IOWA CITY, Iowa – Five members of the University of Iowa football program have been named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. The announcement was made Wednesday by the National Football Foundation.
The Hawkeyes who earned the distinction are safety Jake Gervase, defensive ends Parker Hesse and Anthony Nelson, defensive tackle Matt Nelson, and kicker Miguel Recinos.
“Our student-athletes take pride in representing the University of Iowa and the Hawkeye football program, both on the field and in the classroom,” said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. “Our Academic Student Services Department staff members do a great job helping our players succeed academically, while balancing the demands of football and academics.
“The National Football Foundation supports a number of academic programs that provide student-athletes the opportunity for success and we are grateful for that recognition. The Hampshire Honor Society is just one way our players are able to be recognized for their academic success. We encourage a well-rounded athletic and academic experience for our student-athletes and program such as the Hampshire Honor Society assists our players in recognizing their academic accomplishments.”
Now in its 13th year, the Hampshire Honor Society recognizes football players who have completed their career the previous season, are starters or significant reserves, and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) throughout their college career. Iowa is one of 29 colleges and universities to have had at least one honoree in each of the 13 years of the recognition.
The NFF recognized 1,643players from 424 college football programs at all levels. The entire list can be found on the National Football Foundation website,http://www.footballfoundation.org.
Gervase, a native of Davenport, Iowa, carried a 3.4 GPA as a finance and management major. He led Iowa in tackles (89) as a senior, while sharing the team lead in interceptions (four) and break-ups (seven). Gervase was named to the All-Bowl team by Rivals.com following Iowa’s win in the Outback Bowl. He was a three-time Academic All-Big honoree and earned honorable mention all-conference honors in 2018. He was named a permanent team captain.
Hesse is a native of Waukon, Iowa, who started 47 career games, including the final 37 of his career. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors four straight years and received the Forest Evashevski Scholastic Achievement Award and the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award as a senior. Hesse, who ranked third on the team in tackles, carried a 3.57 GPA while earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees during his career.
Anthony Nelson is a native of Waukee, Iowa, who declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season in 2018. He earned his degree in accounting with a 3.83 GPA. He started the final 26 games of his career and ranked second in the Big Ten and 17th in the nation in sacks (9.5-63) in 2018. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Anthony Nelson was twice named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team, earning first-team honors in 2017 and second-team accolades in 2018. He was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Matt Nelson played both end and tackle during his career, earning 33 career starts over the last three season. He is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who carried a 3.41 GPA while earning degrees in biology and human physiology. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten as a senior and was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Recinos handled the kicking duties the last two seasons and ranks 14th in career scoring with 180 points. He made all 92 of his career PAT attempts and 29-of-38 career field goals. He ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring in 2018 and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten.
Recinos earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for three years. He carried a 3.26 GPA while earning his degree in health and human physiology. He received the Reggie Roby Special Teams Award as a junior and senior.
The Hampshire Honor Society represents a component in the NFF's history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal. Since its inception in 1959, the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $11.5 million to 854 scholars and community leaders.