UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford has been named a nominee for the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. Candidates include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders and community champions.
Nomination Criteria
Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is one of the most coveted community service awards in college football. From the 109 nominees, the final roster of 23 award recipients will bring together 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision; 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); and one honorary head coach. To be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
Sean Clifford in the Community
Team Impact: Nine-year old Sawyer Bell is a cancer patient and has had a relationship through Team IMPACT with the Penn State Football program. He was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that affects the skeletal muscle cells. He is currently in remission, but the two years prior, Clifford has been Sawyer's biggest supporter. A regular FaceTimer with Sawyer, Clifford has also had virtual game nights on Zoom over the last year with Sawyer. He has also had special school visits with Sawyer and has played a large role in getting Sawyer introduced to the rest of the Penn State Football team.
Penn State Football Leadership Liaison: Clifford beginning last fall served as Penn State Football's leadership liaison for volunteer activities. In that role, he is responsible for leading the team and encouraging the team's student-athletes to participate in volunteer activities around the Penn State community and throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
Reading Rewards Program: Clifford is highly active in the Reading Rewards program at Penn State. Through this program, he goes to local elementary schools on a regular basis to read stories to classes and encourages the youth to read.
Lift for Life: Clifford is on the board and is past President for Penn State's Uplifting Athletes, helping the chapter raise nearly $1.4 million for kidney cancer treatment and research since the first Penn State lift for life was held in 2003.
Athletic Director's Leadership Institute: Clifford is part of Penn State's Athletic Director's Leadership Institute (ADLI), which was established in 2007 to strengthen student-athlete understanding of leadership; specifically to identify different leadership theories and perspectives, understand the similarities and differences between these perspectives, and learn from individuals currently serving in leadership positions. ADLI members are encouraged to enhance their leadership skills, consider their own leadership style, and ultimately create a personal leadership philosophy.
Penn State's season opener on Sept. 4 at Wisconsin will kick off at noon on FOX. The Nittany Lions will make their return to Beaver Stadium on Sept. 11 vs. Ball State, a 3:30 p.m. ET start on FS1. Penn State's 2021 schedule with updated kick times and TV designations can be found here: https://bit.ly/3fVFuhc.
The 2021 Penn State Football season is presented by PSECU.
