Hall of Fame
Phillip Sampson ’90 was a phenomenal two-sport athlete for the Generals, competing in both track & field and football.
Sampson garnered four letters as a member of the track & field team and added three more letters with the football team while serving as a team captain in both sports for his senior campaign.
In track & field, Sampson competed in the pole vault and finished his career among the best to ever compete in the event at W&L. He set the school record in the event for both the indoor (15’01.00”) and outdoor (15’05.00”) seasons, records that stood for 30 years.
Sampson made his mark early on by winning the Virginia State Championship title in the pole vault in both the indoor and outdoor seasons during his rookie campaign.
As a sophomore, he qualified for the 1988 NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the pole vault, and he went on to win two ODAC Individual Championship titles in the event.
Sampson’s contributions helped the Generals achieve a combined five ODAC Indoor and Outdoor Team Championship titles during his four seasons.
On the gridiron, Sampson was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the program’s history. He started 28 games at the position over his four seasons and he graduated with the top marks in 12 different passing categories including career completions (397), career completion percentage (.561), career passing yards (4,439) and career passing touchdowns (32).
After seeing action in just one contest during his initial season, Sampson took over as the starter for the season-opener during his sophomore year and started every game for the remainder of his career. He tossed a career-best 14 touchdown passes in 1987 and threw for better than 1,000 yards each of his final three seasons despite playing in an era dominated by the running game.
A two-time winner of the Dan Ray Justice Award as the team's Offensive MVP, Sampson earned First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-State and Honorable Mention All-America accolades as a senior when he ranked in the Top 10 in Division III in passing efficiency for much of the season. He finished his final season completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 1,876 yards and 14 touchdowns.
