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Helton Named To NFF Hampshire Honor Society
4/29/2015 11:08:00 AM | Football
IRVING, Texas – Duke's David Helton continued to add to his award haul on Wednesday when The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced he was a member of the 2015 NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
The society is comprised of college football players from all divisions who maintained a cumulative 3.2 grade point average or better throughout their college career. Student-athletes must have also been a starter or significant contributor in his last year of eligibility. A total of 817 players from 278 schools qualified for membership in the society's ninth year, setting a new record for the number of schools represented in the history of the program, which began in 2007.
Helton, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter for the Blue Devils. His senior year was one of the most decorated in Duke history as he received the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the best collegiate football student-athlete in the nation, as well as the ACC's Jim Tatum Award, presented to the top senior football student-athlete in the league. Helton was a NFF Scholar-Athlete Award selection and a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. He was also a CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree during his final campaign and a four-time All-ACC Academic Football Team member.
On the field in 2014, Helton led the ACC in tackles per game (10.31) for the second straight year, becoming only the fifth player in league history to repeat as tackle champion, and the first since NFL Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly from 2009-11. Helton finished his career ranked 10th in Duke history with 347 tackles. He also helped oversee an unprecedented stretch of three consecutive bowl appearances by Duke and an appearance in the 2013 ACC Championship Game after winning the league's Coastal Division.
“We continue to raise the bar each year for the number of student-athletes who qualify for membership in the Hampshire Honor Society,” NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. “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.”
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,” NFF Chairman Archie Manning said. “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.”
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. Launched with a donation from Hall of Fame coach Earl “Red” Blaik, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments, became the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic success, football performance and community leadership. Since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $10.7 million to 804 top scholars and community leaders.
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