IRVING, Texas -- An impressive eight Bates football seniors were honored Wednesday, as the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced the members of the 2023 Hampshire Honor Society, comprising college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their career.

Team captain wide receiver Sean Bryant (Falmouth, Maine), center Nick Florio (Beachwood, N.J.), linebacker Thomas Formus (Ridgefield, Conn.), wide receiver Jackson Hayes (San Marino, Calif.), team captain linebacker Tony Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.), wide receiver Christian Olivieri (Hull, Mass.), defensive lineman Jack Ryan (Henderson, Nev.), and defensive back Owen Straley (Norwell, Mass.) all earned spots in this prestigious group.

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. 

An elite group of 1,734 players from 328 schools qualified for membership in 2023, setting a record for the number of members in a single year during the program's 17-year history.