Harlon Hill Trophy
| Awarded for | NCAA Division II college football player of the year |
|---|---|
| Location | Florence, Alabama |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | National Harlon Hill Awards Committee Sports information directors |
| History | |
| First award | 1986 |
| Most recent | Zach Zebrowski, QB, Central Missouri[1] |
The Harlon Hill Trophy is an award in American college football given to the individual selected as the most valuable player in NCAA Division II. The award is named for former University of North Alabama and National Football League player Harlon Hill. It was first given in 1986 to Jeff Bentrim of North Dakota State University. It is often considered to be the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
Selection process
Nominations for the trophy are made by sports information directors (SIDs) from the 156 schools that participate in NCAA Division II football. All of the nominees are then presented to a four-member regional Advisory Committee, one for each competition region (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West). Each committee is composed of four SIDs familiar with the process, who select up to six players who they deem worthy of the award, and give their results to the Voting Coordinator.[2]
The 24 players selected in the regional committees are referred to as "Candidates". The regional candidates are then presented to the regions' SIDs, who vote for a first, second, and third place. Each first place vote earns the player three points, while second place votes earn two, and third place votes one point. The top two players selected in each region are the "Finalists" and are placed on a national ballot.[2]
The national ballot is open to all of the SIDs, who vote for first, second, and third place amongst the eight finalists. The top three finishers are invited to the awards presentation held during the
Trophy
The Harlon Hill Trophy is 30 inches (76 cm) and weighs 63 pounds (29 kg). The football on top is a life-size replica of an actual game football and sits on a solid walnut base.[3] The approximate value of the trophy is $2,300. It was created by Herff Jones of Indianapolis, Indiana, which also makes such notable awards as the Heisman Trophy and the Medal of Honor. Each year's winner of the Hill Trophy is awarded a trophy to keep. The original Hill Trophy remains on display in something or somewhere called 'the Shoals' year-round and bears the names of each year's recipient. The award was first presented in 1986.
Replicas of the Harlon Hill Trophy are on display at:
- The College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
- The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham, Alabama.
History
The trophy is named after
Through 2009, only three winners have been selected in the
Others were signed in the NFL as
As of 2009, three winners—Johnny Bailey, Jeff Bentrim, and Ronald McKinnon—have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Four players have won the award multiple times: Johnny Bailey in 1987, 1988, and 1989, Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001, Danny Woodhead in 2006 and 2007, and Jason Vander Laan in 2014 and 2015. All but one winner (Ronald McKinnon, 1995) have been offensive positions.[10]
Winners
Trophies won by school
This is a list of the colleges and universities who have had a player win a Hill trophy:
| School | Trophies held |
|---|---|
| Colorado Mines | 3 |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 3 |
Ferris State
|
3 |
| Valdosta State | 3 |
Bloomsburg
|
2 |
| Central Missouri | 2 |
Chadron State
|
2 |
| North Alabama§ | 2 |
| North Dakota State§ | 2 |
| Pittsburg State | 2 |
| Abilene Christian§ | 1 |
East Stroudsburg
|
1 |
| Emporia State | 1 |
| Grand Valley State | 1 |
Mars Hill
|
1 |
New Haven
|
1 |
| Northern Colorado§ | 1 |
Shepherd
|
1 |
Shippensburg
|
1 |
| Truman | 1 |
| Wayne State (MI) | 1 |
Colorado Mesa
|
1 |
| Texas A&M–Commerce§ | 1 |
| Slippery Rock | 1 |
†previously known as Texas A&I
§currently an
Sponsors
- City of Florence
- Herff-Jones
- Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa
- OptiNet
- Florence-Lauderdale Tourism
References
- ^ "Zach Zebrowski wins Harlon Hill Trophy".
- ^ a b c "How The Winner is Selected". National Harlon Hill Awards Committee. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
- ^ "The History of the Harlon Hill Trophy". National Harlon Hill Awards Committee. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ "Who is Harlon Hill?". National Harlon Hill Awards Committee. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ "Johnny Bailey". National Football League. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Ronald Moore". National Football League. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Bernard Scott". Cincinnati Bengals. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ "Danny Woodhead". National Football League. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
- ^ McIntyre, Jeff (December 19, 2009). "The Graduate, Starring Ronald McKinnon". Times Daily. Retrieved December 28, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Previous Harlon Hill Trophy Winners". National Harlon Hill Awards Committee. Retrieved December 28, 2009.