National Football Foundation releases Hampshire Honor Society, four senior TTU players on list

By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

There are many things the Tennessee Tech football program can take pride in – a historical tradition, legendary performances and excellent student-athletes.

That excellence isn’t just on the gridiron as it extends into the community and in the classroom.

As the National Football Foundation released its 2020 Hampshire Honor Society, four senior Golden Eagle football players were named to the list. In all, 1,432 players from 364 schools across all levels of the sport were named to the roster, reaching student-athletes with a cumulative 3.2 grade point average and making significant contributions to their teams over their careers.

Representing Tennessee Tech were Seth Huner, Xavier Schlueter, Adam Swayze and Haidar Zaidan. Huner, a mechanical engineering major, wrapped up his career with a 3.85 GPA; Swayze, a pre-veterinary medicine graduate, posted a 3.74; Schlueter recorded a 3.57 in English, and Zaidan, a cellular and molecular biology major, had a 3.51.

“We are pleased to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year’s Hampshire Honor Society,” said NFF president and 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, 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 organization’s National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes it 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 program has honored 12,127 student-athletes since its inception.

Huner caught 16 passes for 223 yards, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. He also returned nine punts for 44 yards and seven kicks for 103 yards.

Schlueter started all 12 games on the defensive line, recording 32 total tackles, including two sacks and 3.5 tackles-for-loss.

Swayze recorded 35 total tackles and had two interceptions. He was also a recipient of the NFF Scholar-Athlete Award from the Middle Tennessee chapter of the organization.

Zaidan, in his first season as kicker, went 12-for-16 on field goals, including three longer than 50-yards and a career-long 54-yarder – tied for the second-longest in program history. He was also a perfect 22-for-22 on point-after tries, collecting 58 total points on the season. He was twice named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Specialist of the Week and was named to the Phil Steele All-OVC third team.