WALTHAM, Mass. – Six former Bentley University football players have been recognized by the National Football Foundation with selection to the 2012 Hampshire Honor Society.

They are punter Mike Brownett (Branchburg, N.J./Immaculata HS), wide receiver Wade Critides (Wayland/Wayland HS), quarterback Bryant Johnson (Hopedale/Milford HS), defensive end Sal Ruffino (Allentown, Pa./Central Catholic HS), H-back Will Spring (Concord/Lawrence Academy) and tight end Bart Stires (Glendale, Ariz./Brophy Prep).

Brownett and Ruffino were both seniors during the 2011 season while the other four were graduate students using their fifth year of eligibility.

The 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 career. A total of 721 players from 232 schools qualified for membership in the society's sixth year, marking this year's class as the largest since the program's creation in 2007.  Bentley was one of only five Division II institutions who had six or more student-athletes recognized.

"The growing number of students involved in the Hampshire Honor Society each year shows that football student-athletes not only play at the highest level but that they are some of the best students on campus as well," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We salute each one of these young men for their commitment to education and their leadership on and off the football field."

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program 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 who play football at the more than 700 college and universities with football programs nationwide. 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, and currently serves the organization as a chairman emeritus. Each player awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating their achievement.

"Thanks to the generosity of Jon Hanson, we have honored more than 3,000 student-athletes in the last six years," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, "The Hampshire Honor Society allows us to showcase how much football matters in building tomorrow's leaders, and we strongly encourage every football-playing school in the country to get involved."

Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university; achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

Johnson, Bentley's 2012 Outstanding Male Senior Athlete, was a three-year starter and two-time All-Northeast-10 selection who finished his career in the top three in Bentley history in virtually all passing categories. Critides was one of Johnson's favorite targets, pulling in 72 balls for 925 yards and five TDs during his final season. Stires, a versatile player who was used at several positions during his career, had seven catches for 79 yards while primarily being used as a blocker in 2011, and Spring caught five balls for 94 yards and one TD.

Ruffino, a three-year starter, led Bentley's defensive linemen in tackles last year with 51, including a team-best 11 for losses and 6.5 sacks. Brownett handled the bulk of the punting for the Falcons from 2009-11 with his 38.0 average last fall third best in the Northeast-10.