IRVING, Texas – Nine University of Dayton football players – linebacker Jack Crain, offensive guard Wes Hegemann, H-back Alex Kenner, tight end Gus Madden, linebacker Kevin Maloney, defensive end Nate Marotta, defensive end Griffin O'Gara,  placekicker Mike Ruffolo and cornerback Christian Searles – have been named to the 2018 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

Now in its 12th year, the Hampshire Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. A record 1,251 total players from 302 schools qualified for membership in the society this year, breaking last year's record for individuals recognized by nearly 200.

Dayton is one of six schools to have at least nine members in NCAA Division I football.  The other five are Ivy League members Brown (17), Dartmouth (11), and Yale (22), fellow Pioneer Football League member Butler (11) and the SEC's Arkansas (9)

The Flyers are one of just 20 Division I institutions (and 29 overall) to have at least one senior qualify for membership in all 12 classes of the Hampshire Society.  Dayton is also the only PFL member.

The top five for total honorees during the 12-year span of the program include Brown (139), Yale (113), Dayton (110), Nebraska Wesleyan (96) and Johns Hopkins [Md.] (95).

The majors of the nine Flyers recognized include two double majors, six business majors, two from the School of Education and one civil engineering major. 

"We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the past decade, it has become 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."

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 778 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
 
The 1,251 players honored in 2018 sets a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 1,103 honorees in 2017. The 302 schools with student-athletes in the Hampshire Society ties the previous mark also set in 2017.
 
The initiative has now honored 8,994 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.

A total of 29 schools have had at least one student-athlete recognized in each of the Hampshire Honor Society's 12 years: Brown, Bucknell, BYU, Colorado, Columbia, Dayton, Huntingdon (Ala.), Iowa, Johns Hopkins (Md.), Kentucky, Lafayette, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Montana, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Penn State, Redlands (Calif.), Saint John's (Minn.), SMU, South Dakota State, Wartburg (Iowa), Washington U. in St. Louis (Mo.), Wayne State (Mich.), West Virginia, Wingate (N.C.), Yale and Youngstown State.

Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the endowment 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 the chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their 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 12 years," said Hanson. "Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they are going on to become great leaders. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society continues to grow and allows us to shine a light on their hard work."

"We have honored more than 8,900 student-athletes in the last 12 years 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."

Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include:
• Being a starter or a significant contributor in one's last year of eligibility (or a senior who has declared for the NFL Draft)  at an 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/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.
 
The Hampshire Honor Society represents an important component in the organization's rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal, which began in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.