Jones, Nelson, Gregory Earn NFF Hampshire Honor Society Membership
April 05, 2017 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Three former East Carolina student-athletes - punter Worth Gregory, receiver Zay Jones and quarterback Philip Nelson - have earned membership into the 2017 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society according to a release from the NFF and College Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Gregory, Jones and Nelson were among 1,089 nationally to earn the honor, which has been awarded annually since 2007 for outstanding academic achievement.
Gregory was a three-time Ray Guy Award Watch List selection who recorded a 43.0 punting average during his 37-game Pirate career, which ranks as the fourth-highest in school history. He established a new single-season standard as a junior by planting 32 punts inside the 20-yard line and was named East Carolina's special teams MVP during his final two years of action.
An Honor Roll and Dean's List performer in the classroom with a cumulative grade point average of 3.218, Gregory graduated from ECU in May, 2016 with a degree in business administration.
Jones is the owner of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), American Athletic Conference and East Carolina single-season (158) and career (399) reception records, while being one of only 19 FBS receivers all-time with over 4,000 receiving yards (4,279).
The 2016 Biletnikoff Award, William V. Campbell Trophy and Senior CLASS Award Finalist also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America (second-team) honors as a communications major before graduating last December with a 3.547 GPA.
Nelson transferred into the ECU program in 2015, and as the Pirates' starting quarterback last fall, directed the second-highest single-season passing average (334.7 ypg) in school history. He completed 237-of-349 throws for 2,621 yards and 16 TDs as a senior, ranking seventh and 10th nationally in completion percentage and completions per game, respectively.
Nelson, a communications major, earned Dean's List or Honor Roll selection every semester of enrollment at ECU and finished his eligibility with a 3.730 GPA.
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.
Gregory, Jones and Nelson were among 1,089 nationally to earn the honor, which has been awarded annually since 2007 for outstanding academic achievement.
Gregory was a three-time Ray Guy Award Watch List selection who recorded a 43.0 punting average during his 37-game Pirate career, which ranks as the fourth-highest in school history. He established a new single-season standard as a junior by planting 32 punts inside the 20-yard line and was named East Carolina's special teams MVP during his final two years of action.
An Honor Roll and Dean's List performer in the classroom with a cumulative grade point average of 3.218, Gregory graduated from ECU in May, 2016 with a degree in business administration.
Jones is the owner of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), American Athletic Conference and East Carolina single-season (158) and career (399) reception records, while being one of only 19 FBS receivers all-time with over 4,000 receiving yards (4,279).
The 2016 Biletnikoff Award, William V. Campbell Trophy and Senior CLASS Award Finalist also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America (second-team) honors as a communications major before graduating last December with a 3.547 GPA.
Nelson transferred into the ECU program in 2015, and as the Pirates' starting quarterback last fall, directed the second-highest single-season passing average (334.7 ypg) in school history. He completed 237-of-349 throws for 2,621 yards and 16 TDs as a senior, ranking seventh and 10th nationally in completion percentage and completions per game, respectively.
Nelson, a communications major, earned Dean's List or Honor Roll selection every semester of enrollment at ECU and finished his eligibility with a 3.730 GPA.
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.
Players Mentioned
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