IOWA CITY, Iowa – Three senior members of the 2021 University of Iowa football team have been named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. Student-athletes who are recognized include tight end Bryce Schulte, kicker Caleb Shudak, and defensive end Zach VanValkenburg. The announcement was made Wednesday morning by the National Football Foundation.
In its 16th year, the Hampshire Honor Society recognizes football players who completed their final year of playing eligibility as a starter or a significant contributor in 2021 and achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale) or better throughout their college career. Iowa is one of 25 colleges and universities to have at least one honoree in each of the 16 years of recognition.
Schulte, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, carried a 3.68 GPA, earning a degree in political science. Schulte is a two-year letterman who contributed primarily on special teams. He earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition four years and has earned Dean’s List each of the last four years.
Shudak, a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, carried a 3.73 GPA while earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors five years and has been made the President’s List and Dean’s List multiple semesters throughout his career. He earned the Forest Evashevski Scholastic Achievement Award in 2021.
Shudak holds the school record for career field goal percentage (minimum 25 attempts) at 82.8 percent (24-29). His 2021 field goal percentage of 85.7 percent (24-28) ranks fourth-best for single season and his 108 points rank as fifth-best single season scoring total in school history.
VanValkenburg played three seasons for the Hawkeyes, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors each of the past two seasons. A native of Zeeland, Michigan, he earned a 3.51 GPA in interdisciplinary studies. He shared the Hayden Fry team award following the season.
Along with earning All-Big Ten honors, VanValkenburg was a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and was named to the Ted Hendricks Award and Lombardi Award honors lists during the season. In 2021 he led Iowa in tackles for loss (15-75) while recording 58 tackles. He tied for the national lead with four fumble recoveries in 2020.
The Hampshire Honor Society recognizes players from college football programs at all levels. The entire list can be found on the NFF website, http://www.footballfoundation.org.
The Hampshire Honor Society represents a component in the NFF’s history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal. Since its inception, the initiative has previously honored 11,000 student-athletes.
