Eastern Michigan Athletics
Six Eagles Named to 2018 NFF Hampshire Honor Society
4/12/2018 11:22:00 AM | Football
The six honorees is tied for the most in the Mid-American Conference
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Six Eastern Michigan University football players have been named to the 2018 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame announced April 11. The 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 career.
The group from EMU included Sergio Bailey II (San Diego, Calif.-Olympian-Grossmont College), Jason Beck (Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical), Dan Buschman (Brighton, Mich.-Brighton), Juan Giraldo (Gilbert, Ariz.-Mesquite-Mesa C.C.), Luke Maclean (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc-Pittsburgh), and Johnnie Niupalau (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo-College of San Mateo).
EMU's six selections were tied for the most of any team in the Mid-American Conference. Overall, an all-time high 1,251 players from a record-tying 302 schools qualified for membership in the society's 12th year.
"We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the past decade, it has become a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives."
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 778 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The initiative has now honored 8,994 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.
Bailey was EMU's top receiving threat in 2017, posting 54 catches for 878 yards and nine scores. The nine TDs were the third-most in an EMU single-season while the 54 grabs ranked eighth-best. Nationally, Bailey ranked 20th in receiving touchdowns, 42nd in receiving yards, and 79th in receptions per game. In 25 career games, the JUCO product caught at least one pass in every game to finish with 114 receptions for 1,746 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those numbers rank ninth, sixth, and third on the all-time EMU lists, respectively. The First Team All-MAC selection holds a 3.34 grade point average in communication.
Beck, an All-MAC Third Team selection and Campbell Award semifinalist, led the Eagles in tackles in 2017 with 83 stops (40 solo, 43 assisted). Overall, he ranked 19th in the MAC in tackles per game (6.7), while posting eight games with seven-or-more stops. An iron man for EMU, Beck tied the program record for games played (49) and games started (47). The team captain racked up the seventh-most tackles in EMU history with 353 stops, including 179 solo tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss. Beck holds a 3.28 GPA as a sport management major.
Buschman went from walk-on to go-to target in his five seasons in Ypsilanti in 2017. The Brighton native had 15 receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns in 28 career games. He recovered from a broken leg suffered in preseason camp to play five games as a senior in 2017. Bushman, who holds a 3.23 GPA in Finance, was also a two-time Academic All-MAC selection.
Giraldo, a criminology major with a 3.42 GPA, played in 11 games, earning two starts. He recorded 36 tackles (26 solo, 10 assist), finishing with a season-best seven stops at Miami, Nov. 15, to go along with six tackles against Ohio, Sept. 23. The senior notched an interception on Senior Day against Bowling Green, Nov. 21 to help the Eagles escape with a three-point win. He also has a trio of breakups in the secondary.
Maclean, another criminology major, possesses a 3.55 cumulative GPA on his way to the team's Elton J. Rynearson Scholar-Athlete award. He played in all 12 games, earning a start on Senior Day, for a defensive unit that ranked in the top-50 in 10 different statistical categories. He registered 43 tackles (21 solo, 22 assisted) including a season-high seven stops against Toledo, Oct. 7, and then again versus Ball State, Nov. 2. Maclean also had at least 0.5 TFLs in eight of the 12 contests.
Niupalau played in 11 games, earning nine starts last season. He caught 27 passes for 368 yards and four touchdowns. This included a career-best five catches for 91 yards and a TD in a victory over Ball State, Nov. 2. For his two-year career, Niupalau played in 24 games, totaling 55 catches for 727 yards and eight scores. He holds a 3.37 GPA as a communication major.
Representing the MAC are 38 student athletes from 10 of the 12 MAC football programs.
Akron: RB Warren Ball; WR Tra'Von Chapman; S Zach Guiser; LB Andrew Hauser; OL Xavier Quigley; WR Anthony Young
Ball State: OL Vinnie Palazeti
Bowling Green: OL Clark Clancy; P Joseph Davidson; OL Ryan Hunter; LB Nate Locke
Buffalo: P Kyle DeWeen; S Tim Roberts
Central Michigan: WR Mark Chapman; OL Derek Edwards; DE Joe Ostman
Eastern Michigan: WR Sergio Bailey II; LB Jason Beck; TE Daniel Buschman; DB Juan Giraldo; DL Luke Maclean; WR Johnnie Niupalau
Kent State: LB James Alexander; QB George Bollas; S Marcus Elliott; QB Nick Holley; OL Nathan Puthoff; DE Matt Sommers
Northern Illinois: S Jackson Abresch; K Christian Hagan; TE Shane Wimann
Toledo: OL Nate Jeppesen; LS Brad Spelman; OL Brant Weiss; QB Logan Woodside
Western Michigan: TE Lucas Bezerra; P Derrick Mitchell; LS Wyatt Pfeifer
About the Hampshire Foundation
The Hampshire Foundation is the charitable arm of The Hampshire Companies, a privately-held, fully-integrated real estate firm that has more than 60 years of hands-on, cycle-tested experience in acquiring, developing, leasing, repositioning, managing, financing and disposing of real estate. Founded by Jon F. Hanson, who served as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006, Hampshire is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Learn more at www.hampshirere.com.
