2015 Cliff Harris Award Finalists Announced
December 17, 2015
The Little Rock Touchdown Club and Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP announced the finalists for the 3rd annual CLIFF HARRIS AWARD. This award is presented to the nation’s top small college defensive player representing more than 5,000 defensive players from almost 500 NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA colleges and universities. A prestigious selection committee made up of former college and pro football greats will select the winner. In addition to the CLIFF HARRIS AWARD overall winner, the top vote getter from each division will also be announced.
The CLIFF HARRIS AWARD winner will be announced on Dec. 24 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s annual awards banquet in February 2016. The winner will receive the $3,000 CLIFF HARRIS AWARD trophy presented by Cliff Harris. The inaugural winner of the award in 2013 was Lindenwood University cornerback Pierre Desir now with the Cleveland Browns. The 2014 winner was Darius Allen of Colorado State University-Pueblo.
Division II
| Player | Classification | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donzale Ashley | Sr | S | Ashland |
| Conner Bays | Jr | S | Southwestern Oklahoma State University |
| Jacob Bernhard | Sr | LB | Western State Colorado University |
| Collin Bevins | Jr | DE | Northwest Missouri State |
| Trevon Biglow | Jr | DE | Harding |
| Zachary Blair | Jr | LB | UVa-Wise |
| Michael Bloomfield | Sr | DE | Winston-Salem State University |
| Jordan Bowman | Jr | DB | California University of Pennsylvania |
| Clayton Callicutt | Sr | DE | Angelo State |
| Myles Carelock | Sr | CB | Central Washington University |
| Marqui Christian | Sr. | S | Midwestern State University |
| Andrew Cohen | Jr | DL | West Chester University |
| Tyler Condit | Sr | LB | University of New Haven |
| Jason Disney | Jr | LB | Howard Payne University |
| Dylan Donahue | Jr | DE | University of West Georgia |
| Morgan Fox | Sr | DE | Colorado State-Pueblo |
| Logan Genz | Sr | LB | Arkansas Tech |
| Joshua Gordon | Sr | DE | Minnesota State University, Mankato |
| Emmanuel Graves | Sr. | DE | Colorado School of Mines |
| Connor Harris | Jr | LB | Lindenwood University |
| Tyler Henderson | Sr | LB | Minnesota State-Mankato |
| Jordan Herdman | Jr | LB | Simon Fraserr |
| Austin Jacques | Sr | LB | Johnson C. Smith University |
| Michael James | Jr. | S | Alderson Broaddus University |
| Shaneil Jenkins | Sr | DE | Shepherd University |
| Michael Jordan | Sr | CB | Missouri Western State University |
| Matt Judon | Sr | DE | Grand Valley State |
| Kyle Kitchens | So | OLB | Catawba College |
| Tyke Kozeal | Jr. | LB | University of Nebraska at Kearney |
| Davondrick Lison | Fr | DE | Southern Arkansas University |
| Brock Long | Sr | LB | Fort Hays State University |
| Marcus Martin | So | DE | Slippery Rock University |
| Brad McCurdy | Sr | S | Ohio Dominican University |
| Xavier McFadden | Jr | S | Carson-Newman University |
| Austin Miller | So | LB | University of Central Missouri |
| Cody Mills | Sr | LB | Kentucky Wesleyan College |
| Jordan Norris | Jr | CB | Northwestern Oklahoma State University |
| Anthony Pilla | Sr | DE | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) |
| Curtis pumphrey | Sr | DB | Bowie State University |
| Jewell Ratliff | Sr | LB | Tuskegee University |
| Dustin Rivas | So. | CB | Colorado Mesa |
| JJ Sanders | Sr | DL | Florida Tech |
| Jordan Shaw | Sr | S | Shorter University |
| Solomon St. Pierre | Sr | CB | University of Sioux Falls |
