Thank You, Demon Deacons! Wake Forest Set to Honor 47 Students on Saturday at Truist Field
11/12/2021 8:00:00 AM | Football
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest Athletics will honor 21 football players, 10 members of the Spirit of the Old Gold & Black, 16 Deacs from the Spirit Squads and five student staffers on Saturday before the football game.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to recruit and coach this amazing group of young men," head coach Dave Clawson said. "Their accomplishments on the field speak for themselves, but they can't just be measured in wins and losses. The relationships we have built with them over these past four, five and six years has been incredibly rewarding. Additionally, being able to witness their development off the field in the classroom and in the community has been so special. I look forward to honoring them before the game on Saturday."
"Senior day is a celebration of the accomplishments and incredible experiences in the careers of Wake Forest students as members of the football team, Spirit of the Old Gold and Black, spirit squads and support groups," said athletics director John Currie. "With Coach Clawson's guidance, these 21 football student-athletes have achieved new heights, including a program record sixth-consecutive bowl trip and we are proud to recognize them before the electric Truist Field crowd. We encourage all fans to arrive early for Saturday evening's special pregame ceremony!"
Several football student-athletes being honored on Saturday have remaining eligibility and following this season will assess the potential of returning for the 2022 season.
Football:
Gold Pom Team
Wake Forest will play its final home game of the 2021 regular season against N.C. State on Saturday, Nov. 13. Tickets are available at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to recruit and coach this amazing group of young men," head coach Dave Clawson said. "Their accomplishments on the field speak for themselves, but they can't just be measured in wins and losses. The relationships we have built with them over these past four, five and six years has been incredibly rewarding. Additionally, being able to witness their development off the field in the classroom and in the community has been so special. I look forward to honoring them before the game on Saturday."
"Senior day is a celebration of the accomplishments and incredible experiences in the careers of Wake Forest students as members of the football team, Spirit of the Old Gold and Black, spirit squads and support groups," said athletics director John Currie. "With Coach Clawson's guidance, these 21 football student-athletes have achieved new heights, including a program record sixth-consecutive bowl trip and we are proud to recognize them before the electric Truist Field crowd. We encourage all fans to arrive early for Saturday evening's special pregame ceremony!"
Several football student-athletes being honored on Saturday have remaining eligibility and following this season will assess the potential of returning for the 2022 season.
Football:
- Zach Anderson
- Hometown:
- Forest City, N.C.
- Year:
- Senior
- Academic Details:
- Major: Communication
- Hometown:
- Christian Beal-Smith
- Hometown:
- Winston-Salem, N.C.
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Academic Details:
- Major: Communication
- Football Highlights:
- Honored as a 2020 Third Team All-ACC by Phil Steele and 2020 Honorable Mention All-ACC by league coaches
- Landed on 2021 Doak Walker Award Watch List, 2021 Lindy's Preseason All-ACC First Team and 2021 Athlon Preseason All-ACC Second Team
- Currently ranked No. 17 in career rushing with 1,800 yards on 367 carries. Also ranked No. 5 in yards per rush with a career average of 4.91
- Hometown:
- Teddy Centofanti
- Hometown:
- Winchester, MA
- Year:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Academic Details:
- Major: Biology
- Hometown:
- TE Brandon Chapman
- Hometown:
- Grove City, Ohio
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Academic Details:
- Graduated with an undergraduate degree in Health & Exercise Science in Fall 2019. Also graduated with a master's in Liberal Arts Studies in Fall 2020.
- Football Highlights:
- Named a 2021 captain
- 2021 Mackey Award Watch List
- Caught 32 passes for 290 yards in 54 appearances
- Hometown:
- OL Terrance Davis
- Hometown:
- Temple Hills, Md.
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Academic Details:
- Major: Liberal Studies
- Graduated with a Masters in Sustainability from Wake Forest.
- Came to Wake Forest after receiving an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Supply Chain Management in fall 2020 from Maryland.
- Hometown:
- DL Miles Fox
- Hometown:
- Lawrenceville, Ga.
