WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University placed 11 players – enough to field a starting lineup – on the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's (NFF) recently announced 2019 NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
The honor society 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 all-time high of 1,678 players from a record 430 schools qualified for membership in the society's 13th year.
The 11 Owls who were selected include Zach Howard (LB, Spencer, Mass.), who was the 2018 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year, Andrew Carpenter (LB, Auburn, Mass.), who was a CoSIDA Academic All-District Selection, along with Nick Borsari (DT, Mansfield, Mass.), Noah Cirisoli (OL, Ansonia, Conn./Notre Dame Fairfield), James English (DB, Lynn, Mass./Danvers HS), Andrew Horstmann (OL, Mansfield, Mass.), Devin Lekan (TE/FB, Chelmsford, Mass.), Evan Lucey (DL, Chelmsford, Mass.), Tyler Robbins (LB, Southwick, Mass./Valley Christian (Calif) HS), Derek Tetrault (LB, Bellingham, Mass./Franklin HS), and Michael Vecchiarelli (QB/Holder, East Longmeadow, Mass./Agawam HS).
That group helped the Westfield State football team to a 5-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2018.
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must have: Completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2018; 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 2018 season.
Westfield State will open the 2019 season at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. on September 7.