CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson United’s former student-athlete Derek Waleffe has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for academic and athletic achievements.
The NCAA awards postgraduate scholars a one-time grant worth $10,000, spread between the fall, spring, and summer. These scholarships are for student-athletes who excel academically and athletically in their final year of collegiate competition. Eligibility extends to all former student-athletes with an undergraduate degree from a NCAA member school, regardless of graduation date. These scholarships celebrate academic and athletic excellence.
“I am very proud to have received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship,” said Waleffe. “I’m happy that it highlights the Clemson men’s soccer program, and its commitment to excellence both on, and just as importantly, off the field. Go Tigers!”
Clemson now has a total of 17 student-athletes that have been awarded NCAA postgraduate scholarships. The most recent prior to this year was in 2012, when track & field seniors Alyssa Kulik and Kim Ruck and swimming senior Seth Broster earned the award.
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A graduate from Brown University, Waleffe continued his education at Clemson obtaining an Athletic Leadership certificate while simultaneously playing with Clemson United during the 2022 season. Currently, Waleffe is working towards his Ph.D. in condensed matter physics at the University of Washington. Waleffe is on track to graduate by 2029 and wants to stay in academics and eventually become a professor.
During his time at Clemson, Waleffe started in 16 games and recorded his first Clemson goals in back-to-back games versus Duke and Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament.
All-Time Clemson NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Winners 1964 – Jimmy Bell, Football 1967 – Jim Sutherland, Basketball 1968 – Jimmy Addison, Football 1972 – Ben Anderson, Football 1979 – Steve Fuller, Football 1980 – Bobby Conrad, Basketball 1985 – John Watson, Football 1987 – Matt Frooman, Tennis 1999 – Tom Wideman, Basketball 2001 – Kyle Young, Football 2005 – Ashlee Brown, Rowing 2008 – Matt Balderston, Swimming & Diving 2009 – Rachel Regone, Swimming & Diving 2012 – Seth Broster, Swimming & Diving 2012 – Alyssa Kulik, Track & Field 2012 – Kim Ruck, Track & Field – 2023 Derek Waleffe, Soccer
