ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNER
For 12:00 NOON CENTRAL RELEASE December 14, 2017
CONTACT: JEFF HODGES - (256) 765-4595
LUIS PEREZ WINS 2017 HILL TROPHY
AS DIVISION II FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FLORENCE, Ala. -- Texas A&M University-Commerce
senior quarterback Luis Perez of Chula Vista, Calif.,
has claimed the 2017 Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division
II College Football Player of the Year.
Perez received 198 total points and held a commanding
63-point margin over Gannon University junior running
back Marc Jones at 135. Slippery Rock University senior
defensive lineman Marcus Martin finished third at 96,
marking the highest finish by a defensive lineman in the
award's 32-year history.
The award winner is determined in voting by the Division
II sports information directors.
Perez, who has led Texas A&M-Commerce to a 13-1 record
and into Saturday's (Dec. 16) NCAA Division II National
Championship Game, was on 85 of the 106 total ballots
cast. He will be just the seventh Hill winner to also
play in the Division II National Championship Game in
the same season that he won the award. Five of the
previous Hill winners, Jeff Bentrim of North Dakota
State (1986), Chris Simdorn of North Dakota State
(1990), Ronnie West of Pittsburg State (1991), Ronald
McKinnon of North Alabama (1995) and Curt Anes of Grand
Valley State (2002) also led their teams to the national
championship the day after winning the Hill Trophy.
Pittsburg State's Ronald Moore (1992) is the only Hill
winner to play on the losing team in the championship
game.
The Hill Trophy will be presented to Perez on Friday,
January 5 at a ceremony on the campus of the University
of North Alabama, Hill's alma mater.
The Harlon Hill Trophy is sponsored by Herff Jones, the
Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and the University of
North Alabama. .
Perez has thrown for 4,678 yards and 44 touchdowns this
season, while completing better than 70 percent of his
pass attempts. He has completed 398 of 566 passes leads
Division II in total passing yards (4,678), passing
yards per game (334.0) and passing touchdowns (44). He
is ranked third in points responsible for (272), sixth
in points responsible for per game (19.4), sixth in
total offense (329.2) and tenth in passing efficiency
(161.8).
Following Perez, Jones and Martin in the voting were
senior quarterback Connor Jessop of Shepherd University
(61), junior quarterback Amir Hall of Bowie State
University (50), senior receiver J.T. Luper of the
University of Central Oklahoma (39), senior running back
Ja'Quan Gardner of Humboldt State University (24),
junior quarterback Brook Bolles of the University of
Central Missouri (14), junior running back Devontae
Jackson of the University of West Georgia (12), and
junior quarterback Harry Satterwhite of the University
of West Alabama (7). |
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