LOGAN — Every year since 2007, the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honors Society has recognized student-athletes from across the country for both their athletic prowess and academic achievements.
Those honored all-time number more than 12,000 now — 1,678 were honored this year alone — and you can count five now former Utah State Aggies among them.
Graduate students Riley Burt, Caleb Repp and Jacoby Wildman, senior Dominik Eberle and junior David Woodward were all honored Wednesday, for “distinguishing themselves both academically and athletically,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell.
“We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year,” Hatchell said in a release. “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.”
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the Hampshire Honor Society must meet certain benchmarks, including:
- Completed their final year of playing eligibility (Players who have remaining eligibility, but will not return to collegiate play may also be nominated)
- Achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study
- Met all NCAA or NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements
- Been starters or significant contributors
During his career, Wildman, who graduated in the spring of 2019 with a degree in sociology and a minor in criminal justice and is on track to earn his master’s in business administration, earned academic All-Mountain West honors four times, was a Mountain West Scholar-Athlete three times and earned CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team honors in 2017 and 2019.
Woodward, who is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in business marketing and has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, garnered academic All-MW honors three times and earned CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team honors in 2019.
Eberle graduated in December 2019 with a double major in international business and marketing and was also a three-time academic all-league recipient.
Burt and Repp both transferred to USU in the spring of 2019, from BYU and Utah, respectively. Burt, who has undergraduate degrees in exercise and wellness, is currently pursuing his master’s in physical education. Repp has a degree in sociology and is pursuing his master’s of sports and education.
The five Aggies were among 38 student-athletes from the Mountain West to be honored, and Utah State led the Beehive State with its five selections, while BYU and Utah each had three.