From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University football team placed eight of its senior members in the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society, based on their athletic achievements during the 2017 season, and their academic achievements over their collegiate careers.
CWRU players to receive the honor include linebacker Andrew Banathy, center Gage Blair, safety/ kick returner Cody Calhoun, kicker Ben Carniol, linebacker Chanan Demery, linebacker Zach Lyon, cornerback Andrew Rossman and kicker Weston Salerno.
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society is now is its 12th year, and is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. A total of 1,252 players from 303 schools qualified for membership, setting a new record for the number of players honored in the history of the program, which began in 2007.
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.
The Spartans finished the 2017 with an 11-1 record, going a perfect 10-0 during the regular season and winning both the PAC and UAA Championships. Case Western Reserve qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships for the fourth time in program history during the campaign, and defeated Illinois Wesleyan 28-0 in the first round for the second postseason win in program history.