Six Chargers inducted into NFF Hampshire Honor Society as part of 2024 class

2024 Hampshire Honor Society Inductees

For the fourth year in a row, multiple seniors on the Hillsdale College football team are being inducted into the prestigious National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society this spring.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2024 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.

An elite group of 1,989 players from 339 schools qualified for membership in 2024, setting a new record for the number of members in a single year during the program's 18-year history. The initiative has now honored 18,387 student-athletes since its inception.

Six accomplished seniors represented the Chargers in this season's class -- quarterback Garrit Aissen, offensive tackle Ben Geno, tight end Michael Harding, offensive tackle Jonathan Haverdink, running back Jack Robinson and safety Sam Zemis

"We are thrilled to honor a record number of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the last 18 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 be either:

• A senior player, who will graduate this spring/summer, and just completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2023; or
• A graduated player, who has been out of high school at least (3) years;

And must have:

• Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale); and
• Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2023 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 772 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
 
Nebraska from the FBS led all programs in membership, with 21 honorees in 2024. North Dakota led all FCS programs with 20 members; Bentley (MA) and Colorado School of Mines were the Division II leaders with 12 members each; Tufts (MA) led Division III with 20 honorees; Doane (NE) and Southeastern (FL) both boasted 12 members, tied for the most in the NAIA; and Cornell topped all Collegiate Sprint Football League teams with 13 honorees.

Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funds 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 chairman emeritus. Each player awarded membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating his or her 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 18 years," said Hanson. "Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they are going on to become great leaders."

"We have honored more than 18,000 student-athletes since 2007 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." 
 

2024 Hillsdale College National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society Inductees

This release has been adapted from the NFF press release, available here.