NFF Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's University led all divisions of college football with 20 student-athletes named to the 2019 National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society on Wednesday, April 10.

A total of 1,643 student-athletes from 424 schools (FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA) qualified for membership in the society's 13th year, both new single-year records in the history of the program.

SJU is one of 29 college football programs that have had at least one honoree in all 13 years of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society. The 20 honorees surpassed the Johnnies' previous high of 18 in 2017.

To qualify, student-athletes must be either a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility, achieve a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average and meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

Those honored (listed alphabetically) include: 

-Tight end Tommy Auger (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral), an accounting major; 
-Linebacker Brandon Beranek (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral), an elementary education major;
-Linebacker Jack Bock (Marshall, Minn.), a global business leadership major;
-Linebacker D.J. Catherman (Tomball, Texas/Memorial), an accounting major;
-Defensive lineman Travis Christoffersen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty), a political science major; 
-Linebacker Bryan Crossman (Eagan, Minn./Holy Angels), a mathematics and physics double-major;
-Linebacker Zach Gerlach (Cloquet, Minn.), a global business leadership major;
-Wide receiver Will Gillach (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes), a biochemistry major (pre-medicine emphasis);
-Wide receiver Tyler Hartigan (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount), a biology major;
-Safety Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), an accounting major;
-Defensive lineman Matt Johnson (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato), a biology major;
-Defensive lineman Ted Kalina (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson), an accounting major;
-Defensive lineman Luke Koskie (Forest Lake, Minn./Chisago Lakes), a global business leadership major;
-Defensive lineman Payton Lenz (Hutchinson, Minn.), a biochemistry major;
-Defensive back Jacob Lucas (Los Angeles, Calif./St. Francis), a political science major (pre-law emphasis);
-Safety Sam Marshall (Marshall, Minn.), an accounting major;
-Linebacker Adam Ricketts (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Township), a global business leadership major;
-Tight end Jared Streit (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley-Watkins), an accounting major;
-Cornerback Sam Westby (Lake Elmo, Minn./Hill-Murray), a global business leadership major (pre-law emphasis);
-Tight end Kyle Westra (Bellflower, Calif./Valley Christian), an economics major.

SJU (12-1, 8-0 MIAC) won its MIAC-record 33rd conference title in 2018 and made its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs, ending the season ranked No. 3 nationally.