Former Alabama center Ryan Kelly has been named to the 2016 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

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 875 players from 278 schools qualified for membership in the society’s 10th year, setting a new record for the number of schools represented in the history of the program, which began in 2007.

Kelly earned his undergraduate degree in marketing in 2014 and finished his masters in the same specialization in December of 2015. The West Chester, Ohio, native was named to the Southeastern Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2015. He was named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll three times, the SEC Freshman Honor Roll and the Dean’s list in both semesters of 2013. He finished with a 3.75 grade point average in graduate school after completing his undergrad coursework with a 3.298 cumulative GPA.

A regular at elementary schools, hospitals and Habitat for Humanity builds, Kelly has consistently put forth a strong effort to give back to others. He also had a prominent role in the cleanup efforts immediately following the April 27, 2011, tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa.

Kelly’s on-field accolades include the 2015 Rimington Trophy – given annually to the nation’s top center, the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy and consensus All-America honors as a senior.

“The number of colleges and universities who embrace the Hampshire Honor Society continues to increase each year,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Over the past decade, it has become 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.”

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program by 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 775 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide. The initiative has honored 6,627 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.

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