June 17, 2009

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU graduates and 2008 lettermen Thomas Morstead and Tommy Poynter have been inducted into the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's 2009 Hampshire Honor Society. Qualifications for membership in the NFF Honor Society include: Being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university; Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

Morstead graduated from SMU as one of the best punters to ever put on a Mustang uniform. He was a 2008 preseason All-Conference USA pick after leading the league and ranking eighth in the nation in punting average at 44.6 ypp in 2007. His 2008 average of 41.5 ypp ranked 30th in the nation. He downed 20 punts inside the 20 with only three touchbacks, and helped SMU rank 21st in net punting. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Poynter joined the Mustangs as a walk-on in 2004 and earned a full scholarship after a year on the field. The three-year starter earned his undergraduate degree in accounting at SMU and is currently working toward an MBA. Poynter provided a positive influence as he spoke to middle school FCA programs and volunteered to speak at high schools about the importance of hard work. The Irving, Texas, native was a three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and blocked for an offense that threw 88 TD passes over his final three seasons.

A total of 564 players from 266 schools qualified for membership in the society's third year, a 27 percent increase from the 2008 class. In its inaugural year in 2007, the Hampshire Honor Society honored over 300 students from 195 schools.