Hometown: Chagrin Falls, Ohio

As a high school senior in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, John Behm '12 had never heard of Davidson. "My mom went to Duke, I'd been to sports camps there-Duke is where I was going to go." But when Davidson's football staff started recruiting him, "I learned about the college's great academic reputation." When he was accepted to both schools, he had to make a tough choice. "Ultimately, I followed my heart. At Davidson, I thought I'd be viewed as an individual. I've got no regrets."

"Not a Fraternity Guy"
"I thought football would be my fraternity. But I joined Phi Delta Theta, and I've gotten to know people I wouldn't have otherwise. We all understand the work ethic needed to be a student athlete. Time management is huge, and so is focus. We try to mix that with having fun."

Not Enough Hours in the Day
"My adviser, Dr. Roberts, talks about a 36/8 week-politicians work 36 hours 8 days a week in order to fit everything in. Sometimes I feel like that's what I do-and this year everything's starting to come together. I've always been involved in a lot of things-but now I feel like I'm really making a difference."

Do Good Work
As a Bonner Scholar, Behm makes a big difference with his service at Davidson Elementary. That caught the eye of Allstate, which honored him with its Good Works Trophy, which will be presented at halftime of the 2011 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. "To be there, in my Davidson jersey, with a Sugar Bowl patch-what an honor!"

Geeky-In a Good Way
When he was 11, Behm stayed up all night watching the 2000 presidential election, marking a checklist to show which states went for each candidate. ("Yeah, it's kind of geeky. There's a lot of that here.") So it's no surprise that political science is one possibility after graduation-as are law school or playing football abroad for a year. "Career Services has been very helpful. They do a great job of helping you with research and with your resume."