Hodges And Whitehead Selected For SoCon Hall Of Fame

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford legendary quarterback Devlin Hodges and soccer standout Alyssa Whitehead were selected for the 2027 class of the Southern Conference Hall of Fame, the league announced Thursday afternoon.

Hodges and Whitehead are Samford's first two selections for the SoCon Hall of Fame. The class will be inducted at a ceremony at Battery Park Hall in Asheville, N.C., on Thursday, March 4. Doors open at 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT).

"Samford has produced a lot of outstanding student-athletes over the years, and Devlin and Alyssa are two of the best," Samford Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Martin Newton said. "Having them as the first two Samford student-athletes to be inducted into the prestigious SoCon Hall of Fame is something everyone at Samford can be proud of and we look forward to seeing the two of them officially inducted in March."

Joining Hodges and Whitehead in the 2027 class of the SoCon Hall of Fame are the 1988 Furman football team, Furman men's basketball great Darrell Floyd (1954-1956), Furman running back Louis Ivory (1998-2001), Mercer women's basketball star Kahlia Lawrence (2014-2018) and ETSU cross country and track titan Seamus Power (1990-1994).

Bios for Hodges and Whitehead are below.

DEVLIN HODGES (FOOTBALL)
Hodges finished his career at Samford as the program's most decorated player, regularly rewriting the SoCon aerial records from 2015-2018. The Kimberly, Alabama, native broke Steve McNair's FCS career passing mark with 14,584 yards – moving past the former Alcorn State legend on November 17, 2018, with 404 yards through the air in a win over ETSU. That record remains intact nearly eight years later. Hodges broke the Samford single-season mark for passing yards in 2016 and broke his own record again in 2018 with 4,283 yards – leading the nation in passing yards and total offense (417.8 ypg) that season. When the dust settled in 2018, Hodges had completed 388-of-550 passes and 32 touchdowns. He added 313 yards rushing and eight more scores on the ground to power the Bulldogs' offense. For his efforts, Hodges won that season's Walter Payton Award and earned his third SoCon Offensive Player of the Year plaque. He was also named FCS ADA National Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 and became one of only six players in SoCon history to earn consensus FCS All-America honors. Hodges was a three-time All-America selection, a three-time All-SoCon choice, and a member of the 2015 SoCon All-Freshman Team. His passing elevated Samford to two FCS playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017. Hodges also set FCS national career marks for completions (1,310) and attempts (1,896), completing a strong 69.1 percent for 111 touchdowns. He topped the 300-yard mark passing on 31 different occasions and had 12 games with at least 400 yards through the air. Hodges topped 500 yards twice, including a then-SoCon record 562 yards and six touchdowns in a 66-28 win over Western Carolina on October 6, 2018. In an amazing October, Hodges threw for 1,437 yards and 14 touchdowns in just three games. Hodges was crisp in Samford's first win over a top 5 team since 1992, tossing three touchdowns and throwing for 427 yards in a 24-21 upset of No. 5 Wofford on October 21, 2017. Hodges' exploits weren't limited to FCS foes. He passed for 468 yards and four scores at Mississippi State in 2016 and had 475 yards and two touchdowns in a near-upset of Florida State in 2018. Soon after his Samford career was complete, Hodges earned a roster spot with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 and started six games for one of the sport's most storied franchises.

ALYSSA WHITEHEAD (SOCCER)
Whitehead finished her career at Samford as one of the program's most decorated players. A goalkeeper from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Whitehead set a Samford record with 34 career shutouts – tied for second in SoCon history. Her presence between the posts helped Samford flourish in its early SoCon years, with the Bulldogs posting a stellar 32-4-8 mark in conference play over her four seasons. After leading Samford to a third-place finish as a freshman, Whitehead manned the net for teams that finished second in both 2009 and 2010 and won a regular season title in 2011. Whitehead went 14-6-2 in 2011 with 120 saves and eight shutouts, with her final shutout that season coming in the SoCon finals against College of Charleston – a 1-0 win that catapulted the Bulldogs to a berth in the NCAA Tournament. In 2009, Whitehead posted a 12-1-5 mark in goal with 63 saves, 10 shutouts, and a national-leading 0.31 goals-against average – also a new SoCon single-season record. She posted a career-high 12 shutouts in 2010, the second-best season in SoCon history, and concluded her career with an overall record of 44-16-12, a 0.74 goals-against average, 316 saves, and 34 shutouts. She started the final 50 matches of her college career and set a Samford record with 730 consecutive shutout minutes. Her accolades matched the production, with three All-SoCon selections, NSCAA All-Southeast Region honors in 2009, and a spot on the 2011 SoCon All-Tournament Team. She played three professional seasons in Sweden before returning to Yelton's staff as an assistant for three seasons (2015-2017). She helped the Bulldogs to a 24-2-1 record as an assistant coach, including the 2016 SoCon title and NCAA berth.

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