IRVING, Texas — Former UTSA football student-athletes Myles Benning and Hunter Duplessis have been named to the 2022 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF & College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
The Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers. An elite group of 1,559 players from 313 schools qualified for membership in 2022, the Society's 16th year. The 1,559 honorees are the second most in a single year during the program's history. The initiative has now honored 14,640 student-athletes since its inception.
"As the National Football Foundation celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022, we are pleased to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the last 16 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."
Benning earned his bachelor's degree in finance in May 2021, graduating with a 3.49 cumulative GPA. A three-time Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member, he transferred to UTSA from Navy in 2018 and appeared in 37 career games at fullback, tight end and on special teams. He has made the UTSA President's List for a perfect 4.0 semester GPA, as well as the Dean's List (3.75 GPA) and Honor Roll (3.50 GPA) during his time in San Antonio.
Benning appeared in all 14 contests in 2021, helping lead the Roadrunners to a 12-2 record — the most wins and best winning percentage (.857) in program history — and the conference title with a 49-41 victory over WKU. A member of the team's leadership council for the past two seasons, he helped UTSA lead the league and rank 21st in the FBS in kickoff return average (24.75) and was an integral part of the field goal/extra-point unit that broke a pair of school records.
Duplessis was an Academic All-America® selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the 2021 C-USA Football Scholar Athlete of the Year. The San Antonio Cole High School product was a two-time William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist and a Burlsworth Trophy candidate, and he was twice voted to the C-USA All-Academic Team and the CoSIDA Academic All-District® VII First Team. He earned his bachelor's degree in May 2020 with a 3.78 GPA as a double major in cyber security and information systems, and he currently is an MBA student focusing on technology management. He is a C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal recipient and Honor Roll member and he has landed on the UTSA President's List for a perfect 4.0 semester GPA multiple times.
On the field, Duplessis was a two-time first-team all-conference performer at place-kicker. A three-time C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honoree in 2021, he set UTSA single-season records with set UTSA single-season records with 24 field goals, 63 extra points, 135 points scored, 89 kickoffs and 38 touchbacks. Also a member of the team's leadership council, he ranked sixth nationally with a league-best 1.71 field goals per game and was sixth among FBS players in points scored.
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:
- Completed their final year of playing eligibility in Fall 2021;
- 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.
- Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale);
- Met all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements; and
- Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2021 season.
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 771 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
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. Click here to learn more.
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