IRVING — Former UTSA student-athletes Brady Jones and Daniel Portillo have been named to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, the organization announced Wednesday.
Comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2-or-better GPA throughout their college careers, the membership for this year's society numbers an all-time high of 1,251 players from a record-tying 302 schools.
Jones earned his bachelor's degree in finance in December 2016, graduating magna cum laude with a 3.78 GPA, and he is currently working toward a master's degree in business administration. A native of George West, Texas, Jones was a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy and an InTouch Credit Union C-USA All-Academic Team selection in 2017. He also is a two-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient and three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. Jones, a wide receiver who recently participated in UTSA's annual Pro Day, caught 26 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns as a senior and finished his career with 57 catches for 699 yards and five TDs. He also returned 14 punts for 67 yards in his final campaign.
Portillo graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in May 2016, posting a 3.36 GPA in the process, and he is currently pursuing a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in engineering. Primarily a kickoff specialist for the Roadrunners, The Austin native established UTSA career records for kickoffs (179) and touchbacks (62) and he also set single-season standards for kickoffs (68) and touchbacks (27) in 2016. He also made 10 field goals during his career, including a career-long 51-yarder against Kansas State in 2015. A three-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member, Portillo worked in the computational bioengineering and control lab, where he managed the Football Kicking Simulator Project and eventually filed for a patent on the device.
"We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year," NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell said. "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."
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 778 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The initiative has now honored 8,994 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.
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 the chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their achievement.
"It was my great privilege to endow the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which has greatly increased the number of college student-athletes the NFF has been able to recognize during the past 12 years," Hanson said. "Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they are going on to become great leaders. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society continues to grow and allows us to shine a light on their hard work."
"We have honored more than 8,900 student-athletes in the last 12 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."
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:
• Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2017;
• Graduated players, who have remaining eligibility but will not return to collegiate play (e.g. declared for NFL Draft or retired from football), may also be nominated.
• Achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and
• Met all NCAA- or NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements.
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