IRVING, Texas – Two members of the Plymouth State University football program were honored when the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced the newest members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society on Wednesday.
 
Seniors Frank Capaldo (Melrose, Mass.) and Evan Wilson (Derry, N.H.) were each inducted for their outstanding work on the field and in the classroom.
 
Plymouth State was one of five Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) teams to have individual honorees.
 
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be a senior player graduating this spring/summer who completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2024; or
• Be a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2024 season (even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play next season).

And must have:

• Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale); and
• Been starters or contributors throughout the 2024 season.

 
A record 2,532 players from 339 schools qualified for membership in 2025, marking the largest class in the program's 19-year history. Since its inception, the initiative has honored 20,946 student-athletes. This year's members represented six divisions: 689 from the FBS, 549 from the FCS, 212 from Division II, 978 from Division III, 58 from the NAIA, and 46 sprint football players.
 
"In today's era of NIL and the transfer portal, we firmly believe that education remains the key to long-term success," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "These results reaffirm that academics are still top of mind for today's student-athletes. We salute our schools, coaches, and administrators who continue to champion education as a core part of the student-athlete experience. We'll keep doing everything we can to promote those academic ideals and ensure education stays central to the holistic development of every student-athlete."
 
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of student-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 774 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.