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Academic Details:
- Graduated with a master's in Liberal Arts Studies in Fall 2020 from Wake Forest.
- Came to Wake Forest after he received an undergraduate degree in Communications with a minor in Sport Management in 2018 from Old Dominion.
- Football Highlights:
- Earned 2021 preseason second-team All-ACC status from Athlon Sports and Lindy's Sports.
- Named one of two new team captains ahead of the 2021 season along with Michael Jurgens.
- Named First Team All-ACC by the Associated Press while also garnering third-team honors from Phil Steele and the ACC after tallying 24 tackles, including a team high 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2020.
- Hometown:
- DL Royce Francis
- Hometown:
- Acworth, Ga.
- Year:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Academic Details:
- Major: Communication
- Hometown:
- DB Tyriq Hardimon
- Hometown:
- Marietta, Ga.
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Academic Details:
- Masters Program: Sustainability
- Earned undergraduate degree in Economics with a minor in Entrepreneurship in Spring 2021.
- Hometown:
- DL Sulaiman Kamara
- Hometown:
- Richmond, Va.
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Major:
- Graduated with an undergraduate degree in Communication in Fall 2020.
- Football Highlights:
- Suited up in 54 career games, missing just three games over the last four seasons...Totaled 96 career tackles including 41 solo tackles and 10.0 tackles for loss as well as three forced fumbles
- Hometown:
- LB Luke Masterson
- Hometown:
- Naples, Fla.
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Major:
- Masters Program: Sustainability
- Graduated as a double major in Economics and Communication with a minor in Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise in Fall 2020.
- Football Highlights:
- Played in 43 career games with 197 career tackles including 129 solo tackles
- Two-time team captain (2020 & 2021)
- Lined up at linebacker, safety and rover throughout his career
- Hometown:
- DB Alex Murphey
- Hometown:
- Naples, Fla.
- Year:
- Junior
- Academic Details:
- Major: Communication & Spanish
- Hometown:
- PK/Holder Zach Murphy
- Hometown:
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Academic Details:
- Masters in Health & Exercise Science
- Earned to earn undergraduate degree in Health & Exercise Science in Spring 2021.
- Football Highlights:
- Served as Wake Forest's holder for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
- Hometown:
- OL Allan Rappleyea
- Hometown:
- Millbrook, N.Y.
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Academic Details:
- Major: History
- Hometown:
- DB Traveon Redd
- Hometown:
- Martinsville, Va.
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Academic Details:
- Graduated with an undergraduate degree in Communications in December 2019
- Also graduated with a master's in Liberal Arts Studies in Fall 2020 from Wake Forest.
- Named to the 2020 All-ACC Academic Team
- Football Highlights:
- Appeared in 54 career games, accumulating 165 total tackles including 90 solo tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss
- Named Defensive Back of the Week twice this season
- Posted a fumble recovery, forced fumble or interception in seven of nine games this season including a current five-game streak
- Hometown:
- WR Jaquarii Roberson
- Hometown:
- Murfreesboro, N.C.
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Academic Details:
- Major: Communication
- Football Highlights:
- Currency holds the eighth-most touchdown receptions in Wake Forest program history (17th)
- His three touchdowns in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl mark the most in Demon Deacon history for a single game
- Program record holder for yards per game in a single season averaging 102.9 yards per game. Additionally posted a program best four-straight 100 yard receiving games
- Received multiple honors over his career, including 2021 Preseason Third Team All-American by Pro Football Focus, 2021 Athlon Preseason Fourth Team All-American, 2021 Maxwell Award Watch List, 2021 Biletnikoff Award Watch List, 2021 Preseason All-ACC (Coaches & Media), 2021 Athlon Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2021 Phil Steele Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2021 PFF Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2021 Named to Lindy's Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2020 Second Team All-American by Pro Football Focus, 2020 Second Team All-ACC Selection by league and coaches, 2020 Second Team All-ACC by Associated Press, 2020 Second Team All-ACC by Phil Steele, 2020 Biletnikoff Award Watch List
- Hometown:
- TE Alec Rowan
- Hometown:
- Indian Trail, N.C.
