THE NATIONAL HOLD FOR RELEASE HARLON HILL For A.M. Release Friday, November 20 AWARD THIRTY EIGHT PLAYERS NOMINATED FOR COMMITTEE P.O. Box 2880 2015 Florence, Alabama 35630 AS DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR (256) 765-4595 Fax (256) 765-4659 Jeff Hodges • Chairman [email protected] FLORENCE - Ala. -- A total of 38 student-athletes from across the nation have been nominated for the 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II Player of the Year. The list of candidates was announced Friday morning by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee. The list includes players from each of the four Division II Super Regions. Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 168 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions. The National Sponsors 38 initial candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on November 30. The winner of the 2015 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced on Friday, December 18 via a webcast and the winner will be honored at a luncheon on the University of North Alabama campus on January 8, 2016. The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Opti-Net, Herff Jones and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. Candidates are initially nominated by the sports information directors at their respective schools and are then voted on by the SIDs in those Super Regions. The winner is then determined in a nation-wide vote of the Division II sports information directors. The group of 38 candidates includes 21 , 11 running backs, three receivers, two defensive linemen and one line- backer. There are 15 seniors, 15 juniors, six sophomores and two freshmen.

The list of candidates for the 2015 Hill Trophy includes 2014 winner of Ferris State and third place finisher Anthony Bilal of Lake Erie.

* * * North Dakota State won the initial Hill Trophy in 1986, followed by three- time winner - Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) running back - in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Another North Dakota State quarterback, Chris Simdorn, claimed the 1990 award, followed by Pittsburg State receiver Ronnie West in 1991, Pittsburg State running back Ronald Moore in 1992, New Haven running back Roger Graham in 1993, Valdosta State quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994. North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon became the first and so far only defensive player to win the award in 1995, followed by Truman State running back Jarrett Anderson in 1996, Blooms- burg University running back Irvin Sigler in 1997, Emporia State running back in 1998 and Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999. The award had its second two-time winner when Valdosta State quarterback claimed the Hill Trophy in 2000 and 2001. Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes won the Hill Trophy in 2002, followed by North Alabama quarterback Will Hall in 2003, Colorado School of Mines quarterback Chad Friehauf in 2004 and East Stroudsburg’s in 2005. Four straight Hill Trophies were won by running backs, beginning with Chadron State’s in 2006 and 2007. Abilene Christian’s Ber- nard Scott won in 2008, followed by Wayne State (Mich.) running back in 2009. Central Missouri quarterback was the 2010 Hill winner, followed by Mars Hill running back in 2011, Shippensburg’s in 2012, Bloomsburg running back Franklyn Quiteh in 2013 and Ferris State quarterback Jason Vander Laan in 2014. 2015 Harlon Hill Trophy Nominees

SUPER REGIONAL 1 Ht Wt Cl Pos. School Hometown Andre Anderson 5-8 195 JR RB New Haven New Haven, Conn. Andrew Cohen 6-3 255 SR DE West Chester Holland, Pa. Shamar Greene 5-9 185 JR RB Slippery Rock Duquesne, Pa. Jeremy Johnson 6-2 205 SR QB Charleston (W.V.) Silsbee, Texas Connor Simmons 6-2 210 JR QB Clarion New Palestine, Ind. Matt Soltes 6-3 220 SR QB East Stroudsburg Vernon, N.J. Lenny Williams 5-10 195 FR QB IUP McKees Rocks, Pa. Jeff Ziemba 6-3 210 JR QB Shepherd Newark, Del.

SUPER REGIONAL 2 Ht Wt Cl Pos. School Hometown Damian Baker 5-8 195 SR RB Carson-Newman Columbus, Miss. B.J. Bunn 6-0 210 JR WR UNC Pembroke Burlington, N.C. B.J. McCoy 5-8 215 JR RB Shorter Villa Rica, Ga. Lawrence Pittman 6-0 225 SO RB Wingate Charlotte, N.C. Luke Wingo 6-2 185 SR QB North Alabama Mobile, Ala.

SUPER REGIONAL 3 Ht Wt Cl Pos. School Hometown Garrett Fugate 6-3 210 JR QB Central Missouri Overland Park, Kan. Ja’Quan Gardner 5-7 190 SO RB Humboldt State Ceres, Calif. Blake Gimbel 6-4 205 SO QB Southwest Minnesota State Marshalltown, Iowa Joshua Gordon 6-2 255 SR DE Minnesota State-Mankato Milwaukee, Wis. Trey Heid 6-2 197 JR QB Augustana (S.D.) Lakeville, Minn. Brock Long 5-11 210 SR LB Fort Hays State Assaria, Kan. Reid Miller 6-3 220 JR QB Northwestern Oklahoma State Pampa, Texas Luke Papilion 6-2 225 JR QB Sioux Falls Denver, Colo. Jameson Parsons 6-2 201 JR WR St. Cloud State Eagan, Minn. Barrett Renner 6-3 188 FR QB Southern Arkansas Rowlett, Texas Brent Wilson 6-0 194 SR QB Emporia State Ponca City, Okla.

SUPER REGIONAL 4 Ht Wt Cl Pos. School Hometown Geremy Alridge-Mitchell 5-8 203 SR RB West Texas A&M Dallas, Texas Anthony Bilal 5-8 185 SR RB Lake Erie Painesville, Ohio Richard Cooper 5-9 185 JR RB Texas A&M-Commerce Angleton, Texas Justin Dvorak 6-0 200 JR QB Colorado-Mines Tomball, Texas Austin Ekeler 5-9 198 JR RB Western State Eaton, Colo. Rhya Gervais 6-2 210 SO QB Findlay Puyllap, Wash. Mitch Glasman 6-3 220 SR QB Western New Mexico Temecula, Calif. Reece Horn 6-3 215 SR WR Indianapolis Carmel, Ind. Cameron McDondle 5-7 202 SR RB Colorado State-Pueblo Littleton, Colo. Antonio Pipkin 6-3 205 JR QB Tiffin Gary, Ind. Travis Tarnowski 5-11 219 SO QB Ashland Broadview Heights, Ohio Jason Vander Laan 6-4 244 SR QB Ferris State Frankfort, Ill. Kyle Washington 6-6 225 SR QB Angelo State Humble, Texas Bart Williams 6-5 215 SO QB Grand Valley State Grand Blanc, Mich.