Michaels (Palm Springs, CA) and Noah Taplett (Woodinville, WA), Offensive Lineman Cody Paul (Castaic, CA), and Running Back Kai Thompson (Murrieta, CA) all earned the honor for the 2022 season.
Bennett, Place, and MacDonald led a line backing core for the Bulldogs that allowed 94.9 Rushing Yards Per Game, 240.2 Passing Yards Per Game, and a mere 22.2 Points Per Game. These three combined for 92 tackles and 4.5 tackles for losses. Bennett and MacDonald are both graduating with degrees in Business Administration and Place is a double major in Management and Religious Studies.
Joining the defensive unit was Taplett and Michaels who combined for 68 tackles, 3.5 tackles for losses, two interceptions, and ten pass break-ups. Taplett is majoring in Business Administration and Michaels is double majoring in Sociology and Anthropology.
Paul helped anchor an offensive line that huge success this season blocking for six 100 + yard rushers, protected the SCIAC Offensive Athlete of the Year (Nathan Martinez – Quarterback), and helped in combining for 193.2 Rushing Yards Per Game and 201.4 Passing Yards Per Game. He also did not allow a sack all season from his tackle position and is majoring in Business Administration.
Thompson led the rushing attack for the Maroon and Grey totaling 620 yards from scrimmage on 118 carries, averaging 62.0 Yards Per Game and 5.3 Yards Per Carry. He also added nine touchdowns on the ground and caught nine passes for 68 yards. He is graduating with a degree in Religious Studies.
An elite group of 1,559 players from 313 schools qualified for membership in 2022, the Society's 16th year. The 1,559 honorees are the second most in a single year during the program's history. The initiative has now honored 14,640 student-athletes since its inception.
"As the National Football Foundation celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022, we are pleased to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the last 16 years, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as 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."
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:
- Completed their final year of playing eligibility in Fall 2021;
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- Graduated players, who have remaining eligibility but will not return to collegiate play (e.g. declared for NFL Draft or retired from football), may also be nominated.
- Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale);
- Met all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements; and
- Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2021 season.
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 at the 771 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
About The Hampshire Foundation
The Hampshire Foundation is the charitable arm of The Hampshire Companies, a privately-held, fully-integrated real estate firm that has more than 60 years of hands-on, cycle-tested experience in acquiring, developing, leasing, repositioning, managing, financing and disposing of real estate. Founded by Jon F. Hanson, who served as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006, Hampshire is headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. Learn more at www.hampshirere.com.