UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball's Lexie Black and football's Sean Clifford have been selected as Penn State's 2022-23 recipients of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor.
The Big Ten, the nation's oldest collegiate conference, commemorates the 108th anniversary of a very unique tradition – the Big Ten Medal of Honor – awarded to one male and one female student from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their college career.
The conference's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work."
In 1982, the award was expanded to include one female student-athlete from each member institution. Big Ten institutions feature early 10,000 students competing in intercollegiate athletics, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In more than 100 years of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, nearly 1,400 students have earned this distinction.
Sean Clifford
A fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft, Clifford finished his career as Penn State's all-time leader in wins as a starting quarterback (32), completion percentage (.614), completions (833), passing yards (10,661), total yards (11,734), passing touchdowns (86) and pass attempts (1,356). He closed his career finishing third in passing efficiency (143.8), tied for sixth in yards per passing attempt (7.9) and eighth in touchdown percentage (6.34).
One of three finalists for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award in 2022, Clifford was a five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and earned degree in advertising/public relations and journalism from Penn State. He was a Campbell Trophy Finalist in 2021, an award also known as college football's "Academic Heisman."
Clifford presented a $15,000 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre County. That contribution included a $10,000 gift from Allstate, thanks to Clifford's placement on their Good Works Team. Another $5,000 came from Clifford's personal NIL-related proceeds. Clifford was involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters. In addition, Clifford started Limitless NIL. His new agency focuses on helping college athletes venture into the NIL space. As CEO, Clifford hopes to make a difference in the lives of his fellow athletes and for the next wave of recruits coming into this new-look NCAA.
Lexie Black
One of Penn State's most consistent contributors in the infield and batter's box in 2023, Black led the way by appearing and starting in all 47 of the team's games last year. She amassed the ninth-best OPS in the Big Ten Conference, clocking in an impressive 1.085 mark that paced the Nittany Lion roster. In the box, she finished the year batting .319 with a team-leading 10 homers, 15 doubles and 36 RBI. Her on-field performance culminated in a second-team All-Big Ten selection.
Earlier this month, Black was recognized as Penn State's female recipient of the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the league office. Black was one of just three softball athletes to haul in that honor, garnering the $7,500 award after locking in a cumulative 3.91 GPA while earning her bachelor's degree in veterinary and biomedical sciences.
Her success in the classroom led to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District accolades in 2023, her first honor from the CSC after earning Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten accolades every season in which she was eligible. Black will continue her education at the University of Nebraska, where she will pursue her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.
