EASTON, Pa. – Seniors Major Jordan, Otis Thrasher, Malik Hamm, Gavin Barclay and Selwyn Simpson have been selected as the captains for the 2021 Lafayette football season. Jordan and Thrasher enter their second seasons as team captains.

Fred M Kirby '42 Head Football Coach John Garrett made the announcement to the team at Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage after conducting a player vote to determine the Maroon and White captaincy.

Jordan, a middle linebacker returns from his three past seasons as a starter, racking up 34 starts. In spring 2021, he led the team with 21 tackles and added 2.5 tackles for loss to secure All-Patriot League Second-Team honors. An Engineering major from Frackville, Pa., Jordan was also granted Academic All-Patriot League status (3.9 semester GPA).

Thrasher has seen time in more than 20 games in his career, including starting every contest during the spring 2021 season. The safety finished with 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops. A Film and Media Studies major from Atlanta, Thrasher made a season-high six tackles in the win over Lehigh in Rivalry 156.

Barclay was a 2021 Fall Preseason All-Patriot League selection. The offensive lineman adds the honor to consecutive All-Patriot League Second-Team honors. A Biology major, Barclay has started all 37 games in his career, playing primarily at right tackle. He was the anchor of the offensive line and helped lead a Leopard offense that finished second in the Patriot League in total offense and sacks allowed in the spring season.

Barclay's classmate, Simpson, returns for his final season on College Hill. With 34 carries for 97 yards and six catches for 71 yards, Simpson is coming off an All-Patriot League First Team selection and added 2021 Fall Preseason All-Patriot League honors to his repertoire. The York, Pa. native has played in 33 career games, including all three in the spring. The Economics major had a season-high 19 carries for 66 yards in a season-opening win over Colgate (3/13).

"With the departure of seniors Quinn Revere and John Burk to graduate school, we have added additional captains to join Major Jordan and Otis Thrasher," Garrett said. "Our captains have earned the respect of their teammates and coaches by their attitude, effort and performance on the field. They will represent and lead our team well."

The final captain, Hamm, is perhaps the most decorated of the team's captains and he will begin his captaincy with a unique distinction. Hamm is the recipient of the inaugural Chris LaPietra '89 Captain Award, named in honor of the captain of the 1988 championship team who passed away in the summer of 2021. LaPietra embodied who a captain is with his attitude, effort, performance and positive influence on his team. 

Hamm already has garnered Preseason All-Patriot League status as well as Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Second-Team honors. After 26 career games, the Economics major was placed on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, an award given annually to the top defensive player in the FCS. The defensive lineman managed five or more tackles in every game this past spring, including a season-high seven stops vs. Colgate (3/13) and Bucknell (3/27). He was the 2019 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and the conference's Rookie of the Year in 2018.

"Malik leads by example and sets the standard for our players' approach, work ethic, attitude, commitment and performance," Garrett explained. "Malik is a positive influence on his teammates and will serve our team well."

The five captains will lead the Leopards into action on Sept. 4 at Air Force.