IRVING, Texas –Twelve University of Dayton football players – linebacker Lucas Edwards, offensive tackle Ben Gauthier, wide receiver Shane Lefever, safety David Leisring, defensive tackle Andrew Lynn, punter Christopher Papalia, Flyer Matthew Rightnour, defensive tackle Isaac Sexton, defensive end Dante Stefanini, offensive tackle Adam Stull, wide receiver Matt Tunnacliffe and running back Tucker Yinger – have been named to the 2019 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

Yinger and Leisring were three-time Academic All-Americans, and Yinger is UD's all-time leading rusher.

Now in its 13th 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 1,643 total players from 424 schools qualified for membership in the society this year, breaking last year's record for individuals recognized by nearly 400.

Dayton's 12 Hampshire Society members was third among NCAA Division I football.  The only two to have more were Ivy League members Harvard (16) and Brown (13).

The Flyers are one of just 20 Division I institutions (and 29 overall) to have at least one senior qualify for membership in all 13 classes of the Hampshire Society.  Dayton is also the only PFL member.

The top five for total honorees during the 13-year span of the program include Brown (152), Dayton (122), Yale (115), Nebraska Wesleyan (111) and Johns Hopkins [Md.] (110).

The majors of the 13 Flyers recognized include three double majors, seven business majors and two from the School of Engineering. 

"We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "For more than a 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."

"Our players being recognized by the National Football Foundation as members of the Hampshire Society is great for us," Flyer coach Rick Chamberlin said.  "It allows our recruits to see that not only can they play for an outstanding football program, but they can also be in high academic culture that will benefit them after graduation.  And to have Dayton players recognized every year since the Hampshire Honor society started this recognition in 2007 shows everyone that this is who we are.  It's not just something that happens every so often.  

"It's part of our program every day, and we are gratified that the NFF recognizes the young men in our sport who excel on the field, as well as the classroom, over their college careers."

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 1,643 players honored in 2018 sets a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 1,251 honorees in 2017. The 424 schools with student-athletes in the Hampshire Society are also a record, besting the old mark by 122 institutions.
 
The initiative has now honored 10,637 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation (or both) 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 13 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 13 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 10,000 student-athletes in the last 13 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.