Clark (pictured right) was a cornerstone of the Elon football team during its early NCAA Division II days, playing all 42 contests altogether as either a wide receiver, return specialist or running back during the 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 campaigns. The four-year starter and four-year letterman earned first team all-conference accolades as both a sophomore and a senior. He achieved second team all-region status as a junior and first team all-region honors as a senior. Clark was a second team All-American in 1992 and an honorable mention selection in 1994.

Helping Elon to a 27-15 record (.643) during his time, Clark still ranks as the program’s third all-time leader with 1,535 career receiving yards. As a specialist, he averaged 8.7 yards per punt return for 74 career returns – 10.9 yards for 23 returns as a senior – and 26.4 yards per kickoff return for 71 returns – 28.7 yards for 28 returns as a senior. Clark led the South Atlantic Conference in kickoff returns as both a sophomore and a senior. Altogether, he amassed 4,492 all-purpose yards in 42 games – 107.0 per game – and 20 touchdowns.

A Clayton, N.C. native and 1990 Clayton High School graduate, Clark went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in history from Elon in 1995. Nowadays, he is an application engineer at PCX Corporation in Clayton. Roderick Derome Clark, his wife, Tracey, and their children, Rodkia and Tajah, reside in Smithfield, N.C.

Degree (pictured left) was a force on both the volleyball court and the softball field during her time at Elon, collecting four varsity letters in volleyball and three in softball. She starred on the 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 volleyball squads and the 1991, 1992 and 1993 softball teams on her way to earning 1994 Stein H. Basnight Outstanding Elon Female Athlete of the Year honors. Degree achieved first team all-conference accolades three times in volleyball and twice in softball. She also registered first team all-district distinction twice in volleyball and twice in softball. On the volleyball court, Degree reached all-tournament status for the conference twice and for the district as well as district tournament MVP honors as a junior and South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year recognition as a senior.

Helping Elon to a 109-35 ledger (.757) – including a 24-4 mark (.857) in league action – and three SAC regular season championships during her tenure, Degree continues to reign as the volleyball program’s all-time leader with 1,461 career kills. Her kill totals as a senior (539 in 1993) and a junior (438 in 1992) ranked as the Elon’s top two single-season performances upon her graduation. Those tallies now rank second and sixth respectively among the program’s all-time leaders in that category. On the softball diamond, she helped her team achieve a three-year record of 80-30-1 (.725) – including a 27-9 slate (.750) in SAC action – and one regular season conference crown and one league tournament title. Degree still ranks among all-time Elon softball leaders in four single-season categories she cracked in 1992 – triples (1st with 13), slugging percentage (1st with .689), runs scored (2nd with 53) and runs batted in (Tied-3rd with 39) as well as career triples (2nd with 20).

A Kings Mountain, N.C. native and 1990 Kings Mountain High School graduate, Degree went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in education from Elon in 1994 and master’s degree from Grand Canyon University. After spending the previous seven years as a physical education teacher at Bethware Elementary School in Kings Mountain, she began a teaching position at Shelby Middle School this fall where she is also coaching the volleyball and softball teams. Velma Renita Degree has one child, Taylor.

DeMatteo (pictured right) was a versatile player for the Elon football squad during the mid-1950s, making appearances as a guard, offensive tackle, linebacker and defensive end during the 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957 campaigns. The three-year letterman and two-year starter obtained first team all-conference recognition his senior season. The 1957 team voted DeMatteo its “Player with the Most Desire.” That season, Elon finished with an unblemished 6-0 record to mark the program’s only undefeated season in its 85-year history to this date. He also lettered for the Elon track and field team in 1957, competing in the 440-yard run, the 880-yard run and the one-mile relay.

Since graduating from Elon in 1958, the Pottsville, Pa. native has served as the chairman of Continental Strategies, Inc., Southeastern Properties, Inc., Tennessee College of Automation and United Sports Apparel, Inc. He is presently retired and residing in Estill Springs, Tenn. Nowadays, DeMatteo is involved in politics, serving as the vice-mayor of Estill Springs and the commissioner of Franklin County. Anthony J. DeMatteo and his wife, Lucretia, have four children – Mario, Adrian, Damian and Cosmo.

