*** Buchanan AwardCandidate (12th in voting in ’13) ***
*** Honors Candidate ***
*** Academic Honors Candidate ***

Career: Nearing the school record with acurrent career total of 361 tackles in 40 games, Hamlin returns forthe 2014 season after being given a sixth year by the NCAA toreplace two other seasons wiped out because of injuries. Afterredshirting the 2009 season because of a bum knee, it also kept himfrom playing during Eastern’s national championship season in2010. He enters the season with 37 career starts – tops onthe team. Hamlin is third in school history with 361 tackles, andthe only players ahead of him are Greg Belzer (399 from 1997-00)and J.C. Sherritt (432 from 2007-10). Hamlin is just 71 tacklesfrom Sherritt, who is third in Big Sky history and ranks 15th inFCS history. Hamlin has had 17 performances with at least 10tackles in his career. Most importantly, he has helped lead theEagles to a 29-11 record overall and 20-4 Big Sky Conference markwith a pair of league titles and two appearances in the semifinalsof the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. Heoriginally hurt his left knee on Sept. 2, 2009 – just threedays before EWU began its season. He had surgery to repair theanterior cruciate ligament on Oct. 21, but then tore the ACL againduring spring practice on April 24, 2010.  He had surgery onJune 17, then didn’t hit the practice field again untilspring of 2011. Hamlin’s long hair has been a trademark ofhis, and a friendly wager between teammates lasted three years.During the 2010 season, Hamlin and safety Jeff Minnerly challengedeach other to see who could go the longest without cutting theirhair. Linebacker Zach Johnson was also in on the wager, but droppedout after EWU won the NCAA Division I title. Minnerly eventuallycut his hair on Dec. 17, 2012 – just two days after hiscareer and the 2012 season concluded – and donated the hairto Locks of Love.

2014: Listed as the starter at strong-sideinside linebacker on the preseason depth chart. He is on the WatchList for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented by The SportsNetwork to the top defensive player in FCS (he was 12th in thevoting in 2013). He is one of 38 linebackers in FCS on the 2014College Football Performance Awards Watch List. Was given secondteam preseason All-America honors from The Sports Network. CollegeSports Madness named him as third team preseason All-Americaselection and a first team Big Sky pick. The College DevelopmentalFootball League also gave him first team All-America accolades forthe North region. He was one six Eagles selected to the preseasonAll-Big Sky Conference team as selected by a panel of theleague’s media representatives. Beyond Sports Networkselected him to its preseason All-Big Sky Conference team.

2013: He finished 12th in the voting for theBuck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network to the topdefensive player in FCS. He earned second team All-America (CollegeSports Madness) accolades and second team All-Big Sky honors.Hamlin was among the 43 winners selected on the 16th annual NCAAFootball Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association(FCS ADA) Academic All-Star Team. He also earned  Big SkyConference All-Academic honors for the third time. Started all 15Eagle games at strong-side inside linebacker and as an Eagleco-captain. He finished with 140 tackles to rank as the fourth-mostin school history. His average of 9.33 tackles per game ranked 36thin FCS and eighth in the league. His momentum-changing 77-yardreturn for a touchdown against North Dakota (10/12/13) was the10th-longest in school history. With UND driving for a potentialgame-tying score late in the third quarter, he leaped high to snagthe third interception of his career, ran over one would-betackler, then returned it down the sideline for his first pick-sixas an Eagle. He added five tackles against UND to earn teamdefensive player of the week honors. He also had a divinginterception against Idaho State (11/2/13) to squelch an ISU driveand lead to an EWU TD and 45-27 lead. Hamlin had 10 tackles or morein eight games in 2013, including the last five games of theseason. He injured his shoulder in the first half againstJacksonville State on (12/14/13) and wasn’t expected back,but started the second half and finished with the second-mosttackles in his career with 15. Early in the year he had 14 tacklesagainst Toledo (9/14/13) to earn team defensive player of the weekhonors. Prior to the season, The Sports Network selected Hamlin toits Buck Buchanan Award Watch List and he earned various preseasonAll-America and All-Big Sky accolades. He ranked sixth on thepreseason FCS linebacker rankings as selected by Josh Buchanan atphilsteele.com.

