Livingstone College Athletics

Rodney’s was looking for a college that he felt would be a great fit for him, a college that will offer him the opportunity to expand his horizon yet challenge him.  As an outstanding High School Wrestler who was inducted into the Paulsboro High School Sports Hall of Fame on October 27, 2006 Rodney received scholarships from the D-1 College he applied. 

Livingstone College was the HBCU College under Coach of Richard Johnson who had taking the time to consider giving Rodney a scholarship for Wrestling.  After visiting Livingstone College in June of 1984 it was love at first site. He turned down the D-1 Colleges and headed to Salisbury NC thanks to Coach Johnson.  At Livingstone College he was a premed study who was an outstanding wrestler.  He was a four-time C.I.A.A. Wrestling champion, four-time NAIA regional wrestling champion, two time NAIA All American (1976 and 1977) by finishing 5th and 6th in the NAIA National Wrestling Championship. He finished 6th in the U.S. Final Olympic Trials in 1976.  Rodney became Livingstone College Punter during the 1976 and 1977 football season when Andrew Coney had an sports injury that would not allow him to return as the punter for Livingstone.  As the punter for Livingstone College he averaged 42  per punt.

Hampton received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Biology in 1978 and than headed off to Podiatry School in Chicago IL.  While in podiatry school Rodney made the decision to conduct clinical research instead of podiatry.  After making the decision to conduct Clinical Research Hampton assisted in developing the first AIDS Diagnostic Kit for Abbott Laboratory in 1984.  In the evening, while working as a Research Associate, Hampton became head football, wrestling and track coach for North Chicago High School (1988-1992) and developed a Kids Wrestling Program for kids between the Age of 3 – 13.  As a Clinical Research Associate he submitted a patent for Abbott Laboratory using a Bacularvirus system, published two Infectious Disease Research Articles and conducted/monitor Clinical Trials that cover all Therapeutic Areas.  He went on to adopt two children Alexander Hampton-Sharp who now attends Livingstone College and Roger Ates who is a Engineer and a sergeant in the army for the past 20 years. He has also mentor young men who were not his children and the most recent young man is Tridarryious Capers who also is attending Livingstone College.  As of today he is still conducting Clinical Research as a Senior Clinical Research Associate. 

Hampton said he owes his honors to his parents (Cornell and Evelyn Hampton), his brothers and sisters,  Lee Howard, Coach Richard Johnson and most of all Livingstone College for giving him the opportunity and the tool to accomplish what has accomplish what he has accomplished.