The winner of the 2003 award, which is presented by the National Harlon Hill Award Committee, will be announced at the eighteenth annual Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet on Friday, December 12 at the Florence Conference Center at 6:30 p.m. This year's Hill Trophy Banquet will also include the fifth  induction  into the Division II Football Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $35 each or $280 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 13 at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium at 3 p.m.

The Hill Trophy is sponsored by Coca-Cola, the City of Florence, Ala., and Trustmark Construction.  There were 34 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 2003 list of candidates includes Keith Heckendorf, the senior quarterback from St. Cloud State (Minn.), who was third in the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2002; as well as senior running back Kevin Curtin Hill of Winona State (Minn.)  and senior quarterback Phillip Boggs  from Midwestern State (Texas), who were both candidates last season.  

Among the players vying for the 2003 award are Northeast region candidates,  junior quarterback Marc Eddy of Bentley (Mass.), senior linebacker Dan Holland of Mansfield (Pa.), junior quarterback Matt Kohn of Indianapolis (Ind.), junior quarterback Mark Radlinski of Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), junior running back Michael Tennessee of Grand Valley State (Mich.), and freshman quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger of East Stroudsburg (Pa.).

South region candidates include senior running back Montoya Brown of Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), senior defensive back Ricardo Colclough of Tusculum (Tenn.), senior quarterback Brett Gilliland of West Alabama, senior quarterback Will Hall of North Alabama, senior wide receiver Nik Lewis of Southern Arkansas, and junior running back Derrick Wimbush of Fort Valley State (Ga.).

Candidates from the Midwest region are senior wide receiver Tim Battaglia of Minnesota-Duluth, senior running back Kevin Curtin of Winona State (Minn.), senior quarterback Keith Heckendorf of St. Cloud State (Minn.), senior tailback Justin Kammrad of Nebraska-Omaha, senior running back Tyler Paul of Emporia State (Kan.), and junior wide receiver Jamaica Rector of Northwest Missouri State.

West region candidates are junior quarterback Drew Beard of Southeastern  Oklahoma State, senior quarterback Phillip Boggs of Midwestern State (Texas), junior running back Chaumont Bouknight of Western State (Colo.), junior running back Mike Miller of Nebraska-Kearney, senior quarterback Cliff Watkins of Tarleton State (Texas), and junior running back Larry Williams of Texas A&M-Kingsville.

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 State 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, Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner in 2000 and 2001, and Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes in 2002.


2003 Harlon Hill Trophy Candidates

Northeast Pos Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Marc Eddy QB 6-3 220 JR Bentley Southboro, Mass.
Dan Holland LB 6-1 228 SR Mansfield Scranton, Pa.
Matt Kohn QB 6-2 200 JR Indianapolis Adrian, Mich.
Mark Radlinski QB 6-2 220 JR Saginaw Valley State Caledonia, Mich.
Michael Tennessee RB 5-9 210 JR Grand Valley State Sterling Heights, Mich.
Jimmy Terwilliger QB 5-11 190 FR East Stroudsburg East Stroudsburg,Pa.

South Pos Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Montoya Brown RB 5-9 225 SR Ouachita Baptist Daingerfield, Texas
Ricardo Colclough DB 6-0 180 SR Tusculum Sumter, S.C.
Brett Gilliland QB 5-9 182 SR West Alabama Pensacola, Fla.
Will Hall QB 5-9 176 SR North Alabama Amory, Miss.
Nik Lewis WR 6-0 200 SR Southern Arkansas Jacksboro, Texas
Derrick Wimbush RB 6-2 220 JR Fort Valley State Mauk, Ga.

Midwest Pos Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Tim Battaglia WR 6-3 205 SR Minnesota-Duluth Cloquet, Minn.
Kevin Curtin RB 5-8 185 SR Winona State Midlothian, Ill.
Keith Heckendorf QB 6-1 205 SR St. Cloud State Mosinee, Wis.
Justin Kammrad TB 6-0 205 SR Nebraska-Omaha Council Bluffs, Iowa
Tyler Paul RB 5-10 200 SR Emporia State Enterprise, Kan.
Jamaica Rector WR 5-10 182 JR Northwest Missouri St. Celeste, Texas

West Pos Ht Wt Cl School Hometown
Drew Beard QB 5-11 175 JR SE Oklahoma State Rush Springs, Okla.
Phillip Boggs QB 6-3 220 SR Midwestern State Hallsville, Texas
Chaumont Bouknight RB 5-9 195 JR Western State Denver, Colo.
Mike Miller RB 5-10 190 JR Nebraska-Kearney Littleton, Colo.
Cliff Watkins QB 6-3 235 SR Tarleton State Breckenridge, Texas
Larry Williams RB 5-9 215 JR Texas A&M-Kingsville San Antonio, Texas