Clark and Van Valkenburg Earn NFF Hampshire Honor Society Accolades

Senior offensive linemen Devon Clark (Perrysburg/Gowanda) and Sam Van Valkenburg (Sherman) are two of the 1,454 players from 366 schools that were honored by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) as members of the 2020 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.

"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. "For more than a decade, 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."

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 775 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide. The initiative has now honored 12,127 student-athletes since its inception.

Members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:

• Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2019
• Achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study
• Met all NCAA- or NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements.
• Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2019 season.

Clark and Van Valkenburg have been stalwarts on the offensive line for Alfred State the past four years. Both Clark and Van Valkenburg were selected to the All-ECFC 1st team this past season. Van Valkenburg also earned 2nd team All-ECAC honors. Both Clark and Van Valkenburg are finishing their degrees in Construction Management. 

Clark and Van Valkenburg join 2019 recipients Brandon Davis, Owen Davis, and Learoy Smith as the only five Pioneer members of the Hampshire Honor Society.