- Year:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Academic Details:
- Major: Communication
- Hometown:
- K Nick Sciba
- Hometown:
- Clover, S.C.
- Year:
- Junior
- Academic Details:
- Major: Health & Exercise Science
- Named to the 2020 All-ACC Academic team
- Football Highlights:
- Owns a .900 career field goal percentage (72-of-80), which is tied for the highest in NCAA history.
- NCAA, ACC and Wake Forest record holder with 34 consecutive made field goals
- Sciba, who broke the program record for career points in Week 4 at Virginia, holds a career point total of 391, good for ninth in the ACC
- Received multiple honors over his career, including 2021 Lou Groza Award Watch List, 2021 Lou Groza Star of the Week (Sept. 27), 2021 ACC Specialist of the Week (Sept. 27, Oct. 11), 2021 Preseason All-ACC Team (Coaches & Media), 2021 Athlon Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2021 Lindy's Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2021 PFF Preseason First Team All-ACC, 2020 Lou Groza Award Semifinalist, 2020 All-ACC Third Team selection by the league and coaches, 2020 ESPN Preseason All-American, 2020 Preseason First Team All-American by Lindy's Sports, 2020 Preseason Second Team All-American by Athlon Sports, Street & Smith, Sporting News and Phil Steele, 2019 First Team All-American by ESPN, 2019 Second Team All-American by FWAA, Sports Illustrated and Phil Steele, 2019 Third Team All-American by Associated Press and Athlon and 2019 Lou Groza Award Semifinalist
- Hometown:
- WR Donald Stewart
- Hometown:
- Elizabeth, N.J.
- Year:
- Redshirt Senior
- Academic Details:
- Currently pursuing a graduate degree in Liberal Arts Studies from Wake Forest.
- Received his undergraduate degree in Science, Technology and Society from Stanford in 2020
- Football Highlights:
- Recorded his first receiving touchdown as a Demon Deacon against Florida State and the longest reception of his career (33 yards) versus Duke this season
- Overall has caught 18 passes for 199 yards.
- Hometown:
- DB Ja'Sir Taylor
- Hometown:
- Asbury, N.J.
- Year:
- Senior
- Academic Details:
- Earned undergraduate degree in Communications in Spring 2021.
- Football Highlights:
- Overall for his career, Ja'Sir Taylor played in 57 games with 24 starts and has totaled five interceptions, 22 pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
- He was placed on the 2021 preseason second team All-ACC by Lindy's
- Sports and preseason third team All-ACC status from
- Athlon Sports.
- Taylor was named ACC Specialist of the Week in Week 1 of the 2021 season after he became the first Wake Forest player to have a touchdown in his first career kickoff return, taking his only kick return of Wake Forest's 42-10 victory over Old Dominion 99 yards for the score. Additionally in the game, Taylor secured his first INT of the season.
- He is the first player in Wake Forest history to have a kick return touchdown and an interception in the same game.
- Prior to his final collegiate season this fall, he was named a 2020 Third Team All-ACC by Phil Steele.
- Hometown:
- OL Zach Tom
- Hometown:
- Prairieville, La.
- Year:
- Redshirt Junior
- Academic Details:
- Earned to earn undergraduate degree in Business and Enterprise Management in Spring 2021
- Currently enrolled in Wake Forest's Masters of Business Administration program.
- Football Highlights:
- The two-time ACC Academic Team honoree, Zach Tom is a ACC Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and Campbell Trophy Semifinalist that was also placed on the Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List, Phil Steele Preseason All-ACC First Team and Preseason Fourth Team All-American by Phil Steele prior to the 2021 season.
- Zach Tom was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the first time of his career after Wake Forest's win over Duke when he anchored the Deacs offensive line that tallied 677 total yards, the second-highest total in program history and the most in a Demon Deacon home game.
