Two members of the 2009 Wayne State University football team -- #Joe Claiborne and Bruno Shkreli# -- have been selected as members of the 2010 NFF (National Football Foundation) Hampshire Honor Society.

The Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. A total of 620 players from 246 schools qualified for membership in the society's fourth year, an 80 percent increase from the inaugural class in 2007.

Claiborne played in all 11 games, starting the first two games of the season.  After graduating from Howard University, he enrolled at WSU in the master's program and made his first WSU start against Mercyhurst and had four tackles (3-1) plus a quarterback hurry.  He recorded four tackles (3-1) and forced a fumble vs. Ferris State and selected WSU's Special Teams Player of the Week for the Bulldog game.  Claiborne had a quarterback hurry at Hillsdale and equaled a WSU career-best with three solo tackles and four total tackles at Grand Valley.  He saw action on the kickoff coverage, punt return and punt coverage teams and had eight (4-4) special teams tackles to tie-for-third on the squad.  He was also selected to the GLIAC All-Academic team.

Shrekli was named to the GLIAC All-Academic team as well as the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention squad.  A national semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), he was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team.  The recipient of the team's Ultimate Warrior award for outstanding work in the weight room, he was also voted WSU's Special Teams Most Valuable Player after leading the team with 15 special teams tackles (7-8), while serving as a team captain.  Shkreli played on all four special teams in every game in addition to his back-up running back duties.  He had five carries and two kickoff coverage tackles vs. Mercyhurst, then recorded two kickoff returns for 54 yards against Saginaw Valley.  Shkreli made three kickoff coverage tackles at Indianapolis and followed that by rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown on five carries vs. Findlay. He also had a reception and a 28-yard kickoff return against UF.  He had seven carries for 40 yards at Tiffin and two kickoff returns for 56 yards at Northern Michigan.  Shkreli rushed for 66 yards on eight carries against Ferris State and had two carries for 13 yards at Hillsdale. After rushing six times against Northwood, he had a career-best four catches at Grand Valley.  Shkreli finished second on the team in rushing, third in kickoff returns and had 518 all-purpose yards.  He ranked 10th in the GLIAC in yards per rush (5.9).

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.

The Hampshire Honor Society becomes the latest component of the organization's efforts to promote combined athletic and academic success. Launched in 1959 with a donation from Hall of Fame coach Earl "Red" Blaik, the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete Awards program became the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic success, football performance and community leadership.

Since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $9.2 million to 724 top scholars and community leaders. Currently, the NFF distributes more than $300,000 a year at the national level through the program to 15 individuals. Each winner of a National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. Additionally, the Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, is given to one member of each year's class as the absolute best. The winner of the Campbell, claimed by Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in 2009, receives a total scholarship of $25,000 and a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy. Through, its chapter network, the NFF awards an additional $800,000 to local high school student-athletes, bringing the NFF's annual scholarship total to more than $1.1 million.