IRVING, TEXAS – Old Dominion University football placed quarterback Blake LaRussa and defensive end Oshane Ximines on the prestigious National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor society. The honor society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career.
LaRussa took over as ODU’s starting quarterback in the fourth game of the season and led ODU to the upset win over No. 13 Virginia Tech. He passed for 495-yards and four touchdowns in ODU’s first win over a Power Five and Top-25 program.
LaRussa finished the year with 3,015 passing yards and 19 touchdowns and finished 14thin FBS with 274.1 passing yards per game. He earned Conference USA honorable mention accolades.
A Virginia Beach native, LaRussa will graduate with a 3.2 GPA and a degree in finance.
Ximines, a two-time first-team All-Conference USA honoree, finished fifth in FBS with 12 sacks and 15thin tackles for loss with 18.5.
Ximines holds ODU career records with 33 sacks, 51.5 tackles for loss and 11 forced fumbles.
A native of Ahoskie, North Carolina, Ximines holds a 3.3 GPA and a degree in finance.
Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include:
· Being a starter or a significant contributor in one’s last year of eligibility (or a senior who has declared for the NFL Draft) at an 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/NAIA mandated progress towards degree requirements.
Old Dominion NFF Hampshire Honor Society Members
2012 – Ronnie Cameron, Thomas DeMarco
2013 – Jonathan Plisco
2015 – Josh Mann
2016 – Joe Pulisic
2017 – Tyler Compton
2018 – Josh Marriner, Bunmi Rotimi, Rob Thompson
2019 – Blake LaRussa, Oshane Ximines