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, PrimeSport, the Sports Business Journal, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
The group from EMU included Sergio Bailey II (San Diego, Calif.-Olympian-Grossmont College), Jason Beck (Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical), Dan Buschman (Brighton, Mich.-Brighton), Juan Giraldo (Gilbert, Ariz.-Mesquite-Mesa C.C.), Luke Maclean (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc-Pittsburgh), and Johnnie Niupalau (San Mateo, Calif.-San Mateo-College of San Mateo).
EMU's six selections were tied for the most of any team in the Mid-American Conference. Overall, an all-time high 1,251 players from a record-tying 302 schools qualified for membership in the society's 12th year.
"We are pleased to see another record number of athletes honored by the Hampshire Honor Society this year," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the past decade, it has become a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives."
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 778 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
The initiative has now honored 8,994 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.
Bailey was EMU's top receiving threat in 2017, posting 54 catches for 878 yards and nine scores. The nine TDs were the third-most in an EMU single-season while the 54 grabs ranked eighth-best. Nationally, Bailey ranked 20th in receiving touchdowns, 42nd in receiving yards, and 79th in receptions per game. In 25 career games, the JUCO product caught at least one pass in every game to finish with 114 receptions for 1,746 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those numbers rank ninth, sixth, and third on the all-time EMU lists, respectively. The First Team All-MAC selection holds a 3.34 grade point average in communication.
Beck, an All-MAC Third Team selection and Campbell Award semifinalist, led the Eagles in tackles in 2017 with 83 stops (40 solo, 43 assisted). Overall, he ranked 19th in the MAC in tackles per game (6.7), while posting eight games with seven-or-more stops. An iron man for EMU, Beck tied the program record for games played (49) and games started (47). The team captain racked up the seventh-most tackles in EMU history with 353 stops, including 179 solo tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss. Beck holds a 3.28 GPA as a sport management major.
Buschman went from walk-on to go-to target in his five seasons in Ypsilanti in 2017. The Brighton native had 15 receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns in 28 career games. He recovered from a broken leg suffered in preseason camp to play five games as a senior in 2017. Bushman, who holds a 3.23 GPA in Finance, was also a two-time Academic All-MAC selection.
Giraldo, a criminology major with a 3.42 GPA, played in 11 games, earning two starts. He recorded 36 tackles (26 solo, 10 assist), finishing with a season-best seven stops at Miami, Nov. 15, to go along with six tackles against Ohio, Sept. 23. The senior notched an interception on Senior Day against Bowling Green, Nov. 21 to help the Eagles escape with a three-point win. He also has a trio of breakups in the secondary.
Maclean, another criminology major, possesses a 3.55 cumulative GPA on his way to the team's Elton J. Rynearson Scholar-Athlete award. He played in all 12 games, earning a start on Senior Day, for a defensive unit that ranked in the top-50 in 10 different statistical categories. He registered 43 tackles (21 solo, 22 assisted) including a season-high seven stops against Toledo, Oct. 7, and then again versus Ball State, Nov. 2. Maclean also had at least 0.5 TFLs in eight of the 12 contests.
Niupalau played in 11 games, earning nine starts last season. He caught 27 passes for 368 yards and four touchdowns. This included a career-best five catches for 91 yards and a TD in a victory over Ball State, Nov. 2. For his two-year career, Niupalau played in 24 games, totaling 55 catches for 727 yards and eight scores. He holds a 3.37 GPA as a communication major.
Representing the MAC are 38 student athletes from 10 of the 12 MAC football programs.
Akron: RB Warren Ball; WR Tra'Von Chapman; S Zach Guiser; LB Andrew Hauser; OL Xavier Quigley; WR Anthony Young
Ball State: OL Vinnie Palazeti
Bowling Green: OL Clark Clancy; P Joseph Davidson; OL Ryan Hunter; LB Nate Locke
Buffalo: P Kyle DeWeen; S Tim Roberts
Central Michigan: WR Mark Chapman; OL Derek Edwards; DE Joe Ostman
Eastern Michigan: WR Sergio Bailey II; LB Jason Beck; TE Daniel Buschman; DB Juan Giraldo; DL Luke Maclean; WR Johnnie Niupalau
Kent State: LB James Alexander; QB George Bollas; S Marcus Elliott; QB Nick Holley; OL Nathan Puthoff; DE Matt Sommers
Northern Illinois: S Jackson Abresch; K Christian Hagan; TE Shane Wimann
Toledo: OL Nate Jeppesen; LS Brad Spelman; OL Brant Weiss; QB Logan Woodside
Western Michigan: TE Lucas Bezerra; P Derrick Mitchell; LS Wyatt Pfeifer
About the Hampshire Foundation
The Hampshire Foundation is the charitable arm of The Hampshire Companies, a privately-held, fully-integrated real estate firm that has more than 60 years of hands-on, cycle-tested experience in acquiring, developing, leasing, repositioning, managing, financing and disposing of real estate. Founded by Jon F. Hanson, who served as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006, Hampshire is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Learn more at www.hampshirere.com.
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include Football Matters®, the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, The William V. Campbell Trophy® presented by Fidelity Investments, annual scholarships of more than $1.3 million and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, PrimeSport, the Sports Business Journal, Under Armour and VICIS. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.
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