IUP football duo named to 2024 National Football Foundation Hampshire National Honor Society

Football
4/12/2024 11:48:00 AM

Josh Hill, director of strategic communications and ideation

IRVING, Texas IUP football highlights Drew DiNunzio-Only And Quinn Zinobile were named to the 2024 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, announced by the organization earlier this week.

The duo adds to an elite group of 1,991 players from 340 schools who qualified for membership in 2024, setting a new record for membership during the program's 18-year history. This initiative has now honored 18,389 student-athletes since its inception.

“We are pleased to honor a record number of athletes this year as part of the Hampshire Honor Society,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “For the past 18 years, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as a powerful tool 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.”

Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must:

• A senior player, who will graduate this spring/summer, and just completed his final year of eligibility in 2023; or
• A graduated player who has been out of high school for at least (3) years;

And must have:

• Achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 (scale 4.0); And
• Have been starters or contributors throughout the 2023 season.

DiNunzio-Biss won the awards for his play on the field and his work in the classroom this past season for the Crimson Hawks. DiNunzio-Biss, one of only three linebackers in the nation to earn first-team College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors, was named Don Hansen All-America honorable mention, D2CCA All-Super Region One honoree and a two-time All-PSAC West first team pick (2022, 20203).

DiNunzio-Biss finished 2023 with 94 tackles, 16 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two PBUs. During his career, the 2023 standout recorded 214 total stops and three double-digit tackle games.

Zinobile made an immediate impact with the Crimson Hawks as a graduate student, transferring for his lone season in 2023. He finished as the team's leading receiver with 44 receptions, 644 yards and eight touchdowns.

Zinobile finished second in the PSAC in receiving touchdowns and eighth in receiving yards/game (58.5). He scored two touchdowns each against Ashland on August 31 and Shippensburg on September 16.

Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funding to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. He made the contribution as part of his legacy to the organization after serving as chairman of the NFF from 1994 to 2006. He currently serves the organization as chairman emeritus. Each player who joins the Honor Society this year will receive a certificate commemorating his or her achievement.

“It has been my great privilege to support the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which has greatly increased the number of college student-athletes the NFF has been able to recognize over the past 18 years,” said Hanson. “There are thousands of football players nationwide who are excelling in the classroom, and they will become great leaders.”

“We have honored more than 18,000 student-athletes since 2007 thanks to the generosity of Jon Hanson,” said NFF PresidentArchie Manning. “We are grateful for his passionate belief in the ideal of a scientist-athlete, and the Hampshire Honor Society allows us to highlight the names of tomorrow's leaders while inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps .”

The Hampshire Honor Society represents an important part of the organization's rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal, which began in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.

ABOUT THE HAMPSHIRE FOUNDATION
The Hampshire Foundation is the charitable arm of The Hampshire Companies, a privately held, fully integrated real estate company with more than 60 years of practical, proven experience in acquiring, developing, leasing, repositioning, managing and financing and disposing of real estate. Founded by Jon F. Hanson, who served as NFF president from 1994 to 2006, Hampshire is headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. More information atwww.hampshirere.com.
Tournament of Roses and the Sports Business Journal. follow us onFacebook,InstagramandTwitter@NFFNetwork, and read more atfootballfoundation.org.

---