September 18, 2025

Defender of the Nation Award Player Profile Shane Hartzell

Villanova’s Shane Hartzell
6’-0” 230 lbs. Perkasie, PA

Athletic Bio and Honors:

VILLANOVA: Two-time All-CAA selection who will be one of the top linebackers in FCS Football … Has a high football IQ and quality tackling skills … Possesses excellent leadership traits … Totaled eight career double-digit tackle games, four coming in 2024.

2025: Buck Buchanan Award watch list … Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Second Team … CAA Preseason All-Conference.

2024: Named Phil Steele Second Team All-American, First Team All-CAA and Villanova Senior Student-Athlete of the Year…Started all 14 games and tallied 121 tackles (second on team), 9.5 tackles for loss, a team-high five sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery…Earned Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week and CAA Defensive Player of the Week for his effort at New Hampshire when he registered a career-high 20 tackles.

2023: Garnered All-CAA Honorable Mention accolades…Played in 12 games and tallied a team-high 91 tackles (50 solo), six tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception…Made a season-high 14 tackles to go with one tackle for loss and one sack against Youngstown State in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

2022: Started all 11 games and tallied a team-high 74 tackles (34 solo) to go with nine tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble…Recorded a then-career-high 15 tackles, including eight solo stops at Richmond…Named CAA Rookie of the Week for his effort against Delaware with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

2021: Played in four games during his first collegiate season.

High School: Pennridge High School. Selected as the All-Area Player of the Year and was a first team all-area honoree as a senior … Earned second team all-state accolades as a junior … Three-time first team all-conference pick at linebacker and second team selection as a running back … Achieved High Honors status academically all four years.

Academic Honors: Named Villanova Senior Student-Athlete of the Year in 2024-25 … Earned a spot on the PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Team in 2024 … Eight-time member of the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, once with High Honors … Selected to Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in each semester.

Personal: Born 4/27/03 … Youngest of three children of David and Donna Hartzell … Brother, Joel, played college football at Duquesne.

Villanova Head Coach Mark Ferrante:  “Shane is an all-around top-notch football player. He’s tough, physical and his football instincts are outstanding.  He sees the game a step ahead and his tackling skills make him one of the top linebackers at the FCS level. Shane is also a tremendous team leader. He is one of two players on our team to be voted a team captain by his teammates.”

The recipient of the Defender of the Nation Award will be announced on October 23 from one of the nation’s 15 distinguished military academies and ROTC programs. These include:
• United States Air Force Academy
• Appalachian State University
• Auburn University
• The Citadel
• United States Coast Guard Academy
• Michigan State University
• United States Naval Academy
• Norwich University
• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
• Texas A&M University
• Virginia Tech
• Virginia Military Institute (VMI)
• University of South Carolina
• Villanova University
• United States Military Academy (West Point)

This prestigious award honors a student-athlete who demonstrates exceptional leadership on the field, in the classroom, and within the community. The recipient must also uphold a high standard of integrity and lead by example.
In conjunction with the Football Writers Association of America, the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet will take place on Monday, December 8, at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The evening will honor several of college football’s finest, including:
• The Defender of the Nation Award recipient.
• The prestigious Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner.
• The 2025 Legends Award honoree: Ron Rivera, University of California-Berkely, Class of 1983, alumnus and esteemed NFL coach.

In addition, University of Oklahoma legendary linebacker Brian Bosworth is slated to deliver the keynote address.
This annual banquet is a celebration of excellence in college football, recognizing standout performances, leadership, and integrity both on and off the field.

ABOUT THE CHARLOTTE TOUCHDOWN CLUB
The Charlotte Touchdown Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1990,is dedicated to promoting the full spectrum of football and athletics–from youth and middle school to high school, collegiate, and professional–throughout the Charlotte, North Carolina region. Since its inception, the Club has experienced significant growth and diversification, now supported by a sponsor team of more than 75 companies. The Club’s initiatives focus on celebrating and elevating Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Leadership among area athletes and coaches. Through generous individual and corporate contributions, the Charlotte Touchdown Club has raised and donated over $3 million to support its ongoing scholarship programs.

ABOUT CAPITAL GROUP OF COMPANIES
Rick Hughes has a successful 46-year track record in the automotive finance and insurance industry. Rick worked with publicly held NY Stock Exchange companies, setting up their F&I Programs. Rick worked with Sonic Automotive on setting up their F&I Program, with NCADA to form and market their NC Life program and industry-leading programs to increase dealer revenue. Prior to starting Capital Automotive, Rick was the Director of Business Development for one of the world’s largest automotive finance product and service companies. Rick coordinated various international field forces, presented at BSF and CEO Ninety, and personally developed hundreds of successful dealership personnel. As CEO of the Capital Companies, he created Flex-Pro, a patented program which allows an additional income stream coupled with products, insurance, and reinsurance administrative services. The Capital Companies refers to four unique companies: Capital Benefits Group—Structures custom benefit options based on your business needs, Capital Automotive—Gives dealerships the edge they need to meet and exceed their goals, Capital Processing Systems—Provides state-of-the-art products, administration, insurance and reinsurance services to complement dealership and shareholder financial goals, and Data Dot Dealer Services—Least expensive, most effective anti-theft deterrent ever created. We are a group of companies that work together to help dealers capitalize on their investments. We keep our clients in the game and moving toward the goal line through our consumer and client-centric products and administrative services.

ABOUT VETERANS BRIDGE HOME
Veterans Bridge Home connects Veterans and their families, in any state of transition, to the community. Through our network of partners, we help Veterans navigate employment, create social connections, and settle their families. We look at the whole Veteran and connect them to the resources needed to be successful and thriving leaders in our community. Veterans Bridge Home serves as an entry point for Veterans who don’t know where to turn to access support and services. Because Veterans return home to a civilian community and not to federal agencies or bureaucracies, each community must reach out and actively assist in the reintegration process alongside federal agencies such as the Veterans Administration. The Carolinas have the opportunity and privilege to help bring our nation’s warriors and their families home with the same energy and commitment that our Veterans have displayed in serving our nation. In so doing, ours will serve as a leader to inform other communities that wish to create more welcoming and livable communities for returning Veterans and their families.

PREVIOUS DEFENDER OF THE NATION AWARD RECIPIENTS
2024 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Shayne Leddy
2023 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Trey Taylor
2022 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Dax Hollifield
2021 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Arik Smith
2019 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Kyle Johnson
2018 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Sean Williams
2017 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Greg Sanders
2016 Defender of The Nation Award Recipient: Andrew King

2025 DEFENDER OF THE NATION PLAYER PROFILES
• September 4: USAF / Aidan Swartz
• September 8: South Carolina / Jalon Kilgore
• September 11: The Citadel / Josh Cole
• September 15: Villanova / Shane Hartzell
• October 23: Defender of the Nation Recipient Announced