| Preston Tescher | Sr | S | University of Mary |
| Carlo Thomas | So | DB | Johnson C. Smith |
| Jonathan Thropay | Jr | LB | Azusa Pacific University |
| Alex Wahl | Sr | LB | Upper Iowa University |
| D'Gary Wallace | Sr | LB | Urbana University |
| Raheem Wilson | Jr | CB | Southeastern Oklahoma State |
| Joel Wimbley | Sr | LB | Saint Joseph's College |
| Charles Woods | Sr | LB | Texas A & M University Commerce |
| Mike Zanders | Jr | DB | Gannon University |
| Justin Zimmer | Sr | DT | Ferris State University |
Division III
| Player | Classification | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Aelker | Sr | DL | Bluffton University |
| Steve Barroso | Sr | LB | Albright College |
| Chris Beaulaurier | Sr | LB | University of Puget Sound |
| Vincent Beltrano | Sr. | CB | University of Chicago |
| Nate Bryan | Sr. | DT | Franklin College |
| Erick Bulter | Sr. | DE | Thomas more College |
| Kyle Burchett | Jr | LB | Hiram College |
| Terry Calagon | Sr | LB | Alma College |
| Adam Dansdill | Sr | LB | Wheaton |
| Darren Dungee | Sr | LB | Rowan University |
| Obi Etuka | Jr | CB | Western New England University |
| Zach Hauser | Sr | DT | Macalester |
| Sidney Henry | Sr | CB | Hampden-Sydney College |
| Alex Hoff | Sr | DE | Linfield College |
| Brandon Jones | Sr | DL | Widener University |
| Brian Khoury | Jr | DE | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Tom Lally | Sr | DE | Mount Union |
| Frank Laterza | Sr | DB | St. Norbert College |
| Ryne Lewis | Sr. | DE | Hardin-Simmons University |
| Ryne Lewis | Sr. | DE | Hardin-Simmons University |
| Tre'von Lightfoot | Jr. | CB | Emory & Henry |
| Ryan Martin | Jr | LB | Hanover College |
| Kodie McNamara | Sr | LB | Gettysburg College |
| Max Nacewicz | Sr | LB | Springfield College |
| Nadim Raddar | Sr | DE | Bethany College |
| Joe Rizzardi | Sr | S | US Coast Guard Academy |
| Andrew Robinson | Sr | DE | UW-Platteville |
| Taron Seaforth-Howard | Sr | DB | Fitchburg State University |
| Teidrick Smith | Jr | DE | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| Blaine Snitker | Sr | LB | Univ. of Dubuque |
| Isaiah Swopes | Fr | CB | Belhaven University |
| Austin Tennessee | Jr | CB | Stevenson University |
| Julian Turner | Jr | LB | Trinity (TX) University |
| Bryant Wade | Sr | LB | Husson University |
| Anthony White | Sr | DB | Huntingdon College |
| Nick Woodman | Sr | DE | Utica College |
NAIA
| Player | Classification | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ali Aqel | Sr | DL | University of St.Francis (IL) |
| Brady Bonte | Sr | LB | Dakota Wesleyan University |
| Garrett Borcher | Sr | LB | Doane College |
| D'Vonn Brown | Jr | DL | Southwest Assemblies of God |
| Braden Bush | Jr | DB | McPherson College |
| Aaron Cooper | Jr | LB | Kentucky Christian University |
| Dylan Delk | Sr | DE | Tabor College |
| Javier Dyer | So | DE | Reinhardt University |
| Josh Harris | Jr | DB | Georgetown College |
| Nick Holshoe | Jr | DB | Concordia (Mich.) University |
| Nathan Jernigan | Jr | LB | Cumberland (Tenn.) University |
| Ben Kullos | Sr | LB | Dakota State (S.D.) |
| Elijah Lavalais-Hawkins | So | LB | Peru State College |
| Nate Moore | Jr | DB | College of Idaho |
| Andre Reyes | Sr | LB | Briar Cliff University |
| Adam Sauder | Sr | S | Taylor University |
| Zac Schleuger | Sr | LB | Morningside College |
| Tim Smith | Jr | DL | St. Francis (IL) |
| Caleb Taylor | Sr | LB | Faulkner University |
| Sam Van Ginkel | Jr | DE | Northwestern (Iowa) College |
| Reno Ward | Jr | DL | Montana Western |