May 2, 2012

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State’s Tysyn Hartman, Alex Hrebec, Payton Kirk and Jordan Voelker have been named to the 2012 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society, the organization announced.

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better during their collegiate careers. A total of 721 players from 232 schools qualified for membership in the society's sixth year, while K-State placed multiple players on the list for the third straight season.

Hartman, a 2011 National Scholar Athlete and Campbell Trophy finalist, lettered four years for the Wildcats and earned All-Big 12 honors on two occasions. In 2011, Hartman had 69 tackles and three interceptions to lead the secondary.

Hrebec, Kirk and Voelker were all First Team Academic All-Big 12 picks this past season, while Voelker also earned Academic All-District honors while also collected midseason All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele at defensive end following a solid senior campaign. In 13 games this past season, Voelker collected 29 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four pass breakups, including a game-winning swat on fourth down of Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III in a win over Baylor.

The Wildcats went 10-3 in 2011 en route to a No. 8 final BCS ranking and a berth in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. Also, K-State saw a total of 16 players earn Academic All-Big 12 recognition in 2011, led by Hartman’s national academic honors.

Qualifications for membership in the NFF National Honor Society include being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited 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-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

Since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program distributes more than $300,000 a year at the national level through the program to 16 individuals. Each winner of a National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship.

Additionally, the Campbell Trophy is given to one member of each year's class as the absolute best. The winner of the Campbell Trophy receives a total scholarship of $25,000 and a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy. Through its chapter network, the NFF awards an additional $1 million to local high school student- athletes, bringing the NFF's annual scholarship total to more than $1.3 million.