- With the help of Tom and the #BeefBoys, the Demon Deacons are on pace to break the school record for total points and points per game. Wake Forest is also the only team in the nation this season to score 35 or more points in every game this season.
- According to Pro Football Focus, Tom has the highest pass blocking rating (92.2) in the country. Tom is the No. 22 tackle in the nation with an overall rating of 83.6.
- Hometown:
- OL Trey Turner
- Hometown:
- Peachtree, Ga
- Year:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Academic Details:
- Major: Finance
- Hometown:
- Stephen Dennis
- Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
- Major: Psychology
- Minors: Biology and Schools, Education, and Society
- Connor Flaherty
- Hometown: Trumbull, Conn.
- Majors: History & Economics
- Minor: Secondary Education
- Madison Morgan
- Hometown: Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
- Major: Business and Enterprise Management
- Minor: in Sociology and Classical Studies
- Mackenzie Noe
- Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
- Major: Business & Enterprise Management
- Minors: Entrepreneurship and Politics & International Affairs
- Riley Payne
- Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
- Major: Biology
- Minors: Chemistry and Chinese
- Ana Rivas-Chavez
- Hometown: Wellington, Fla.
- Major: Biology
- Minor: Chemistry and Spanish
- Mark Rivilis
- Hometown: Marlboro, N.J.
- Majors: Applied Mathematics and Psychology
- Eric Ross
- Hometown: Pfafftown, N.C.
- Majors: Musicology and History
- Kristin Sands
- Hometown: Westfield N.C.
- Major: Music
- Katie Wooten
- Hometown: Thomasville, N.C.
- Major: English
- Minors: Secondary Education and Classical Studies
Gold Pom Team
- Meri Claire West
- Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
- Major: Mathematical Business
- Nicole Phillips
- Hometown: Boca Raton, Fla.
- Major: Business and Enterprise Management
- Julia Schumacher
- Hometown: Hendersonville, Tenn.
- Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Keri Small
- Hometown: Fayetteville, NC
- Major: Psychology
- Minors: Communication and African Studies
- Emily Potts
- Hometown: Charleston, S.C.
- Major: Health and Exercise Science
- Minors: Chemistry and Entrepreneurship
- Cameron Padilla
- Hometown: Tucson, Az.
- Majors: Biology and Psychology
- Asya Little
- Hometown: Monroe, N.C.
- Major: Spanish
- Minor: Health and Human Services
- Carlos Lima
- Hometown: Pittsboro, N.C.
- Major: Health and Exercise Science
- Pierce Alston
- Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.
- Major: Computer Science
- Jack Kinney
- Hometown: Bigtruss, Md.
- Major: Business and Enterprise Management
- Emma Sheets
- Hometown: Wilkesboro, N.C.
- Majors: Politics and International Affairs
- Ali Schragger
- Hometown: Pennington, N.J.
- Major: Mathematical Business
- Amanda Viola
- Hometown: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
- Majors:- Business and Enterprise Management & Consulting nd Sociology
- Caroline Jones
- Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
- Major: Business and Enterprise Management
- Paige Michels
- Hometown: Rockville Centre, N.Y.
- Major: Business and Enterprise Management
- Thomas Laws
- Hometown: Concord, N.C.
- Major: Philosophy
- Sports Medicine:
- Sierra Browning
- Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.
- Major: Health & Exercise Science
- Jacque Palermo
- Hometown: Brookhaven, N.Y.
- Major: Health & Exercise Science
- Sierra Browning
- Equipment:
- Tony Nino
- Hometown: Gaston, S.C.
- Major: Health & Exercise Science
- Tony Nino
- Video:
- JT Owens
- Hometown: Sanford, N.C.
- Major: Economics
- Charles Seals
- Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.
- Major: Accounting
- JT Owens
Wake Forest will play its final home game of the 2021 regular season against N.C. State on Saturday, Nov. 13. Tickets are available at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballFootball Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
QB Robbie Ashford takes it himself for the score
Thursday, September 11
Chris Barnes scores the TD on the game's first kick
Thursday, September 11
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10