--- The field of 28 candidates has been trimmed to nine and
Tusculum College quarterback Bo Cordell has been named a national
finalist for the 2013 Harlon Hill Trophy, recognizing the NCAA
Division II College Football Player of the Year.
Cordell becomes the first player in Tusculum history to be named a
national finalist for NCAA II football's most coveted individual
honor twice in his career. Cordell finished fourth in the voting
for the 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy.
The finalists were selected by the NCAA II sports information
directors in regional voting and will now be placed on the national
ballot where all 168 of the division's SIDs will select the award's
28th winner. The top two players from each of Division II's Super
Regions advanced to the national ballot, with the exception of
Super Region 3 where three players advanced due to a tie in the
voting.
The list of national finalists includes: Bo Cordell (QB, Tusculum),
Luke Charles (QB, UNC Pembroke), Glen Clinton (TB, Chadron State),
Franklyn Quiteh (RB, Bloomsburg), Kevin Rodgers (QB, Henderson
State), Tyler Tonderum (RB, Southwest Minnesota State), Dustin
Vaughan (QB, West Texas A&M), Rondell White (RB, West Chester)
and Jon Wolf (QB, Minnesota State-Mankato).
National voting will conclude on December 7 and the top three
finishers will be invited to Florence, Ala. for the presentation
banquet. The winner of the 2013 award, which is presented by the
National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the 28th
annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December
20 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center at 6:30 p.m.
Cordell wraps up one of the most prolific careers ever by a
collegiate signal caller. The Cincinnati, Ohio native (Indian Hill
HS) owns 15 NCAA Division II records, including career passing
yards (16,265 - 4th all NCAA divisions), career completions (1,397
- 3rd all NCAA divisions), career pass attempts (2,187 - 3rd all
NCAA divisions) career total offensive yards (16,432 - 4th all NCAA
divisions) and total offensive plays in a career (2,572 - 2nd all
NCAA divisions).
Cordell was named the 2013 SAC Offensive Player of the Year,
becoming the first TC player to earn the honor multiple times in
his career (2010 & 2013). He is also one of only four players
in league history to earn Offensive Player of the Year distinction
on more than one occasion, along with: Todd Cunningham
(Presbyterian - 1999, 2000, 2001), Tommy Laurendine (Lenoir-Rhyne -
1988, 1999) and Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill - 2009, 2011).
It also marked the fourth time a Pioneer has earned SAC Football
Player of the Year accolades. All-America defensive back and return
specialist Ricardo Colclough earned 2003 Defensive Player of the
Year honors, while All-America quarterback Corey Russell was the
2008 SAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Cordell also became only the fifth Tusculum student-athlete to be
named a multi-time SAC Player of the Year honoree, joining, Lesley
Murray (women's tennis - 2001, 2002, 2003 & 2004), Jasmine Gunn
(women's basketball - 2009-10 & 2010-11), Kyle Moore (men's
basketball - 2009-10 & 2010-11) and Simon Holzapfel (men's
cross country - 2009 & 2010).
Cordell leads the South Atlantic Conference in six statistical
categories this season including: passing yards (3,920 - 4th in
NCAA II), passing yards per game (356.4 ypg - 4th in NCAA II),
points responsible for (178 - 28th in NCAA II), points responsible
for per game (16.2 ppg - 35th in NCAA II) and total offense (365.1
ypg - 5th in NCAA II). Cordell's 3,920 passing yards are the
third-most in school history and fifth-best in SAC history, while
his 4,020 total offensive yards are third most in both the TC and
SAC record books. Cordell has completed 25 touchdown passes in
2013, which are the third most by a Tusculum player and eighth-most
by a SAC quarterback. He owns 13 South Atlantic Conference football
records, including career touchdown passes (112) and touchdowns
responsible for (127), marks he established in his collegiate
finale earlier this month against Mars Hill University.
Cordell, Colclough and Russell are the only three Tusculum players
to advance to the Harlon Hill Trophy national ballot. Colclough
finished fifth in the national voting in 2003, while Russell placed
sixth on the 2008 final ballot.
This marks the 12th time that a South Atlantic Conference player
has been named as a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy,
but only the second time that a SAC player has advanced to the
national ballot. Cunningham was a national finalist in 1999 and
again in 2001. In 2011, Mars Hill's Jonas Randolph became the only
SAC player to win the award.
2013 Harlon Hill Trophy Finalists
Name Pos Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Luke Charles QB 6-1 215 SR UNC Pembroke Murphy, N.C.
Glen Clinton TB 5-10 200 SR Chadron St. Cody, Wyo.
Bo Cordell QB 6-0 205 GR Tusculum Cincinnati, Ohio
Franklyn Quiteh RB 5-9 206 SR Bloomsburg Tobyhanna, Pa.
Kevin Rodgers QB 6-3 215 JR Henderson St. Rockwall, Texas
Tyler Tonderum RB 5-10 191 JR SW Minnesota St. Armstrong, Iowa
Dustin Vaughan QB 6-5 220 SR West Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas
Rondell White RB 5-10 185 SR West Chester West Chester, Pa.
Jon Wolf QB 6-4 230 SR Minn. St.-Mankato Oak Forest, Ill.