Nov. 6, 2002
Blakley One of Six Candidates in Midwest Region for NCAA Division II Player of the Year, Harlon Hill Award
FLORENCE - Ala. -- Twenty-four candidates are in the running for the 2002 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year, including three student-athletes who were candidates last season.
The list includes six players each from the South, Northeast, Midwest and West regions. Players are nominated and voted on by the sports information directors at the 156 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 18.
The winner of the 2002 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 17th annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, Dec. 13 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the fourth inductions into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.
The NCAA Division II Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 14 at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at 3 p.m.
The Hill Trophy is sponsored by Coca-Cola, The North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, First Metro Bank and The Johnson Companies - Industrial and Commercial Contracting.
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 to no more than six per region.
The 2002 list of candidates includes Curt Anes, the senior quarterback from Grand Valley State who was runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2001; as well as senior running back Ian Smart of C.W. Post and senior quarterback Abel Gonzalez from Texas A&M-Kingsville, who were both candidates last season.
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 in 1995, Truman running back Jarrett Anderson in 1996, Bloomsburg University running back Irvin Sigler in 1997, Emporia State running back Brian Shay in 1998, Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey in 1999 and Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001.
2002 Harlon Hill Trophy Candidates
Northeast Region Curt Anes QB SR Grand Valley State Robert Campbell RB JR Findlay Brian Eyerman QB SR Indiana-Pa. Joe Johnson TB JR Michigan Tech Dallas Mall WR SO Bentley Ian Smart RB SR C.W. Post
South Region Khalid Abdullah LB SR Mars Hill Zak Clark QB JR Central Arkansas Duron Croson FB JR Fort Valley State Gerald Gales WR JR West Alabama Leonard Guyton QB SR Carson-Newman Brian Holliday LB SR Fayetteville State
Midwest Region Andrew Blakley WR SR Truman State Josh Chapman QB SR Missouri Soutern St. Kegan Coleman RB SO Central Missouri St. Kevin Curtin RB JR Winona State Keith Heckendorf QB JR St. Cloud State Dontaye McCoy SS SR Emporia State
West Region Phillip Boggs QB JR Midwestern State Gerome Castleberry TB SR East Central Romar Crenshaw WR JR SE Oklahoma State Abel Gonzalez QB SR Texas A&M-Kingsville Michael Oliva WR SR UC Davis Brian Sump WR SR Colorado - Mines