Dustin Veldhuizen April 23, 2009

Central lands four on academic list

PELLA— Central College landed four players in the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, the most of any Iowa Conference school for the second straight year.

The society recognizes senior football players who are starters or significant reserves and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Cornell College, Simpson College and Wartburg College each had one student-athlete named. No other Iowa Conference players were cited. Nationwide 564 players from 266 schools were named.

Last year 11 Central players were honored, the most in the NCAA Division III school and the second-highest total of any U.S. college or university.

Central’s honorees include:

Jordan Edgerly (Lisbon, Iowa/Lisbon HS), Offensive line, 3.82 GPA, math/computer science, secondary education

Justin Johnson (Britt, Iowa/West Hancock HS),  Defensive stinger, 3.56 GPA, exercise science major

Dustin Veldhuizen (pictured above) (Oskaloosa, Iowa/ Oskaloosa HS) Running back, 3.63 GPA, exercise science major

Spenser Remick (Hillsboro, Iowa/Mount Pleasant HS), Offensive line, 3.23 GPA, business management major

Those four players helped Central post a 37-10 record over the past four seasons, winning or sharing three Iowa Conference titles and earning three NCAA Division III playoff berths.

“This illustrates the kind of student-athlete we look for at Central,” McMartin said. “We look for the complete person, someone with great character who is a leader, an outstanding student and a talented football player. The young men on this list definitely exhibit those qualities and I couldn’t be happier about this honor. It speaks very highly of our program and our players.

“We talk about champions always being champions and that who we are on the football field needs to be reflected in who we are in the classroom and in our daily life.”

The Hampshire Honor Society, now in its third year, is the latest component of the National Football Foundation’s efforts to promote combined athletic and academic success. The NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete Awards program, launched in 1959, was the first to credit a player for academic success, football performance and community leadership.