Brunner selected for NFF Hampshire Honor Society

[May 03, 2012]  CLEVELAND -- Former Illinois State defensive tackle Eric Brunner put a cap on his stellar athletic and academic career Wednesday, when he was named to the 2012 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society.

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or better throughout their college career. Players selected also had to be a starter or a significant substitute and must have met NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

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.

"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 Steve Hatchell, NFF president and CEO. "We salute each one of these young men for their commitment to education and their leadership on and off the football field."

Brunner, who was a two-time Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association academic all-star, was also named a first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and a MVFC all-academic first-team selection for the second straight time in 2011. The senior defensive tackle was also named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-District V Team in a vote conducted by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Brunner graduated from Illinois State in December with a 3.28 GPA in accounting.

The Greendale, Wis., native increased his production in 2011 and was the leader of the Redbird defense, which led the conference in total defense (294.8 ypg). One of four team captains, Brunner set career highs with 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, which tied for fifth in the conference and ranked third on the team with 55 tackles. He also added a forced fumble, blocked a kick, recovered three fumbles, broke up two passes and tallied three quarterback hurries.

He finished his four-year career with 12 career sacks (17th all-time) and 32.5 tackles for loss (10th all-time) and did not miss a game, with 33-consecutive starts at defensive tackle to end his career.

[Text from news release received from Michael Williams, Illinois State University]