A pair of University of Minnesota Duluth senior linebackers -- John Birkholz and Aaron Gorres -- are among the 1,432 players from 364 colleges and universities nationwide who have qualified for membership in the 2020 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.

Birkholz is a marketing major from Rosemount, Minn., while Gorres, a Cottage Grove, Minn., product, is majoring in chemical engineering. 

To earn a spot in the NFF National Honor Society, which is in its 14th year of existence, a student-athlete must meet the following requirements:
* Be 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.
* Achieve a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study
* Meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements.

The Bulldogs have now produced 65 NFF Hampshire Honor Society members since that list's inception in 2007. UMD is one of just 14 schools in the country that has had at least one player make the list in all 14 of those years.  Previous Bulldog honorees include:

• Jason Balts, WR (2019)
• Peter Bateman, OT (2017) 
• Beau Bates, LB (2017)
• Drew Bauer, QB (2017)
• Jordan Bauman, DE (2014)
• Britt Baumann, PK (2008) 
• Dan Beck, OT (2010), 
• John Bednarczyk, C (2018)
• Chris Blake, CB (2014)
• Alex Brown, P (2014)
• Jacob Brusehaver, DE (2015)
• James Conner, WR (2018)
• Tony Doherty, WR (2009)
• Ryan Duxbury, LB (2019)
• Chris Edyvean, OL (2019)
• Brad Foss (2011)
• Gavin Grady, LB (2015)
• Matt Haas, DE (2012)
• Cameron Harper, FS (2013)
• Cameron Hehn, OL (2017)
• Ben Helmer, TE (2013)
• Korey Horn, LB (2010)
• Bryce Juedes, DB (2019)
• Jeron Johnson, RB (2014)
• Jim Johnson, SS (2009)
• Tyler Johnson, DT (2010),
• Kenny Kirkvold, OL (2018)
• Mark Knudsen, OG (2007)
• Nick Larson, TE (2018)
• Alex Lasinski, RB (2019)
• Tobias Lemke, C (2010)
• Nick Lloyd, LB (2013)
• Sam Lynch, SS (2019)
• Tyler McLaughlin, PK (2017)
• Ryan Miesbauer, TE (2015)
• Tyler Morris, CB (2018)
• A.J. Naatz, LB (2019)
• David Nadeau, PK (2012)
• Mark Nahorniak, OL (2016)
• Isaac Odim, RB (2011)
• Tim Rahkola, DT (2011)
• Joe Reichert, WR (2014)
• Jon Rufledt, LB (2008)
• Andrew Schiessl, LB (2019)
• Ted Schlafke, QB (2009) 
• Brandon Scott, TE (2019)
• Austin Selvick, WR (2014)
• Collin Stinogel, WR (2013)
• Ty Sullivan, PK (2018) 
• Nick Thorpe, DE (2018)
• Isaac Vesel, DT (2017)
• Sam Whitney, OT (2010)
• Kegan Wirtz, FS (2018)
• Brandon Wood, CB (2010)
• Joe Yernatich, OL (2019)