By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Going into his final semester at Davidson College, Jonathan Hammond faced a crossroads. The real world was out there, but so was graduate school. Not to mention that year of eligibility he had remaining on the football field.

So Hammond focused on finding the best combination of a renowned business school and upper-level football program — preferably one in need of a pass rusher. And how about if he could produce a couple of connections somewhere to vouch for him?

Jonathan Hammond, meet William & Mary.

"Two of my buddies from Davidson graduated a year before I did and came here for the MBA program, so they're on the same track," said Hammond, who has started all four of the Tribe's games this season at outside linebacker.

"I talked to them about it and got a good feel from them. The coaches called and offered, and it's worked out perfectly."

Hammond's connections were Caden Bonoffski, an All-American placekicker last fall at W&M, and Tyler Payne, a reserve offensive lineman. Each has another year in the MBA program as Hammond begins his first.

More people likely know Davidson as Stephen Curry's alma mater than one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation. The truth is, it's both. The college is No. 14 in the latest U.S. News & World Report listings.

"The draw for a young man like Jonathan at William & Mary is … it's a like-minded place in terms of the academics," Tribe coach Mike London said. "That's a natural draw because he's been surrounded by academic expectations coming out of Davidson.

"It was the perfect fit in terms of finding a place that's like-minded and having players who were on our team already and could talk about his character. And he's fitting a position we needed."

In four seasons at Davidson, where he played defensive end, Hammond had 182 tackles, including 22 sacks. He also intercepted two passes, one of which he returned for a 9-yard touchdown.

This season, he's an outside linebacker in the Tribe's 3-4 set. He's playing the same position vacated by sack machine John Pius.

"I think getting comfortable in the (two-point) stance took a little bit of time," Hammond said. "Overall, I'd say the position plays the same way. It's not too different. But the dropping in coverage is the most different part of it."

Hammond has made a quick impact with his new team. At Wofford on Sept. 14, his strip sack (and recovered fumble) created a short field for the offense and set up a touchdown. He finished with eight tackles (five solo) and two sacks.

"We like dynamic pass rushers, and he provides that for us," outside linebackers coach Darryl Blackstock said. "He's a really, really sharp veteran with a high football IQ.

"And he works hard. I think that's what separates him from a lot of people -- that and his attention to detail."

Blackstock also is W&M's special teams coordinator. And, as he discovered one day, Hammond can also long snap.

"That's a funny story," Blackstock said. "We're in a meeting one day, and I mention long snapping. And he says, 'I can long snap.' I said, 'Oh, really? When we're done, I'm going to get a football and you're going to snap it.'

"Sure enough, he did it — three times. The first one was a little high, but I was like, 'OK, I see what you mean.' And he's had three tackles as the snapper."

Already this season, Hammond has been named the Tribe's Defensive (Wofford) and Special Teams (Coastal Carolina) Player of the Week. If only he could take a few snaps on offense.

Hammond has never minded staying busy. In his senior year at the Mount Vernon School (enrollment: 400) in Atlanta, he competed in football in the fall, wrestling and basketball in the winter, and track in the spring.

Wait a second … wrestling and basketball in the winter? That's another funny story. After football, wrestling was Hammond's favorite sport, and he was a challenge in the 220-pound class. And that caught the basketball coach's eye.

"He came up to me maybe a week after football season, and he was like, 'We just need a guy who can go in and rough up their big man, box out and get some rebounds,'" Hammond said. "He said, 'We can work around your wrestling schedule.'"

In a nutshell, his job was to come in for a few minutes and antagonize the opposing big men. Not much else, especially on the offensive end.

"I had two plays," he said. "One where I'd set a screen in the corner and roll down, and the other was the classic pick and roll from the top of the key.

"Those were the only two plays they'd call when I was in because I didn't know anything else. And we'd run a zone defense."

Hammond graduated from Davidson last spring with a degree in communications and is now in the first of a two-year MBA program in the Mason School of Business. After that, he's not exactly certain how, but he wants to remain involved in athletics.

"I've been talking with some athletic department employees here about potential work, helping out with the communications department or the finance team for athletics," he said. "I'm also looking at potential internships at large sports organizations like NFL teams or hockey teams.

"I just want to get my foot in the door and figure out what type I like the most. I might try something different for a bit, but I feel like I'll end up back in athletics because that's part of my identity."