NFF National Scholar-Athletes
Tyler Howerton, OL – Hampden-Sydney College (VA)
4.00 GPA – Physics
Head Coach: Marty Favret | Athletics Director: Chad Eisele
Faculty Athletics Representative: Dr. Saranna Thornton
A 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholar with a perfect 4.00 GPA, Tyler Howerton has started every game of his illustrious Hampden-Sydney career. The Alexandria, Virginia, native takes his rightful place as the Tigers' first NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
A 2019 First Team Academic All-American, Howerton is the first Hampden-Sydney physics major to be named a Goldwater Scholar, the nation's most prestigious scholarship in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. The Academic All-District selection and three-time academic all-conference honoree was the recipient of the Samuel S. Jones Phi Betta Kappa Award (H-SC junior with highest GPA) and the Sophomore Academic Excellence Award. A three-time recipient of the Howell L. Gruver Award as the football player with the highest GPA, Howerton is a member of the Dean's List and has been named to multiple honor societies. He also received the President's Award for Overall Academic Excellence, which is given to the senior at Hampden-Sydney with the highest GPA in his class.
The 2020 team captain has started every game of his college career on the Tigers' offensive line. A 2017 Third Team All-ODAC performer, Howerton has helped Hampden-Sydney's offense average 76.8 rushing yards per game and 310.2 passing yards per game over the last three seasons. He holds the football program's all-time squat record (700 lbs.) and boasts the program's second-highest bench press (450 lbs.) in team annals.
A member of the Hampden-Sydney Football Leadership Council, Howerton has served the Tiger Athletic Club as treasurer, vice president and president. A Student-Athlete Mentor (SAM) at Hamden-Sydney for three semesters, he will spend his senior year as a member of the SAM's Leadership Group while also mentoring an elementary school student. During the 2020-21 school year, Howerton is serving on the Appeals Committee at Hampden-Sydney, which is responsible for reviewing Honor Court and Code of Conduct cases appealed by students.
He also partnered with United Methodist Family Services and raised money to purchase Christmas gifts for underprivileged children in the Farmville, Virginia, area. The vice president of Omicron Delta Kappa, Howerton is a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society and the Alpha Chi Sigma chemistry fraternity, spending two semesters as its treasurer. A campus tour guide for football team recruiting events, he has also volunteered with the Special Olympics, FACES Food Pantry and various cleanup events.
