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University of Minnesota Athletics
Four Gophers Honored by NFF
4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Four Golden Gophers have been announced as members of the National Football Foundation's (NFF) 2015 Hampshire Honor Society. Alex Bisch, Cameron Botticelli, Luke McAvoy and Tommy Olson received the recognition.
To qualify for the Hampshire Honor Society, a student-athlete must be a senior in his final year of eligibility, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or better and meet the NCAA-mandated progress toward degree requirements.
Botticelli earned his bachelor's degree in political science and worked on a master's in youth development leadership during his senior season. On the field, he was an everyday starter at the defensive end position. Botticelli was second on the team with 9.0 tackles-for-loss. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention and Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
Olson, a communication studies major, started all 13 games at center his senior year. He helped block for a Gophers offense that rushed for 2,801 yards and 32 touchdowns. Olson received All-Big Ten honorable mention and Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Bisch graduated with a degree in kinesiology and was pursuing a master's degree in applied kinesiology throughout the 2014 season. He saw action in four of the Gophers' games, mainly on special teams, and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection
McAvoy, an English major and offensive lineman, earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades. He earned Minnesota's Tony Dungy Character and Community Service Award for showing character on and off the field. McAvoy played in the Gophers' win against Iowa and earned a letter.
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society recognized a total of 817 student-athletes from 278 schools this year, setting a new record for the program that was established in 2007.