A four-time first team all-conference and three-time first team all-district tennis player, Faehlmann (pictured left) helped Elon to a 68-13 record (.840) – 27-1 (.964) versus conference competition – en route to four league championships and two district titles during the 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 campaigns. The team ranked among the country’s top-15 teams all four seasons while Faehlmann went on to become a First Team All-American and a two-time Second Team Academic All-American. Elon finished fifth in the 1994 NCAA-II tournament.

The Stockholm, Sweden native was dubbed a team captain three seasons and his squad’s MVP one year. A regular on the Dean’s List, Faehlmann graduated summa cum laude from Elon in 1993 as a double major in business administration and economics. In addition to his bachelor’s of science degree, he also earned a master’s of business administration degree from Elon in 1994. A Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award recipient, Faehlmann was also a member of both the Alpha Chi Honor Society and the Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honor Society. Nowadays, Faehlmann is the head coach at Enebybergs Tennis Club in Danderyd, Sweden, a post he has held for nearly five years. George Andreas Faehlmann resides in Danderyd.

The late Dr. John D. “Jack” Sanford (pictured right) was a coach, teacher and administrator at both Elon and Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College). The Chatham, Va. native is survived by a son, John D. Sanford, Jr., and a daughter, Vicki Schuerger. He was preceded in death by his wife, Edythe Strickland Sanford. Better known by his players and friends as “Doc,” Sanford was a fixture at Atlantic Christian from 1966-1984. He coached the Bulldogs’ baseball team in 1973 and then again from 1981-84, compiling a record of 102-122 in six seasons. He retired on top in 1984 just after directing the Bulldogs to their first Carolinas Conference championship en route to logging both CIAC and NAIA District 26 Coach of the Year honors. His No. 28 jersey was retired on Oct. 26, 1984 during the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

Sanford is the last student-athlete to earn varsity letters in four sports – football, basketball, baseball and track and field – at the University of Richmond. He was tabbed all-state in football and baseball, served as captain of the baseball team and set the school’s discus record. He earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in sociology and a minor in English from Richmond in 1939. While in the waning days of a professional baseball career that spanned 16 years, he took physical education classes at Wake Forest College and eventually earned a master’s of education degree from the University of North Carolina in 1952. He laid claim to his nickname in 1961 when he earned a Ph.D. in education with a minor in sociology from North Carolina. After graduating from Richmond, Sanford signed a professional baseball contract with the Major League’s Washington Senators. He mainly played first base with farm teams the next 16 seasons, but spent 1940, 1941 and 1946 on the Senators’ roster. His Major League statistics include a .209 career batting average with 11 home runs in 47 games.

Sanford coached men’s basketball and football as an assistant at Hargrave from 1939-41, then was a physical fitness and special services officer with the Third Air Force and U.S. Army from 1941-46 when he also coached and played on the Air Force men’s basketball and baseball teams. He was a teacher and coach at Randolph-Macon College from 1946-49 and coached men’s basketball at the Medical College of Virginia in 1949-50. The following year, he coached the backfield on the freshman football team and was freshman men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest. He spent 1951-55 as a graduate assistant at North Carolina. From 1956-66, he was a professor and chairman of the Department of Health & Physical Education at Elon where he also served as head baseball coach and director of men’s intramurals. His 10 Elon baseball teams compiled a 184-110 record (.626) – including a 108-66 slate in conference contests – with nine winning seasons and two league crowns. In 1958, he led Elon to a 20-7 record and the District 26 title on his way to earning District 26 Coach of the Year recognition. That squad became the first Elon team in any sport to appear in an NAIA Tournament. Sanford became a professor and chairman of the Health & Physical Education Department at Atlantic Christian in 1966.

Tootoo (pictured left) was a four-year letterman at linebacker for the Elon football team during the 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981 campaigns. He earned first team All-SAC, first team all-district and honorable mention All-America distinction as well as the Red Wilson Endowed Scholarship Award. During his career, Elon amassed a 40-9-2 record (.804), captured three South Atlantic Conference championships, claimed two district titles, made three NAIA playoff appearances and won two national crowns.

A Wilmington, N.C. native and resident, Tootoo earned his bachelor’s of arts degree in social sciences with a business administration minor from Elon in 1982. At present, he is in his second year as the sales manager of Painting Pros in Wilmington where he is responsible for commercial and residential accounts for a three-county area. He and his wife, Patricia Gutierrez, have four children – Tonya, Ernie the II, Patrick and Caitlyn.