Thanks to a dynamic campaign in 2024 that showcased his incredible versatility on the football field, sophomore wide receiver Shea Ruddy was recognized as Hillsdale College's Roy Beck Most Valuable Player at the team's annual postseason banquet held on Sunday, Nov. 17.

Ruddy received the honor after a vote of all his teammates on Team 132 at Hillsdale College, and was recognized at the event, held at the Searle Center on the Hillsdale College campus. The sophomore joins Isaac TeSlaa, Trey Brock and Chad Gurica as the only wide receivers in the last 20 years to receive Team MVP honors for the Chargers, and like TeSlaa and Brock, Ruddy was recognized with the award as a sophomore.

A Temperance, Michigan native and graduate of Ottawa Lake Whiteford High School near the Michigan-Ohio border, Ruddy was a swiss army knife for the Chargers on offense and special teams, and a terror to opposing teams with the ball in his hands. His 1,779 all-purpose yards led the G-MAC and ranked third in all of NCAA DII this season, and he picked up those yards on rushes, receptions, kick returns and punt returns. Ruddy was Hillsdale's leading receiver with 24 catches for 680 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging an impressive 28.33 yards per catch. He also finished as the Chargers' third leading rusher, with 279 yards on 41 carries and another touchdown and leading Hillsdale players with 6.8 yards per carry.

But Ruddy did his most impressive work on returns. The sophomore became the first Charger since Gurica in 2005 with multiple kick return touchdowns, for 95 yards against Walsh on Oct. 12 and for 93 yards against Findlay on Sept. 28, and his 732 kickoff return yards were second among all players nationally in NCAA DII. His 33.3 yards per return average also set a new G-MAC single-season record. In addition to his kick return yardage, Ruddy also had 88 yards on punt returns.

Ruddy's performance helped the Chargers overcome an 0-4 start to finish the season 6-5 with five straight victories, the eighth time in the last nine seasons Hillsdale finished a campaign with a .500 or better record.

Several other Chargers received awards at the banquet for their strong play during the 2024 season. Additional honorees include:

Howard R. "Champ" Messenger II Award -- Logan VanEnkevort

Leonard Urbanik Award for Scholarship, Leadership and Ability – Ty Williams

Outstanding Offensive Lineman – Nick Affholter

Joe Vijuk Outstanding Defensive Lineman – Hunter Sperling

Outstanding Offensive Back – Logan VanEnkevort

Ralph Miller III Outstanding Linebacker – Jacob Vance

Outstanding Defensive Back – Vincent Francescone

One Play Warrior Award – Daniel Southerington

Get To Award -- Zach Pardonnet, Ben Affholter

Captain's Award -- Logan Van Enkevort, Landon Van Beek