Courtesy of Brad Monastiere, Hillsdale College Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations and Event Management
The Hillsdale College Athletic Department is proud to announce the induction of four new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame.
Former Charger football players Jared Veldheer, Archie Robinson and Andy Kincannon will join former GLIAC men's basketball player of the year Dave Springer in the Class of 2016.
The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 9 at the brand-new Searle Center on campus.
JARED VELDHEER, '09
The current starting left tackle for the Arizona Cardinals, Veldheer is one of the finest offensive linemen in the 123-year history of Charger football. A four-year starter from 2006-09, Veldheer was an anchor of the offense as Hillsdale ascended to its highest point of success since it began competing as an NCAA Division II program.
In 2007, Veldheer started on an offense that scored a school-record 39.2 points per game, on its way to a three-game improvement in the standings (5-6 to 8-3). He was named First-Team All-GLIAC in 2008 and 2009, when he began to draw the eyes of NFL scouts.
In 2009, Hillsdale qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time, and advanced to the second round, a run that included a 27-24 overtime win over Minnesota State-Mankato. Veldheer was named First-Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association in 2009 as well. In his 46 career starts at left tackle, he never allowed a sack, and Hillsdale had its two highest scoring seasons in its history (2007, 2009). His coaches picked him as the team's most outstanding offensive lineman three times, a feat unmatched by any other player at that position in the 51-year history of the award.
He was a third-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders (69th overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft. He began his career at center, but was quickly moved back over to his natural left tackle positions.
In March 2014, Veldheer signed a five-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, where he immediately became one of the mainstays of the offense. In 2015, the Cardinals finished with a 13-3 record and had the highest-scoring offense in the NFL while advancing to the NFC Championship Game. He was named MVP by his teammates and various websites following the 2014 season.
Veldheer, and his wife Morgan, a former Charger volleyball player, celebrated the birth of their daughter Eva last spring.
ARCHIE ROBINSON, '72
Originally from Pleasentville, New Jersey, Robinson became one of the toughest defensive backs in Charger football history during his career, which spanned from 1968-71.
During his four seasons patrolling the defensive backfield, Robinson set a school record with 20 interceptions, while racking up 116 total tackles. His seven interceptions in 1970 was a record that stood for 30 years. The Chargers had a combined record of 16-4 over his final two seasons, and he was part of the 1969 team that qualified for the NAIA national playoffs.
In 1971, he was named NAIA First-Team All-American as a safety and became the first Charger to be named to the Kodak Little All-American team, also in 1971. He also played baseball for Hillsdale College and was captain of the 1971 team.
Robinson was a 13th round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 1972 NFL Draft, where his 4.6 speed got him noticed by pro scouts.
ANDY KINCANNON, '57
One of the most gifted and versatile athletes of the 1950s, Kincannon made his mark across many sports for the Dales during his career in the 1950s.
The football team racked up a total won-loss record of 30-2-2 between 1953-56, and his team didn't lose a single game in the last three years of his career.
Considered by former coach Frank "Muddy" Waters one of the best players he inherited when he arrived on campus in 1954, Kincannon was a real pass-catching threat in an era when passing was rare. He was named to the MIAA All-Freshman Team in 1953 when he had 177 receiving yards.
He went on to become a four-time First-Team All-MIAA football player for the Dales. After college, he was signed by the Detroit Raiders professional football team, competing in the Ontario Football League.
Kincannon also made his mark in track and field, being named track team captain in 1956. His best event was the javelin throw, where he had a personal-best throw of 202 feet, 4 inches, which was a long-standing school record.
In 1957, Kincannon was selected to the elite list of Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. He later went on to serve as an assistant football coach at Saginaw Valley State under Waters.
DAVE SPRINGER, '84
The 1983-84 GLIAC Player of the Year, Dave Springer combined scoring and playmaking to levels rarely seen in the history of Charger men's basketball.
In his senior year, he put up numbers that scattered him all over the program's record book. He dished out 159 assists, scored 562 points and made 224 field goals, all marks that were in the single-season top 10 in their respective categories. He's the only player in school history with at least 1,400 career points and 400 career assists.
He was twice named First-Team All-GLIAC and twice named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team. In 1984, he was an NAIA Third-Team All-American, and he finished his career with 1,438 points, which was 13th-most in school history at the time of his graduation.
Springer had a huge hand in the long-term success of the Chargers through his career. His class won a total of 83 games in his four years, which is fourth-most of any class in program history.
Springer was universally respected by his teammates for his quiet leadership and work ethic. Fellow players cite his willingness to run laps and do push-ups for "general purposes" as part of the fine example he set for them. The poise and control with which he played reflected his country upbringing, where hard work and humility were second-nature. Those skills translated into him being one of the top guards in the history of Charger men's basketball.