2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

A star on the field, Hillsdale College senior football player Shea Ruddy is making a huge impact outside of the game as well.

The Temperance, Michigan native is a stellar academic performer, and a standout in the community. It's his work for others that's earned him a major honor, announced on Tuesday morning.

Ruddy was one of 22 current college football athletes to be named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, the AFCA revealed in a press release. The honor, now in its 35th year, was established in 1992 and recognizes college football student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service, academics and athletics. Ruddy was one of 162 players nominated for the award and was one of 11 non-Football Bowl Subdivision players selected for the honor by a panel of former Good Works Team members, college football coaches and journalists, along with 11 players from FBS schools and honorary coach Kalani Sitake of Brigham Young University.

The 22 members of the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works team combined for more than 12,000 hours of volunteer service as a group. Ruddy is one of just two Hillsdale players in the 35-year history of the award to make the Good Works Team, joining former Charger Phil Davignon, a member of the 2008 Allstate AFCA squad.

"One of my favorite things about the Good Works Team is that it measures something stat sheets don't," said 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member and two-time national champion Tim Tebow. "The spotlight is on student-athletes who are impacting their communities through what they do off the field. By recognizing these young leaders, including the program's first female honoree, Allstate is elevating their commitment to inspire more players, coaches, and fans to make a difference in the world around them."

A two-time All-American on the field in 2024 and 2025, Ruddy has made time for significant charitable efforts during his playing career at Hillsdale, most notably at local Hillsdale hospital, where he's volunteered to assist emergency room and surgical staff while gaining valuable experience in the healthcare field. He's also served as the chair of the Hillsdale College football program's Be The Match bone marrow registry drive, as well as a host for Hillsdale's annual Victory Day program for local residents with special needs. Along with those initiatives, he's also volunteered at youth football camps, assisted with the Hillsdale football team's annual Military Appreciation Day dinner and the Wreaths Across America program, and also spent time reading to children in Hillsdale County elementary schools.

"Shea is someone that lives his life the way he plays the game of football -- he goes above and beyond what is expected and he's always trying to make the biggest positive impact he can on the people around him," Hillsdale football coach Nate Shreffler said. "He works extremely hard to make a difference at everything he does, and that's what sets him apart.

"He's a great person and a great representative of our team and this institution. I'm very happy to see him receive this honor."

Ruddy also has excelled in the classroom at Hillsdale, earning back-to-back CSC Academic All-American honors in 2024 and 2025 while pursuing a degree in Biochemistry. He's on track to graduate from Hillsdale with high honors and is planning to attend medical school to become a doctor after graduation.

On the field, Ruddy has been one of college football's most versatile players and most electric return men at any level of the game. A 2025 consensus NCAA DII All-American, Ruddy led all levels of college football with 960 kickoff return yards and three return touchdowns last season. In two games in 2026, Ruddy's only been kicked to once as teams look to try and keep the ball out of his hands, but the one time he did get to return he took that kickoff to the house for a 96-yard score against McKendree. For his career, his 1,788 return yards and six return touchdowns are both Hillsdale College and Great Midwest Athletic Conference records.

Ruddy is more than just a returner though, ranking in the top 10 all-time at Hillsdale in both career receiving yards (1,827) and touchdowns (22) while adding another 559 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He was the only player in NCAA DII last year and one of just a few in history to record a passing, rushing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown in the same season. He's also a leader on the field for the Chargers, being named a team captain for the 2026 campaign.