Former Youngstown State football student-athletes Eric Myers and Steve Zaborsky were named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the National Football Foundation announced on Wednesday.
Zaborsky, a defensive tackle from Mineral Ridge, started all 11 games and was a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American as a senior in 2015. He played in 48 contests during his YSU career and earned his degree in mechanical engineering.
Myers, a defensive end from Wooster, Ohio, played in 26 contests during his Penguins career as a defensive reserve and a member of special teams. He is on track to graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering.
A total of 868 players from 275 schools qualified for membership as the society celebrates its 10th year, setting a new record for the number of players honored during the history of the program.
"The number of colleges and universities who embrace the Hampshire Honor Society continues to increase each year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "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."
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 775 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The 868 players honored in 2016 is a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 838 honorees in 2014. The initiative has honored 6,620 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.
Youngstown State is one of just 32 schools who have had at least one student-athlete recognized in each of the Hampshire Honor Society's 10 years. The others include: Austin Peay State, Baylor, Brown, Bucknell, BYU, Colorado, Columbia, Dayton, Huntingdon (Ala.), Iowa, Johns Hopkins (Md.), Kentucky, Lafayette, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Montana, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Penn State, Purdue, Redlands (Calif.), Saint John's (Minn.), SMU, South Dakota State, Wartburg (Iowa), Washington U. in St. Louis (Mo.), Wayne State (Mich.), West Virginia, Wingate (N.C.) and Yale.
