Spencer helps Raiders to title

SALEM, Va. -- Mount Union linebacker Hank Spencer is walking away from football a winner.

The 2012 North Putnam graduate and senior leader of the Purple Raider defense was part of a championship effort Friday night, as Mount Union defeated St. Thomas 49-35 for its second title in four years and 12th NCAA Division III football champions overall.

Things looked bleak for the No. 1 Purple Raiders (15-0) early, as the No. 4 Tommies (14-1) took a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Purple Raiders then found their form on both sides of the ball, using a 34-7 run to gain a lead they did not relinquish.

Starting his final game for Mount Union, Spencer, a starter since his freshman year and a three-year captain, had five tackles on Friday, bringing his season total to 67.

The honors keep rolling in for Spencer, who on Friday was also named a D3Football.com second-team All-American.

This honor came on the heels of the Greencastle native winning his third straight NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the top GPA (3.987) of any athlete at the 43rd annual Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

The computer science major completed his course work last week to graduate and begins a job with Vodori, a Chicago technology firm, after the first of the year.

Spencer was also awarded the Gene Slaughter Award as the top linebacker in the Ohio Athletic Conference along with being an All-OAC and All-North Region first team selection. He was the Academic All-American of the Year for NCAA Division III football and was the only NCAA Division III finalist for the Campbell Trophy as a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete.