Sean Clifford selected as Big Ten Medal of Honor winner
Former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford has been selected as a Big Ten Medal of Honor winner, the conference announced Wednesday. The recognition is bestowed annually on a graduating male and female athlete for every conference athletic program.
It goes to the student-athlete “who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their college career.” And in Clifford’s case, those achievements are wide-ranging and exhaustive through his six years at Penn State.
On the field, Clifford’s career achievements with the Nittany Lions include program records for total wins (32), completion percentage (.614), completions (833), passing yards (10,661), total yards (11,734), passing touchdowns (86) and pass attempts (1,356), according to Penn State’s sports information.
Away from the gridiron, Clifford’s impact was similarly expansive. He was a five time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, he founded an NIL agency, and he was repeatedly honored both by the program and external organizations for his philanthropic efforts. Those included recognition by the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, the Senior CLASS Award, the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, and the Public Service Award and Lion’s Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award.
“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 April, Clifford was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He was the No. 149 overall pick. Penn State softball player Lexie Black was the women’s recipient of the honor.
Sean Clifford impact on today’s Penn State quarterbacks
Clifford’s impact with the Nittany Lions continues in his absence, according to head coach James Franklin. Long lauded for his behavior among the program’s other quarterbacks, the standard set is being felt this summer as Penn State gears up for the 2023 season.
And, as detailed by Franklin, that includes competitive nature of the open quarterback job between Drew Allar and Beau Pribula.
“I think really every year it’s the same philosophy. I think sometimes it’s assumed, which I get it, but it’s competition at every single position. A lot of things can happen between now and the season,” Franklin said last week. “Even when Sean Clifford was here for 14 years, he was competing for the starting job every single year. And if he would get beat out, that would have been his problem, not mine.
“So we have competition at every single position, every single year, returning starter or not. I think that’s the right thing to do. Not only for our entire program, but I also think for the starter.”
