UNA QUARTERBACK HARRISON BECK AMONG TWENTY FOUR CANDIDATES FOR HILL TROPHY AS NCAA DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

FLORENCE - Ala. -- University of North Alabama senior quarterback Harrison Beck of Clearwater, Fla., is among 24 candidates in the running for the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.

The list of candidates was announced Thursday by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee.

The list includes six players from each of Division II’s four Super Regionals.

Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 148 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions. The 24 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 13.
The winner of the 2009 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 24th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 11 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year’s Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the eleventh induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame, with Shannon Sharpe becoming the 25th inductee.

Tickets are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight and can be purchased by calling the Shoals Chamber of Commerce at (256) 764-4661.

The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for December 12 at Florence’s Braly Municipal Stadium at noon.

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.
There were 38 candidates initially 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.

Beck has led North Alabama to a 9-0 record and No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division II entering the Lions regular-season finale Saturday/ He has earned two Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Week awards this season. The first was after he completed 31 of 47 passes for 362 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another TD in 43-26 win at Henderson State. The second award was after a record-setting performance in a 42-17 blowout win over Arkansas Tech where he was 22-of-40 for 431 yards and five touchdowns.

Beck also threw four touchdown passes and rushed for another TD in a 62-27 rout of Valdosta State. He had a streak of six straight games where he threw at least three touchdown passes, throwing for 21 TDs in the six-game span.

Under Beck’s direction, UNA ranks first nationally in Division II in scoring at 44 points per game, with an offense that lost 10 starters from last season. He has three games with 300 or more yards passing this season, throwing for 431 against Arkansas Tech, 362 against Henderson State and 350 against Valdosta State.

His 2,675 passing yards already ranks fifth best in UNA history behind only previous Harlon Hill candidates Will Hall and A.J. Milwee. He has completed 196 of 328 passes with just five interceptions and 24 touchdown passes. He also has two rushing TDs.

Beck ranks 10th nationally in Division II in total offense (295.33) and 21st in passing efficiency (149.36).

As a team, UNA has already clinched an out-right Gulf South Conference football title and has been ranked No.1 in Division II for the past three weeks.

The group of 24 candidates includes 13 quarterbacks, six running backs, four receivers and a linebacker.

There are 15 seniors, six juniors and three sophomores.

Among the players vying for the 2009 award from the Super Regional 1 are junior quarterback Zach Amedro of West Liberty (W.V.) University, senior split end Michael Harris of Shippensburg (Pa.) University, senior quarterback Trevor Harris of Edinboro (Pa.) University, junior running back Alfonso Hoggard of Clarion
(Pa.) University, senior wide receiver A.J. Jackson of California (Pa.) University and sophomore wide receiver Thomas Mayo of Concord (W.V.) College.
In addition to Beck, candidates from Super Regional 2 are senior quarterback Alex Good of Carson- Newman (Tenn.) College, senior quarterback Nick Graziano of Arkansas Tech University, senior linebacker Lardester Hicks-Green of Delta State (Miss.) University, senior running back Demetrice Johnson of Albany State University and sophomore running back Jonas Randolph of Mars Hill (N.C.) College.

Super Regional 3 is represented by senior running back Joique Bell of Wayne State (Mich.) University, senior quarterback Billy Cundiff of Ashland (Ohio) University, senior quarterback Brad Iciek of Grand Valley State (Mich.) University, senior wide receiver Logan Masters of Wayne State (Neb.) College, senior running back Isaac Odim of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and senior quarterback David Pesek of the Colorado School of Mines.

Selected from Super Regional 4 are senior running back LaRon Council of Northwest Missouri State, junior quarterback Zack Eskridge of Midwestern State (Texas), junior quarterback Steve Gachette of Southwest Baptist (Missouri), senior quarterback Billy Garza of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, sophomore quarterback J.J. Harp of Eastern New Mexico University and junior quarterback Drew Newhart of Missouri Western University.

North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim won the initial Hill Trophy in 1986, followed by three-time winner - Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) running back 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, 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, Bloomsburg University running back Irvin Sigler in 1997, Emporia State running back Brian Shay in 1998 and Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999.

The award had its second two-time winner when Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner 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, East Stroudsburg’s Jimmy Terwilliger in 2005, Chadron State’s Danny Woodhead in 2006 and 2007 and Abilene Christian’s Bernard Scott in 2008.

2009 Harlon Hill Trophy Candidates

SUPER REGIONAL 1 Pos. Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Zach Amedro QB 6-0 190 JR West Liberty Moundsville, W.V.
Michael Harris SE 6-1 192 SR Shippensburg East Earl, Pa.
Trevor Harris QB 6-2 215 SR Edinboro Waldo, Ohio
Alfonso Hoggard RB 5-4 150 JR Clarion Philadelphia, Pa.
A.J. Jackson WR 6-6 230 SR California, Pa. Lehigh Acres, Fla.
Thomas Mayo WR 6-2 184 SO Concord Reston, Va.

SUPER REGIONAL 2 Pos. Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Harrison Beck QB 6-2 220 SR North Alabama Claerwater, Fla.
Alex Good QB 6-0 185 SR Carson-Newman Greensboro, N.C.
Nick Graziano QB 6-1 227 SR Arkansas Tech Moraga, Calif.
Lardester Hicks-Green LB 6-1 235 SR Delta State Chicago, Ill.
Demetrice Johnson RB 5-11 210 SR Albany State Atlanta, Ga.
Jonas Randolph RB 5-10 185 SO Mars Hill Daleville, Ala.

SUPER REGIONAL 3 Pos. Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Joique Bell RB 6-1 223 SR Wayne State (Mich.) Benton Harbor, Mich.
Billy Cundiff QB 6-2 218 SR Ashland Uniontow, Ohio
Brad Iciek QB 6-1 200 SR Grand Valley State Grandville, Mich.
Logan Masters WR 6-3 185 SR Wayne State (Neb.) Storm Lake, Iowa
Isaac Odim RB 6-0 215 JR Minnesota-Duluth Rochester, Minn.
David Pesek QB 6-3 210 SR Colorado-Mines Centennial, Colorado

SUPER REGIONAL 4 Pos. Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
LaRon Council RB 5-10 210 SR Northwest Missouri St. Kansas City, Mo.
Zack Eskridge QB 6-4 215 JR Midwestern State Rowlett, Texas
Steve Gachette QB 6-1 180 JR Southwest Baptist Lehigh Acres, Fla.
Billy Garza QB 6-1 235 SR Texas A&M-Kingsville Brownsville, Texas
J.J. Harp QB 6-2 180 SO Eastern New Mexico Argyle, Texas
Drew Newhart QB 6-0 200 JR Missouri Western Cameron, Missouri

 

This marks the 15th time in the 24 year history of the award that UNA has had a nominee. UNA linebacker Ronald McKinnon won the Hill Trophy in 1995, as did UNA quarterback Will Hall in 2003. UNA has also had two players finish as the runner-up (Tyrone Rush in 1993 and A.J. Milwee in 2008)