Three A-State players gain NFF Hampshire Honor Society membership
A-State Athletics
Jerry Scott, Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations
JONESBORO – Former Arkansas State defensive lineman Javier Carbonell, punter Cody Grace and defensive back Darreon Jackson were all named to the 2020 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.
The Hampshire Honor 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 careers. A total of 1,432 players from 364 schools qualified for membership in the society’s 14th year.
A-State placed at least three student-athletes on the list for the fourth time in school history, also seeing three players honored in 2017, four in 2013 and a school-record five in 2015. The Red Wolves ran their all-time membership total to 26 since the program’s inception in 2007.
Carbonell completed his five years as a member of the A-State program with 56 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a half-sack, including a career-best 28 tackles his senior season in 2020. The Bentonville, Ark., native earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies in December of 2019.
Grace was a two-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist, while also being tabbed All-Sun Belt Conference three times. Originally from Perth, Western Australia, he is on course to earn his bachelor’s degree in exercise science this summer.
Jackson completed his career as a two-time All-Sun Belt selection, earning first-team honors his senior campaign. The three-year A-State letterman from Derby, Kan., earned his bachelor’s degree in communication studies in May of 2019.
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 775 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide. The initiative has now honored 12,127 student-athletes since its inception.