NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Seven Vanderbilt student-athletes have been named to the Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.
Vanderbilt’s recipients include running back Khari Blasingame, receiver/punt returner Trey Ellis, quarterback Kyle Shurmur, offensive tackle Justin Skule, linebacker Josh Smith, punter Parker Thome and defensive lineman Louis Vecchio.
This year’s Hampshire Honor Society recipients represents the highest single-season total in team history.
In March, Blasingame received as the 2019 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Athlete of the Year Award. He also has been nominated for the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Award and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He rushed for 997 yards and 15 touchdowns in his Vanderbilt career, and was a two-time CoSIDA All-District Academic honoree and four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection. Blasingame graduated in May 2018 with a degree in medicine, health and society, and is working toward a master’s of education from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College.
Ellis averaged 8.9 yards as a punt returner and also posted five receptions in his Commodore career. He also earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition for four straight years. Ellis earned a degree in Political Science in May 2018 and is working on a Master’s of Marketing from the Vanderbilt Owen School of Management.
Shurmur graduated last December as Vanderbilt’s all-time leading passer, holding virtually every significant Commodore record for quarterbacks. He earned 43 starts during his career, guiding the Commodores to two postseason bowl appearances. A 2018 National Football Foundation Campbell Award nominee, Shurmur was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient. He graduated last December with a degree in economics.
Skule started 40 consecutive games at offensive tackle, protecting Shurmur’s blind side as the left tackle as a junior and senior. Skule was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient. He graduated with a degree in economics last December.
Smith contributed a career-high 61 tackles and nine tackles for loss as a starting outside linebacker last year. Smith was a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient. Smith earned a degree in environmental sociology last December.
Thome was a superb punter for the Commodores as a first-year Vanderbilt graduate student in 2018. He averaged 44.9 yards on 51 punts. He is working toward a master’s of marketing degree from Owen School of Management.
Vecchio contributed 24 tackles as a defensive tackle and end as a first-year Vanderbilt graduate student. He is also working toward a master’s of marketing from the Owen School of Management.
