UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford has been named to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. Honorees include student-athletes who are scholars, leaders and community champions.
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 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.
Clifford joins Brandon Smith (2017), Ben Kline (2015), Stefen Wisniewksi (2010) and Wayne Holmes (2014) as Penn Staters to be named to the Good Works Team.
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.
Sean Clifford on the Field
- Clifford is in his third season as Penn State's starting signal caller, having played in 28 career games, making 23 starts.
- Clifford began the 2021 season on the watch lists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, Manning Award, Reese's Senior Bowl and Wuerffel Trophy.
- He is also a nominee for the NFF's William V. Campbell Trophy, awarded to the nation's top football scholar athlete.
- The QB, who owns a 3.45 cumulative GPA, graduated with a degree in public relations in December 2020 and is pursuing a second degree in journalism.
- Against Auburn, Clifford completed a career-high 28 passes, on 31 attempts.
- Clifford was named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week and Davey O'Brien Award Great 8 lists.
- Clifford ranks 17th in the country in completion percentage (71.3) and 23rd in completions per game (22.3), sitting third in the Big Ten in both categories.
- Clifford is just one of seven Penn State players all-time to reach 6,000-plus yards of total offense and one of 10 quarterbacks to reach 5,000 career passing yards.
- Clifford is one of 12 current FBS quarterbacks with over 6,000 total yards and over 5,000 passing yards in his career.
- He currently sits sixth all-time in program history in career total yards (6,318) and fourth in touchdowns responsible for (54).
- The Cincinnati, Ohio native is Penn State's current all-time leader in passing efficiency rating (147.3) and completion percentage (61.5).
- Additionally, the three-time captain ranks third in yards per attempt (8.2), fourth in passing touchdowns (45), sixth in touchdown percentage (6.71), seventh in completions (413), seventh in passing yardage (5,489), ninth in attempts (671) and 18th in yards per completion (13.3).
- Clifford owns 22 career games with multi-TD passes, including eight with three or more TDs and two with four or more.
- The redshirt senior has tossed multiple touchdowns in a half on 12 occasions and eight different times has thrown multiple touchdowns in a quarter.
- He is fifth in school history for 300-yard passing games (3) and sixth for 200-yard games (14).
- Clifford owns five career games with at least 250 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.
- The quarterback has tossed four career touchdowns of 70-plus yards and has completed 70 career passes of 20 or more yards.
- With a 49-yard TD strike to Jahan Dotson in the win at Wisconsin, Clifford brought his career TD pass total of 40-plus yards to 11.
- Among Penn State quarterbacks, he is third all-time in rushing yardage (829) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (9).
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2021 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
The 2021 Penn State Football season is presented by PSECU.