Four Redbirds Named To NFF Hampshire Honor Society

NORMAL, Ill. – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) listed Illinois State outgoing seniors Zack Annexstad, Peyton Asche, Peter Bussone, and Josh Dinga among a record number of members of the 2024 Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football.

The Redbird quartet were among an elite group of 1,991 players from 340 schools qualified for membership in 2024, setting a record for the number of members in a single year during the program's 18-year history. 

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 three years. Members must have also attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale) and been starters or key contributors throughout the 2023 season.

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

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