2012: Hamlin earned All-America honors fromPhil Steele Publications (fourth team) and was a first team All-BigSky Conference selection. He was also named to the Big SkyConference All-Academic team after starting all 14 games for theEagles. In addition, he was chosen as the team’s DefensivePlayer of the Year. He had 136 tackles in 2012 to rank fifth inschool history, and his average of 9.71 per game ranked 31st in FCSand fourth in the Big Sky. His 11 1/2 tackles for loss ranked 13thin the league. Hamlin had four performances of at least 11 tacklesin 2012, including 15 in Eastern’s 27-24 win at Big Skyco-champion Montana State (10/13/12). He also had a keyinterception in that game to earn ROOT Sports Defensive Player ofthe Week as selected by the Big Sky, national FCS recognition asone of four College Sporting News National All Stars and teamdefensive player of the week honors. His diving interception in thethird quarter was the first of his career and led to a field goalthat cut Montana State’s lead to 10-6. He had six tacklesafter Eastern took a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter,including one for a loss of one yard. In fact, three of his tacklesin the quarter – all solos – were for a collective netof one yard. He also had a tackle for loss of six yards in thethird quarter. The Eagles held MSU to 375 yards of offense,including just 70 rushing. Hamlin had 14 tackles versus Montana(9/29/12), coming two from his career high of 16 set in 2011 versusCal Poly. With the Eagle offense scoring on drives on its final twopossessions, and EWU recovering an onside kick, Montana had theball for just eight plays in the final 8:26 as Eastern prevailed32-26 over the 21st-ranked Grizzlies. Earlier in 2012, Hamlin washonored by the Big Sky as ROOT Sports Defensive Player of the Weekafter finishing with eight tackles and a pass broken up in aseason-opening 20-3 victory over Idaho (8/30/12). Eastern heldIdaho to a long rush of seven yards, forced Idaho to punt ninetimes and held the Vandals to a 2-of-15 performance on third down.Eastern’s defense allowed just 237 yards, with 66 of thatcoming through the air on a defensive breakdown by EWU in the firstquarter. It was the fewest points allowed by the Eagles sincebeating Idaho State 38-3 in the 2009 season and Northern Colorado16-0 two weeks earlier that year. He had two passes broken up and10 tackles against Wagner (12/1/12) in the FCS Playoffs.

2011: Named to the Big Sky ConferenceAll-Academic team. He started eight games, and made his startingdebut against Montana (9/17/11) after proving himself inEWU’s first two games. Hamlin had a team-leading eighttackles in his collegiate debut versus Washington (9/3/11), fouragainst South Dakota (9/10/11) and seven against the Grizzlies.After recording double-figure tackle performances with 11 againstWeber State (10/1/11) and 10 against Northern Arizona (10/8/11), hehad a season-high 16 against Cal Poly (11/12/11) in EWU’ssecond-to-last game of the season. He also broke-up passes versusWSU and NAU, and was the team’s special teams player of theweek versus the Wildcats. After recovering from a knee injury thatkept him from playing in the 2010 season, a hamstring injury kepthim out of all but the first day of spring practices.

2010: Was unable to play because of a kneeinjury.

2009: Redshirted.

HS: Graduated from Timberline HS in 2009.Selected by Associated Press as a 3A All-State first team selectionas a defensive back. He earned the same honor from the TacomaNews Tribune and was named by the Seattle Times as a“White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospectsin the state of Washington. The TNT and TheOlympian also honored him on their All-Area squads, withthe Olympian also selecting him as its player of the year.In addition, he was a member of Ron Siegel’s 31-memberpreseason All-State squad. He was the Olympic Western League MVPafter finishing with 156 tackles and 10 interceptions. He alsofinished with 16 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, four fumblerecoveries, six passes broken up and a sack. He also had 1,778all-purpose yards, including 1,018 yards and eight touchdowns on 63receptions as a receiver. He also had 19 punt returns for 405 yardsand rushed for another 150. He helped lead the Blazers to the State3A Playoffs as they finished 8-3. As a junior, he earned first teamAll-Western Cascade Conference honors as a defensive back. Hecaught 31 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns, and on defensehe had 89 total tackles (10 for loss) with six interceptions andsix passes broken up. Timberline finished the 2007 season with a4-6 record. Had a 3.9 grade point average in high school. His newEagle teammate Asan Neil-Evergin (’14) also attendedTimberline.

Personal: Technology major with a 3.56 gradepoint average at Eastern. Born 4/15/90 in Fort Riley, Kan.

Top Tackling Performances
16 – Cal Poly – 11/12/11
15 – Jacksonville St. - 12/14/13
15 – Montana State – 10/13/12
14 – Portland State – 11/23/13
14 – Toledo – 9/14/13
14 – Montana – 9/29/12
13 – South Dakota State – 12/7/13
13 – Southern Utah – 12/27/12
11 – Towson – 12/21/13
11 – Weber State – 9/22/12
11 – Weber State – 10/1/11
10 – Six occasions, including three in 2013

HONORS WON IN 2013

12th in Voting for the Buck Buchanan Award Given to Top Def.Player in FCS
Second Team All-America (College Sports Madness)
Second Team All-Big Sky Conference
FCS Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) Academic All-StarTeam
Big Sky Conference All-Academic (technology major)
EWU Athletics Scholar-Athlete for Month of November