Randolph named Hill Trophy Top-Three Finalist
Winner to be announced Dec. 16 in Florence, Ala.
FLORENCE, Ala. - The voting has concluded for the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year Award, and while the results of that voting won't be announced until December 16, Mars Hill tailback Jonas Randolph is among three players that have received invitations to attend the 26th Annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet for the naming of the top player in Division II.
Randolph is the first-ever South Atlantic Conference player to finish in the top three of voting for the award.
"Jonas is very deserving of this honor," head coach Tim Clifton stated. "A guy that rushes for over 2,000 yards in a single season definitely deserves the opportunity to be one of the three finalist for the Harlon Hill award. It is a tribute to Jonas and how hard he plays, as well as a tribute to Mars Hill College and the South Atlantic Conference. I am very proud of what Jonas has accomplished."
Randolph, a senior from Daleville, Ala., led Mars Hill to its first postseason game since becoming an NCAA Division II member while also re-writing the Lions' record books. He became the South Atlantic Conference's career rushing leader with 5,608 yards. He led all NCAA divisions in rushing yards per game (197.27) and was the SAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career. His 2,170 rushing yards in 2011 also set new SAC and school marks. Randolph posted six games of 200 or more rushing yards and nine games of over 100 rushing yards this season. He is a three-time first team All-Super Region Two honoree and was the region's Offensive Player of the Year this season.
Randolph finished the year with a Division II-leading 366 carries and scored 18 touchdowns. He averaged 37 more rushing yards per game than the next closest Division II rusher.
In the history of voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the SAC has had four fourth-place finishers, one fifth-place finisher and one sixth-place finisher. Most recently, Tusculum quarterback Bo Cordell was named a finalist for the award in 2010.
Senior quarterback Micah Davis of Delta State (Miss.) and senior quarterback Dane Simoneau of Washburn (Kan.) have emerged as the other top vote-getters from a field of nine finalists in voting by the sports information directors at the 149 schools that compete in Division II football.
Davis, a senior from Wesson, Miss., has led Delta State to an
11-2 record this season and into the Dec. 10 NCAA Division II
semifinal playoff game at Pittsburg State. He also led the
Statesmen to the 2010 Division II Championship Game. This season he
has thrown for 3,423 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for another
13 scores to also lead the Statesmen in scoring. He is ranked among
the Division II national leaders in passing and total offense and
has led four dramatic fourth quarter comebacks this season to keep
Delta State in contention for the national championship. He has
thrown for more than 7,500 career yards and has almost 8,000 yards
of career total offense.
Off the field, he has been named a National Football Foundation
Scholar Athlete, receiving an $18,000 post graduate
scholarship.
Simoneau, a senior from Salina, Kan., led Washburn to a 10-3 record and into the second round of the 2011 Division II playoffs. The 2011 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Offensive Player of the Year, Simoneau set eight Washburn records this season passing for 4,089 yards, completing 280 of 482 passing attempts with 38 touchdowns. He also set a school record with 4,062 total offensive yards. He ranks second nationally in total passing yards and fourth in the nation with an average of 314.5 passing yards per game. He is also fourth nationally in total offense with 312 yards per outing.
The Hill Trophy is sponsored by the City of Florence, Ala., Florence-Lauderdale Tourism, Opti-Net, the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and Herff Jones. Candidates for the 2011 Hill Trophy were nominated by the sports information directors at their respective schools and those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, which trimmed the list of candidates.
National voting concluded on December 2 and the top three finishers are invited to the Shoals for the presentation banquet. The winner of the 2011 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, December 16 in Florence, prior to the NCAA Division II Football Championship Game on Dec. 17. The banquet will include the induction of coaches Coach Bill Burgess of Jacksonville State (Ala.) University and Fred McAfee of Mississippi College into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.
Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling Judy Keenum at the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661. Other finalists for the 2011 award were senior quarterback Lee Chapple of the University of North Alabama, junior running back Joe Glendening of Hillsdale (Mich.) College, junior quarterback Brandon Kelsey of the Midwestern State (Texas) University, senior quarterback Adam Neugebauer of West Virginia Wesleyan College, senior running back Rashaad Slowley of Southern Connecticut State University and senior quarterback Jake Spitzlberger of the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
The initial Harlon Hill Trophy was won by North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim in 1986, followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville runningback Johnny Bailey - 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 and Valdosta State University quarterback Chris Hatcher in 1994. North Alabama linebacker Ronald McKinnon became the first defensive player to win the award when he claimed the Hill Trophy in 1995.
Truman State University running back Jarrett Anderson won the 1996 award and Bloomsburg University running back Irvin Sigler claimed the Hill Trophy in 1997 award. Running back Brian Shay of Emporia State won in 1998, followed by Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999 and Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001, and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes in 2002. The 2003 trophy was awarded to North Alabama quarterback Will Hall, and Chad Friehauf of the Colorado School of Mines won the 2004 award. East Stroudsburg's Jimmy Terwilliger claimed the 2005 Hill Trophy as a junior and Chadron State running back Danny Woodhead won the 2006 and 2007 Hill Trophies to become just the third two-time winner. Running back Bernard Scott of Abilene Christian won the 2008 Hill Trophy, followed by running back Joique Bell of Wayne State (Mich.) in 2009 and Central Missouri quarterback Eric Czerniewski in 2010.
