Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) student-athlete Ehab Hamdan has been selected as a Capital One Division III Football All-American by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America.
The senior wide receiver earned second team honors and joins Aaron Champagne (2009 and 2010) as the only WPI football players to be named Academic All-America.
"This is a huge honor," said Hamdan, 21, who is majoring in Civil Engineering. "I was really surprised and humbled to receive this award. It's a very special feeling and something I'll always remember."
Hamdan added that scholar-athlete award is emblematic of the mission of the team and WPI itself. "The nice thing about WPI is that you’re always improving yourself, and you’re never complacent," said Hamdan, of Revere, Mass. "And it's not just my attitude, but an attitude shared by the whole team."
Chris Robertson, head coach for the WPI Engineers football program, commended Hamdan.
"Ehab Hamdan has proven to be both an outstanding football player and an exceptional student," said Robertson. "It has been truly gratifying to see Ehab's development over the past four years, and I know that he will go on to great heights following his college career."
Hamdan becomes the 25th WPI student-athlete to earn Academic All-America accolades and it marks the 50th time an Engineer has been honored.
The senior wide receiver had a career season for the Engineers, leading the Liberty League in receptions (56), receiving yards (650), and touchdowns (8). His 56 catches were fifth all-time at WPI, just one away from a three-way tie for second place. For his accomplishments, he was named second team All-Liberty League.
Hamdan touts an impressive 3.78 GPA as a civil engineering major. He is a repeat Academic All-Liberty League selection a Dean’s List member and a Charles O. Thompson scholar. Hamdan’s student project focused on the “Growth of the Life Science Economy in Worcester,” while his project was in Spanish. He is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Hamdan was joined by classmates Tim Grupp of Highland Mills, N.Y., and Paul Monahan of Randolph, Mass., on the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District I first team. In addition to the All-Liberty League second team honors, Hamdan was named to the conference’s All-Academic team.
The oldest of three sons of Laila and Hazem Hamdan, Hamdan has focused on structural engineering at WPI, and plans to work in the Northeast upon graduation next spring.
