Thompson-Bishop Named NFF Scholar-Athlete Award Finalist
9/13/2017 11:00:00 AM | Football
IRIVING, Texas – Syracuse freshman wide receiver Russell Thompson-Bishop has been named a finalist for the 2017 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF) Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards. The NFF announced the 35 finalists from the country's five regions on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
Thompson-Bishop is one of six finalists from the Northeast Region. Glenn Cunningham (Fordham), Andrew Hopgood (Bryant), Michael Laverriere (Maine), Bobby Maimaron (Williams College) and D. Major Roman (Yale) are the others.
Of the 35 finalists, the NFF will honor one individual from each region for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens at the high school level. A national committee will select and announce the winners on Oct. 4. The five award recipients will travel to New York City to be recognized during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon, presented by Under Armour, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the New York Hilton Midtown.
"The NFF Chapter Network continues to grow and excel, and their work this year has allowed us to identify these 35 exceptional high school scholar-athletes who have clearly established themselves among the best in the nation," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "It will be a difficult task to select one from each region as the absolute best. Each possesses incredible talent in all facets of their lives, and it is a tremendous honor for us to highlight their accomplishments."
Thompson-Bishop starred at Bloomfield High School in Connecticut, the same high school that produced Syracuse All-American and NFL All-Pro Dwight Freeney. As a senior, Thompson-Bishop caught 46 passes for 1,165 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was named first-team all-state by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA), the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the New Haven Register. Thompson-Bishop also played basketball and ran track for the Warhawks.
First bestowed in 1991, the NFF Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards have become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include, but are not limited to, academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement.
During the past 26 years, 115 student-athletes have been recognized as NFF Chapter Scholar-Athletes, including Andrew Luck, Josh Rosen, Todd Helton, Drew Henson and Bobby Hoying. Following the Dec. 5 luncheon, the five 2017 recipients will attend the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner, also at the New York Hilton Midtown, as honored guests where they will meet many of the game's greatest legends and current college stars.
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