Temple University Athletics
Niese, Reid Earn Hampshire Honor Society Recognition
4.13.22 | Football
Irving, Texas - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2021 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. An elite group of 1,559 players from 313 schools qualified for membership in the Society's 16th year. Temple's Michael Niese and George Reid are two of those new members.
"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 & CEOÂ 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."
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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.
Niese transferred into Temple from Dayton University as a graduate student. Niese, a major in engineering, built a 3.70 GPA. This helped him receive a nomination for the William V. Campbell award, also known as the "Academic Heisman." He was also named to All-Area Academic team by PhillySIDA and AAC All-Academic team in 2020-21. Along with his off the field success, Niese accomplished a lot on the field. The St. Louis native was only at Temple for two years but made a large impact. Niese started 14 games at the all-important right tackle position. His PFF offensive grade of 84.2 ranked 18th out of all offensive lineman in the FBS. Niese lettered in both years at Temple.
Reid, a Philadelphia native, didn't have to travel far to spend five years at Temple University. Reid majored in business management where he sported a strong 3.26 GPA. In his time, he racked up numerous academic recognitions. Reid is a three-time member of the AAC All-Academic team and a two-time member of the Athletic Directors Honor Roll. Reid played in 36 games and started eight at linebacker for the Owls. He lettered in his last four years. In his final year with the team, Reid was granted the role as a team captain. The linebacker accumulated 81 tackles, 4.5 TFL, and a sack in his career at Temple.
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.
Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funds 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 chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating his achievement.
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"We have honored more than 14,000 student-athletes in the last 16 years thanks to Jon Hanson's generosity," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "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."Â
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:
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"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 & CEOÂ 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."
Â
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.
Niese transferred into Temple from Dayton University as a graduate student. Niese, a major in engineering, built a 3.70 GPA. This helped him receive a nomination for the William V. Campbell award, also known as the "Academic Heisman." He was also named to All-Area Academic team by PhillySIDA and AAC All-Academic team in 2020-21. Along with his off the field success, Niese accomplished a lot on the field. The St. Louis native was only at Temple for two years but made a large impact. Niese started 14 games at the all-important right tackle position. His PFF offensive grade of 84.2 ranked 18th out of all offensive lineman in the FBS. Niese lettered in both years at Temple.
Reid, a Philadelphia native, didn't have to travel far to spend five years at Temple University. Reid majored in business management where he sported a strong 3.26 GPA. In his time, he racked up numerous academic recognitions. Reid is a three-time member of the AAC All-Academic team and a two-time member of the Athletic Directors Honor Roll. Reid played in 36 games and started eight at linebacker for the Owls. He lettered in his last four years. In his final year with the team, Reid was granted the role as a team captain. The linebacker accumulated 81 tackles, 4.5 TFL, and a sack in his career at Temple.
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.
Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funds 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 chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating his achievement.
Â
"We have honored more than 14,000 student-athletes in the last 16 years thanks to Jon Hanson's generosity," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "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."Â
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have:
- Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 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.
- Achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study;
- Met all NCAA- or NAIA-mandated progress toward degree requirements; and
- Been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2021 season.
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