Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Allaria, Briggs, Seaman named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society
05/04/2011 | 12:00:00 | Football
May 4, 2011
DALLAS, Texas - Three Southern Illinois University football players were named to the 2011 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Hampshire Society that the NFF announced Wednesday.
Wide receiver Joe Allaria, safety Brad Briggs and defensive end Jason Seaman each earned the award, which honors college football players from all divisions of play who maintained a 3.2 GPA or better.
"In just the fifth year of this initiative, it gives the NFF great pride to honor so many qualified and accomplished collegiate players as members of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The number of players we are able to recognize has nearly doubled since the first year of the program, showing that you can play football at the highest level and still be a standout student."
A total of 671 players from 241 schools qualified for membership in the society's fifth year, showing a steady increase in membership each year since the inaugural class in 2007. Each of the 671 players awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating the achievement.
Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire 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 and graduation.
The Hampshire Honor Society represents a powerful component in the organization's rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal. 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 grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic success, football performance and community leadership. And, since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $9.5 million to 740 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 William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, is given to one member of each year's class as the absolute best. The winner of the Campbell, claimed by Texas defensive end Sam Acho in 2010, 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. A record-high nine NFF National Scholar-Athletes were selected in last week's NFL Draft.
