Written by Stephanie Gordon
A college football team with three brothers on its roster is a rarity. For the Affholter brothers—twins Ben and Nick, both ’25, and Zac, ’27—the word “brotherhood” has a new meaning because of football. From putting in hard work on the field to competing together in the weight room, football has strengthened the offensive linemen in more ways than one.
Football has been a constant in the Affholters’ lives from the beginning. The brothers started playing football in third grade and fondly remember playing the sport together in their backyard. “After attending so many college football games on Saturdays, we were set on playing football in college,” Nick said of their younger selves.
A passion for athletics naturally runs deep in the Affholter family. The brothers’ parents, Brad and Darcy Morton Affholter, ’97, ’97, were both Chargers athletes. Their grandfather, Darrel Morton, ’64, was too. And when it came time to choose a college, both Ben and Nick knew Hillsdale was the perfect fit. Younger brother Zac explored every other option to go somewhere else—just to be different from his brothers. “When it came down to it, I just really enjoyed playing football with my brothers,” Zac said. “When I had the opportunity to play at a high level and go to a great school, I couldn’t pass it up.”
Ben echoed Zac’s sentiment, explaining that football is a family “thing” for them. “The game of football means so much to us,” Ben added. “Being able to play together is special, especially because we get to experience it at the collegiate level.”
During their high school years, the Affholter brothers played football at Reading High School in nearby Reading, Michigan. Brad, the former Reading Rangers’ offensive line coach, coached all of his sons. Both Ben and Nick helped lead the Reading Rangers to two state championship titles in 2018 and 2019.
Brad returned to the College as an assistant offensive line coach for the Chargers in 2023. His sons said that this is his dream job, and it’s been a joy to witness his continued passion for the game. “He’s very experienced and taught us everything we know,” said Nick. “It’s been meaningful to see our relationship change in a sort of ‘man-to-man’ way.”
The brothers, who also call themselves “best friends,” said that their relationship has grown stronger because of football. “I say it all the time—if you’re joining a football team, you’re instantly gaining 100 friends,” Nick said. “But the relationship with your own brothers is different. We’ve gone through so much together. We push each other on the field and in the weight room. Seeing that competitiveness with your brothers has been special.”
Zac explained that he’s had the privilege to witness his older brothers achieve greatness while growing up. “I’ve been learning from them my whole life. I’ve watched them develop into all-conference players and become really talented offensive linemen. There’s nobody else I’d rather learn from. No one has pushed me and encouraged me more than my brothers. They push me to a higher standard and want to see me do well. I can see myself getting better because of them.”
But the support and love for the game goes beyond their brotherhood. They said none of this would be possible without their parents and fans. “They have supported us so well, whether that be through watching games, tailgating, driving people to games, and genuinely showing interest in how the game went,” Nick said. “They see how much we love it. With our parents being former college athletes, it’s been instilled in us to compete, and I think they really demonstrated their love for us in that.”
According to the Chargers Athletic Department, Nick is a two-time All-G-MAC honoree (1st team in 2023, 3rd team in 2022) and has been named the team’s offensive lineman of the year in both 2022 and 2023. Nick also has 37 career starts on the line and Ben has 26 career starts. In 2023, both Ben and Nick helped the offensive line pave the way for the second-best rushing performance in the G-MAC—2,351 yards in 11 games.
The brothers said they play for God and thank Him for their continued success. “Faith is a really important thing in our life,” said Ben. “We have coach-led Bible studies on Friday mornings and there’s a player-led Bible study on Thursday nights. Sharing our faith through sports has helped us grow closer as brothers, too.”
Both Ben and Nick will take the field at Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium one last time this fall as fifth-year seniors under new head coach Nate Shreffler. They both said playing football has helped them develop discipline, a strong work ethic, and time management skills. “I think these are all great qualities that sports teach if you want to be successful,” Nick said. By working hard, we see success on and off the field.”
For the brothers’ futures, they all want to be passionate about what they do—just as they have been for the game of football. “I’d love to coach somewhere,” Ben said. “I want my future to be meaningful, and I want to be proud of it.”
Growing up in the area and feeling the community support is why all three Affholter brothers chose to come to Hillsdale College. “We’ve always been proud of each other and this community,” Nick concluded. “I’m glad we get to share this time together. The ability to have our fans watch us play and do something we love at a considerably higher level is important to us because they’re part of our family, too. Football has helped expand our family and has allowed us to stay connected to so many special relationships.”
Stephanie Gordon, a lifelong Hillsdale native, is the managing editor of Virtue and Valor: The Official Blog of Hillsdale College. She is married to chiropractor, Dr. Matt Gordon, and has three children – Eloise, Flora, and Jack. When she has a spare moment, she enjoys paleo baking, floating on Baw Beese Lake, and breaking a sweat at the gym.
Reposted from the fall 2024 issue of Arete.
