HARLON HILL TROPHY All-time History 1986 - 2015 1 30th Annual Harlon Hill Trophy The Harlon Hill Trophy was created in 1986 as 156 DII part of the move of the NCAA Division II Football Schools Championship to the Shoals Have Had a area of Northwest Alabama. The idea was to enhance Candidate the Division II Championship experience with other events The Hill Trophy has had a far-reaching impact on Division surrounding the game that II football from coast-to-coast, would recognize the division’s as 156 different institutions student-athletes. have had a Hill Trophy candi- Now set to recognize date. its 30th winner, the Harlon North Alabama and Texas Hill Trophy has grown in A&M-Kingsville lead the way, prestige over the last quarter with UNA having had a Hill century and is now among the Trophy candidate in 18 of the most recognized awards in 30 years, while Kingsville has collegiate athletics. had 17. The idea for the creation of the award came from the late Shoals From that 156 total, 100 National Championship Committee Chairman Grady Liles, and the different Division II schools initial proposal was produced by University of North Alabama Sports have had a Finalist for the Hill Trophy. Information Director Jeff Hodges, who has served as the Chairman of the National Harlon Hill Award Committee for the last 29 years. Since its creation, the Harlon Hill trophy has had a far-reaching 607 All-time impact on Division II football. There have been 591 different student- athletes nominated for the award since 1986, and those candidates candidates have come form 155 different institutions. The national finalists for the There have been 607 Hill Trophy represent 94 different Division II schools and the 27 previous different student-athletes who winners have come from 20 different institutions. have been candidates for the The sports information directors at the 168 Division II institutions Harlon Hill Trophy since the should be thanked for embracing the award and supporting it for the last award was created in 1986. 30 years, as the SIDs nominate and then vote on the candidates. Many of those players were candidates in more than one The work of the local members of National Harlon Hill Award season. Committee has made it possible for the Hill Banquet to continue to be While the names of the an important part of the annual Division II football experience. The hard winners and many of the work of numerous individuals has helped make the annual presentation finalists are familiar ones, there are also some very possible, in particular Mike Curtis, Mike Goens and Don McBrayer. familiar names among the other candidates who did Local sponsorship of the award has also been critical and has not have a chance to come involved several companies over the last 29 years. to Florence for the annual banquet. 2 Hill Quick Facts Year Created ...........................................................1986 Years Awarded.....................................30 (1986-Present) Organization National Harlon Hill Award Committee Location .............................................Florence, Alabama Mailing Address .......................................UNA Box 5038 Florence, Ala. 35632 Chairman ..................................................... Jeff Hodges Office Phone ...................................(256) 765-4595 Fax Number ....................................(256) 765-4659 Email ........................... [email protected] Winner is Selected by NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors NCAA Division II Schools ..........................................168 Super Region 1.................................................. 47 Super Region 2.................................................. 27 Super Region 3.................................................. 49 Super Region 4.................................................. 45 2015 Presentation Banquet January 8, 2016 Banquet Location University of North Alabama Florence, Ala. Trophy is Crafted by Herff-Jones, Inc. Trophy Sponsors Opti-Net Herff Jones, Inc. The City of Florence, Alabama Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa National Award Committee Jeff Hodges .............................................Chairman Mike Goens ............................................. President Local Organizing Committee: Banquet Coordinator Don McBrayer Player Host Mike Curtis Publications and Art Work Karen Hodges 2015 Hill Winner Jason Vander Laan of Ferris State 3 2015 Hill Candidates Regional CANDIDates SUPER REGIONAL 1 Ht Wt Cl Pos. School Hometown Andre Anderson 5-8 195 JR RB New Haven New Haven, Conn. Shamar Greene 5-9 185 JR RB Slippery Rock Duquesne, Pa. Jeremy Johnson 6-2 205 SR QB Charleston (W.V.) Silsbee, Texas 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 Tuscaloosa, Ala. SUPER REGIONAL 3 Ht Wt Cl Pos. School Hometown Ja’Quan Gardner 5-7 190 SO RB Humboldt State Ceres, Calif. Joshua Gordon 6-2 255 SR DE Minnesota State Milwaukee, Wis. Trey Heid 6-2 197 JR QB Augustana (S.D.) Lakeville, Minn. Luke Papilion 6-2 225 JR QB Sioux Falls Denver, Colo. 