Nebraska-Kearney redshirt junior quarterback TJ Davis is one of eight finalists for the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.
Sports information directors (SID's) at the 165 Division II football-playing institutions nominate and vote on the award. The 36 initial candidates were placed on regional ballots with the top two vote-getters from each of the four D2 football regions advancing to the national ballot when regional voting concluded on Monday (Nov. 29).
The winner is determined in a nation-wide vote of D2 SID's (schools & conferences); the national ballot is open between Dec. 1-10. The 35th winner in the trophy's history will be announced on Friday, Dec. 17 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club Awards Banquet on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. The Great American Conference (GAC) assists in the Little Rock Touchdown Club in the voting process.
Davis (Colorado Springs/Widefield H.S.) had a memorable season as part of the Lopers 10-3 playoff run. He had a hand in 40 touchdowns (21 passing, 18 rushing and one receiving), is currently the nation's second most efficient passer (183.3), ran for 1,151 yards and threw for 2,320 yards. Next, Davis broke his own school-record for rushing TD's by a QB in a season, became UNK's all-time leader in rushing TD's (41) and is one of just three Lopers to have multiple 1,000-rushing season in a career. Finally, he had four games with at least four TD's and eight straight games with at least two passes.
The Sports Management major joins fellow QB's Justin Coleman (1999 and 2000) and Jake Spitzlberger (2011) as UNK players to have been Harlon Hill Finalists. Coleman was sixth in 1999 and then runner-up his senior season with Spitzlberger finishing sixth as well.
The Hill Trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill - the former University of North Alabama (UNA) standout - who excelled with the Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears.
Information courtesy of UNK Athletics