Senior linebacker Ben Kline was selected to the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team. Though he’s yet to see the field as he recovers from last year’s season-ending Achilles injury, Kline is one of 11 FBS and 22 overall honorees recognized for their contributions to the community.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is an honor presented to athletes who have gone above and beyond in regards to service in their community. Already in its 24th year of operation, this program has received a record-high 197 nominations from universities and colleges around the country.

Kline has served as President of Penn State’s Uplifting Athletes chapter for the past two years, which raises money for kidney cancer research. He has also been heavily involved in THON and the Special Olympics during his time at Penn State. Kline is also one of the co-founding students for an organization that benefits an orphanage in Kenya.

Along with his goodwill efforts, Kline is an American Rhodes Scholarship nominee. This scholarship is recognized as the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship award in the world. Only 32 Americans are selected as Rhodes Scholars through a regionalized process that represents all 50 states.

He pledged his loyalty to Nittany Nation after the sanctions, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA in 11 of his 12 semesters at Penn State, including summer terms, and has qualified for the Dean’s List six times. Kline is also a recipient of numerous academic awards, including being a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District and two-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient. He graduated with a degree in Finance with a 3.76 cumulative GPA in only three and a half years. Since graduation, Kline has been working on his master’s degree in international affairs.

Kline is the third Penn State player to receive the AFCA Good Works honor, alongside being Stefen Wisniewski in 2010 and Wayne Holmes in 1994.