This April, ten members of the University of Wyoming football team were made members in the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, a collegiate foundation that focuses on athletes with exceptional academics.
Parker Christensen, Frank Crum, Ethan Drewes, Deron Harrell, Marco Machado, Will Pelissier, Clayton Stewart, Zach Watts, Treyton Welch and Wyatt Wieland all received the honor last week after excelling both on and off the field this past season.
This is the largest number of inductees from UW since the creation of the society in 2007, with 50 athletes in total being honored over the years.
“Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funds to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. An elite group of 1,734 players from 328 schools qualified for membership in 2023,” said the NFF.
Per NFF criteria, each athlete “attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2, was a senior player who will graduate this spring or summer, fulfilled all NCAA requirements for their degree, and was a starter or significant contributor throughout the 2022 season.”
The list of nominees for the society significantly increased compared to previous years, with the NFF changing their eligibility guidelines for athletes.
“In previous years, the NFF awarded the honor only to student-athletes who had completed their playing eligibility the previous year. This year the NFF expanded its criteria to include student-athletes who may have playing eligibility remaining but who have graduated,” said Tim Harkins, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations at UW.
“This is the 16th time in the 17 years that the Hampshire Honor Society has been in existence that the University of Wyoming has had at least one individual selected,” Harkins said.
“Each player earning membership into this year’s Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their achievement.”
Past honorees from Wyoming include Andrew Wingard and Chad Muma, both current defensive players for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL.
