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Two members of the Hampden-Sydney Tigers are celebrating a major honor. Hampden-Sydney College football standouts David Byler and Michael Harris have each been named a member of the 2023 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

The society, which is celebrating its 17th year, is composed of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.

David Byler is an economics major with a minor in rhetoric at the college with a 3.46 GPA. On the field, he started all 10 games last fall and had 49 receptions for 547 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Byler ranked fourth in the ODAC in receptions (47), tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns, fifth in receptions per game (4.9), and seventh in receiving yards and receiving yards per game (54.7). An All-ODAC First Team selection in 2022, he established a new season record for receptions by a tight end at H-SC with his 49 receptions, and completed his H-SC career with 59 career receptions for 640 yards and seven touchdowns-starting 12 of 27 career games, while a three-time ODAC All-Academic Team honoree.

Michael Harris was a theater major with a minor in music at the college with a 3.29 GPA. On the field, he started all nine games he played last fall and had 29 total tackles, including 12 solo and 17 assisted, three tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry and one blocked PAT kick. Harris is a two-time All-ODAC selection, including Second Team in 2022, and completed his H-SC career with 101 career tackles, including 36 solo and 65 assisted, nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one quarterback hurry and one blocked PAT kick-starting 29 of 33 career games, while a three-time ODAC All-Academic Team honoree. A December ‘22 graduate, Michael was selected as one of 156 semifinalists last fall for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete by the NFF.