BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University senior defensive backs Miles Nessuno (Reading, Pa.) and Mark Wilson (Foxborough, Mass.), senior running back Nick Santavicca (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and senior offensive guard Nicholas Spinale (Chelmsford, Mass.) have been selected to the National Football Foundation (NFF) 2020 Hampshire Honor Society.

The 2020 NFF 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. An impressive 1,451 players from 365 schools qualified for membership in the society’s 14th year.

To be nominated, student-athletes must have been a starter or significant contributor in their final season of eligibility while achieving at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average and meeting all NCAA/NAIA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

A physical education major, Nessuno is currently sporting a cumulative 3.40 grade point average. Santavicca, Spinale and Wilson are all majoring in criminal justice. Santavicca checks in with a 3.25 GPA, while Spinale has maintained a 3.27 GPA and Wilson leads the way with a 3.54 GPA.

On the gridiron, Wilson recorded 50 tackles (31 solo) with a sack, an interception (returned for a touchdown) and five pass breakups in 2019, while Nessuno notched a pair of solo tackles to go along with an interception and a pass breakup.

Santavicca rushed for 751 yards (93.9 ypg) and seven touchdowns in 2019 despite missing two game due to injury. He also caught five passes for 41 yards.

Spinale anchored an offensive line which helped pave the way for 3,935 yards of total offense in ten games, including 2,394 yards through the air and 1,541 on the ground. The Bears' averaged 31 points a game thanks in part to the outstanding play of the o-line.

Wilson, Santavicca and Spinale each garnered All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) First Team honors for the 2019 campaign.

"We are pleased to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell.

"For more than a decade, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically," Hatchell added, "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 775 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide. The initiative has now honored 12,149 student-athletes since its inception.

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

"It was my great privilege to endow the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which has greatly increased the number of college student-athletes the NFF has been able to recognize during the past 14 years," said Hanson. "Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they are going on to become great leaders. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society continues to grow and allows us to shine a light on their hard work."

"We have honored more than 12,000 student-athletes in the last 14 years thanks to Jon Hanson's generosity," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "We are grateful for his passionate belief in the scholar-athlete ideal, and the Hampshire Honor Society allows us to showcase the names of tomorrow's leaders while inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps."

Complete list of National Football Foundation 2020 Hampshire Honor Society members (PDF)