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 Justin Dvorak 6-0 200 JR QB Colorado-Mines Tomball, Texas Austin Ekeler 5-9 198 JR RB Western State Eaton, Colo. Reece Horn 6-3 215 SR WR Indianapolis Carmel, Ind. Cameron McDondle 5-7 202 SR RB Colorado State-Pueblo Littleton, Colo. Jason Vander Laan 6-4 244 SR QB Ferris State Frankfort, Ill. Kyle Washington 6-6 225 SR QB Angelo State Humble, Texas 4 2015 Hill Finalists National Finalists DAMIAN BAKER JA’QUAN GARDNER Carson-Newman Humboldt State CAMERON MCDONDLE MATT SOLTES JASON VANDER LAAN CSU-Pueblo East Stroudsburg Ferris State BRENT WILSON LUKE WINGO JEFF ZIEMBA Emporia State North Alabama Shepherd 5 2015 Voting JASON VANDER LAAN WINS 2015 HILL TROPHY AS DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FLORENCE, Ala. -- Ferris State (Mich.) University senior quarterback Jason Vander Laan has claimed the Harlon Hill Trophy for the second straight year as the Division II College Football Player of the Year. Vander Laan received 217 total points and more than doubled the point total of 107 by running back Ja’Quan Gardner of Humboldt State University, who finished second. Colorado State University-Pueblo senior running back Cameron McDondle finished third at 90. The award winner is determined in voting by the Division II sports informa- tion directors and Vander Laan’s 217 point total marked just the second time in the last seven years that the Hill Trophy winner received 200 points or more. It is also the fourth highest vote total by a winner in the Hill Trophy’s 30-year history. Vander Laan was on 89 of the 101 total ballots cast and received 51 first place votes. Vander Laan won the 2014 Hill Trophy by a narrow nine-point margin. He is just the fourth student-athlete in the 30-year history of the Hill Trophy to win it more than once, joining Texas A&M-Kingsville running back Johnny Bailey (1987, 1988, 1989), Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner (2000, 2001) and Chadron State running back Danny Woodhead (2006-07). The Hill Trophy will be presented to Vander Laan on Friday, January 8 at a ceremony on the campus of the University of North Alabama, Hill’s alma mater. The Harlon Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Opti-Net, Herff Jones and the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. Vander Laan, from Frankfort, Ill., completed his senior season with 4,167 yards of total offense after rushing for 1,542 and passing for 2,625. His 347.3 yards of total offense per game rank sixth nationally and he is ninth in rushing at 128.5. He rushed for 24 touchdowns and threw for another 27 to rank second in Divi- sion II in points responsible for wit 25.5 per game. He completed 210 of 320 passes with just seven interceptions and ranked ninth nationally in passing efficiency with a 158.0 rating. Among his numerous honors this season, Vander Laan has been named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Con- ference Player of the Year , D2 Conference Commissioners Association Super Region Four Offensive Player of the Year, first-team AFCA All-American and CoSIDA Division II Football Academic All-America® of the Year. Following Vander Laan, Gardner and McDondle in the voting were Emporia State senior quarterback Brent Wilson (58), East Stroudsburg senior quarterback Matt Soltes (58), North Alabama senior quarterback Luke Wingo (33), Shepherd senior quarterback Jeff Ziemba (30) and Carson-Newman senior running back Damian Baker (13). * * * 6 2015 Voting The Hill Trophy is named for a former University of North Alabama player - the late Harlon Hill - who was a standout with the Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears. North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim won the initial Hill Trophy in 1986, before Texas A&M-Kingsville running back Johnny Bailey won three straight Hill trophies from 1987-89. Another North Dakota State quarterback, Chris Simdorn, claimed the 1990 award, followed by Pittsburg State’s Ronnie West in 1991 and Ronald Moore in 1992, New Haven running back Roger Graham in 1993, Valdosta State quar- terback Chris Hatcher in 1994, North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon in 1995 , Truman State running back Jarrett Anderson in 1996, Bloomsburg running back Irvin Sigler in 1997, Emporia State running back Brian Shay in 1998 , Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999, Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001, and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes in 2002.