Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Hartford Family Connection to Wake Forest Goes Beyond Football
6/11/2021 12:30:00 PM | Football, General
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Little-known and lightly-recruited Pennsylvania wide receiver Matt Hartford and his family took a spring 2006 trip to Wake Forest that forever changed their lives. Toting a highlight DVD that his mother, Sue, had put together, the Hartford's embarked on what was their second trip to the Wake Forest campus — just one of several college visits they had arranged.
"Wake Forest was not the first school we had been to, but it was the first school whose coaching staff welcomed us and took a few minutes to talk with us," Matt's father Kevin said.
The family had an immediate connection with "Big Daddy" Bill Faircloth, and was thrilled when they received a call from him a week after their visit.
"They liked what they saw on his DVD and invited him to walk-on," Kevin said. "That call not only changed Matt's entire life, but it heavily and positively impacted all our lives as well."
The entire family fell in love with Wake Forest and when it came time for Matt's younger brother, Christian, to select a college destination, the quarterback also became a Demon Deacon as a walk-on.
"Sue & I fell in love with Wake Forest, the football program and how it exemplified the true meaning of student-athlete," Kevin said. "There was something about the character, grit and determination that stayed with us after the boys graduated. While we were sorry to see Coach Grobe leave, we were excited about Coach Clawson and the renewed energy he brought. It was captivating and has become even more so during his tenure."
Though Christian's playing career was cut short because of multiple shoulder injuries, the Hartford's stayed connected with Wake Forest Athletics — something that continues to today.
"We were there for six years and continued to come down for one or two games per season after the boys graduated," Kevin said. "We experienced the magical season of 2006 with the ACC Championship and the Orange Bowl. It was an amazing experience for our family.
"Watching our eldest son, Matt, go from scout team to starting on special teams his senior season and earning playing time at receiver was very rewarding. And, our youngest son, Christian, had a memorable experience as well, although unfortunately his playing days were cut short by a repetitive injury to his throwing shoulder."
Christian, head performance coach for USA Beach Volleyball, considers his time at Wake Forest transformative.
"Obviously, my brother and I both went to Wake Forest," he said. "My parents absolutely love that place. I think, not only did they love that place, but with both Matt and I being walk-ons, it was a really life changing opportunity for both of us, right?
"In the town that we come from outside of Pittsburgh, it's not too common to leave there and go to out of state schools, especially a Division I in a Power Five conference, so for us to be able to have that opportunity was absolutely huge for our family."
Both Christian and Matt were together on the team in 2008 as the Deacs claimed the EagleBank Bowl with a 29-19 victory over Navy.
"That was a fun experience, and that was a really good team back then, too," Christian said. "Then 2009 was his senior year and I was a sophomore. That's when I was not on the team at all, and then my last two years I was an athletic trainer."
Their mother, Sue, developed colon cancer, with her four-year fight coming to an end with her passing last January.
"When Sue passed away last January it was awfully difficult for all of us," Kevin said. "But as months went by I decided we had to do something to honor her."
According to Kevin, Sue was passionate about The Bell Choir at their church, her high school's band, their high school sports hall of fame, and Wake Forest Football.
"All have received generous donations in Sue's memory," Kevin said.
The Hartford's began discussions with Deacon Club Regional Director of Athletic Development Alan Ashworth about developing a scholarship back in 2015, and it became more feasible after Kevin sold his business and retired.
"I'm really happy to be given back to walk-ons and to Wake Forest in that regard," Matt said. "But as far as it being named after my mom, that's just, I would name everything after my mom if I could. Being able to do anything to preserve her memory is incredibly important.
"And I think about her every single day and the fact that we can celebrate her once per year with Wake Forest, she loved it there as much as I did or my dad did. And being able to celebrate once a year with her in mind is really, really special."
"We just wanted a way to memorialize our mom's presence at Wake Forest so that, when my dad goes down there for games and when we go down there for games, we definitely feel her presence in Winston-Salem," Christian said. "We can give a future walk-on the same opportunity that my brother and I had to walk-on to a great program in a Power Five conference and go through the journey of becoming a Division I football player."
The Hartford family has been paired with Doug and Julie Ann Hartman to create the matching Hartman-Hartford Scholarship in memory of Sue Hartford, designed to aid a deserving Wake Forest Football walk-on recipient.
"Life is about relationships," Kevin said. "Ever since Matt was a freshman in 2006 our experience at Wake Forest has been all about relationships. We became friends with many of the other parents and have fond memories of our tailgate parties, birthday parties, late night conversations in the hotel lobby where we really got to know each other, and our trips to three-consecutive bowl games. Those memories and relationships will stay with us forever.
"And we have developed that same type of relationship with Alan Ashworth who has been incredibly vital in helping us create this scholarship. He's also become a very good friend of our family. With this scholarship, we look forward to creating new relationships with a new generation of players and their parents. And I know my sons, Matt & Christian, are just as excited about this opportunity as I am. They both are going to be very involved in rewarding the scholarship."
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