Three Seniors Honored As FSU Football Tops In-State D2 Schools In Academic Honor Society Selections
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Three seniors from last fall's historic Ferris State University football squad have earned membership on the 2015 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society for their work both on the field and in the classroom.
The Bulldog trio of offensive tackle Jacob VanderKlok (Caledonia/South Christian), defensive back A.J. McEwen (East Grand Rapids) and defensive tackle Jeffrey Dean (Clarkston) are among a total of 817 players from 278 schools who qualified for membership in the society's ninth year. In order to qualify, each indivudal must have been a senior in eligibility last fall and maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or higher throughout their collegiate career.
Overall, a total of only five NCAA Division II players from the state of Michigan were honored and the Bulldogs' three honorees led the way with the other two both coming from Wayne State. This year's total membership set a new record for the number of schools represented in the history of the program, which began in 2007.
"We continue to raise the bar each year for the number of student-athletes who qualify for membership in the Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The Hampshire Honor Society plays an important role in highlighting that college football players clearly play a leadership role in the classroom as well as on the playing field. We congratulate each of these young men for their commitment to excellence."
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 who play football at the 772 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide. The initiative has honored 5,744 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007. The 278 schools represented in 2015 is a new high water mark, eclipsing the 267 schools in 2014. The total of 817 players in the 2015 class is the second-most in the program's history, only 21 behind the 838 honored last year.
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 a chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their achievement.
"We have honored nearly 6,000 student-athletes in the last nine 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 a powerful 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.
McEwen, who's currently with the Arena Football League's (AFL) San Jose Sabercats, served as a team captain for the Bulldogs in 2014. A two-time All-GLIAC honoree, McEwen was a preseason All-American for the Bulldogs this past fall and concluded his final campaign with 31 tackles to go with five pass breakups and 23 solo hits while starting all 12 games. He previously started all 11 games at cornerback in 2013 and ranked among the GLIAC and national leaders with five interceptions for 41 yards to go with 12 pass breakups. In addition to his time on the defensive side of the ball, McEwen appeared in 10 games as a receiver in 2012 as the Bulldogs.
VanderKlok was tabbed as a 2014 Daktronics, USA College Football and Beyond Sports Network First-Team All-American and also named to the Associated Press Little All-America Second Team along with earning the GLIAC's Offensive Lineman of the Year honor in addition to being a first-team all-region choice by both Daktronics and BSN. He helped spearhead a Bulldog offensive unit that led the nation in total offense, ranked second in scoring and fourth in rushing during the regular season. The senior's play enabled the Bulldogs to compile a school single-season record 559 points along with all-time bests of 3,866 rushing yards and 6,297 total yards last fall.
Finally, Dean played in 10 games for the Bulldogs this past year as a key contributor on the defensive line. He made six stops in his final season while also notching a tackle for loss as a reserve. The 5-11 Dean was a four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs and a GLIAC All-Academic Team honoree. He previously played in all 11 games as a starter at defensive tackle in 2013.
This past year, the trio of honorees helped lead the Bulldogs to the school's first GLIAC Championship in 15 years, first outright league crown in 18 years and first NCAA Division II Playoff appearance since 1996. FSU's 11-1 overall record under 2014 GLIAC and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Tony Annese was the school's best in 19 seasons.